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0% APR Credit Cards: How Can They Do That?
During the days when the federal bank interest rates were at its
lowest, back in 2002 and 2003 to be specific, countless credit
card providers offered 0% APR credit cards to many consumers.
Needing only to pay the outstanding balance, smart...
Bad Credit Home Loan - How To Get A Good One?
Getting a home loan with a bad credit has never been easier. Here are some of the tips recommended by experts to improve your chances of getting a home loan: Find a good deal on your home: If you can snap up a home as cheaper rates compared to the...
Credit Card Debt Reduction - 3 Tips To Lowering Credit Card Debt
Credit card debt can be reduced through lower rates or
negotiating for reduced balances. With reduced interest, you can
pay off the principal quicker with the same monthly payment. The
other approach is debt settlement, which eliminates part of...
Credit Problems, What You Can Do
Having a blemish on your credit report can lead people to believe that it will be impossible for them to obtain a mortgage or refinance their current one.
Although having less than perfect credit can be a challenge, all hope is not lost.
There...
When You Are Eligible For A Free Credit Report
By Federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report per year directly from a credit-reporting agency only if you certify that:
1. You are unemployed and seeking employment in the next 60 days.
2. You are receiving public...
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Discover What to do When Your Credit Worth is Damaged Due to Circumstances out of Your Control
First of all, let’s examine exactly what credit worth means and how it affects your financial life.
Your credit worth, as defined by the financial industry, is the overall picture of your financial health that is used by lenders to determine your ability to repay debt. By looking at a combination of factors, lenders, such as banks, credit card companies, and utility companies, estimate how worthy you are of receiving a line of credit or regular services based on a payment schedule.
The most common factor used by lenders to determine credit worthiness is your credit score. Your credit score is a number generated by a mathematical formula that estimates how likely you are to pay your bills. Based on the information in your credit reports from the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, your credit score is a factor affecting your ability to get loans and good interest rates. Lenders compare your credit report with millions of others to determine your score.
But your credit score is not the only thing that lenders look at to decide whether or not to give you a loan or a good interest rate. They also evaluate the individual entries on your credit report and the information you provide on your loan application. Some creditors consider your occupation, length of employment, and whether or not you own a home.
Each creditor creates a credit scoring system based on factors important to that institution, so you may receive different results with different lenders. For this reason, it is also important to talk to the credit manager about why you received the credit limit and interest rates that you did. You may have mitigating circumstances that affect how your credit history is viewed, or you may be on the margin between two score categories. Negotiation may be possible if you are open with the creditor about your ability to pay.
If you are turned down for credit, law states that you are entitled to a free credit report if you request it within 60 days. A few steps you can take to improve your credit worthiness include paying your bills on time, paying down your existing debt, and refrain from taking on new debt. But the points awarded by creditors for each factor varies, and an increase in your credit score depends on how one factor relates to another factor in their particular scoring model.
Collections, bankruptcies, and late payments have the greatest negative effect on your credit score, and, therefore, on your credit worthiness. Paying your bills on time may seem like a small thing when you’re writing that monthly check, but an accumulation of timely payments says a lot to a potential lender looking for a reliable client. Prompt payments in recent months can actually make a big difference in your credit score.
Your debt is a factor as well. Keeping your account balances between 25% and 50% of your available credit signals a responsible borrower. For example, if you have a credit card with a $2000 limit, keep your debt below $1000. For this reason, consolidating your credit card debt can actually lower your credit score, as it
raises your debt to available credit ratio. The best solution is to simply pay off your existing cards as quickly as possible.
The length of your credit history is another determining factor in a good score. Lenders want to know that you are able to maintain prompt payments and good standing for a reasonable period of time. Most credit scoring models consider the length of your credit history, but low points in this area can be outweighed by good payment history and low debt balances.
Some creditors consider the type of accounts you have as a determining factor in your credit worthiness. While it’s a good idea to have established credit accounts, some companies consider loans from finance companies or too many accounts to be negative factors.
Checking your credit report regularly (at least once each quarter) helps you in numerous ways:
1.You need to know who is checking on your credit at any given time. Inquiries factor into your overall credit score and it is illegal to run your report unless you have given written permission. 2.Makes you aware of accounts reported incorrectly, which is extremely important in situations such as a company reporting a late payment incorrectly. 3.You may discover big surprises like a collection account filed against you that you weren’t even aware of. It happens! 4.And the really big one – someone has stolen your identity and is using your credit!
With the number of identity theft cases increasing steadily, you can’t afford to ignore your credit – especially if you are considering borrowing.
In a recent court case number 02CC13327, a 4th District Court of Appeals upheld the first $1 million judgment against a large retail company by a victim of identity theft. One of the interesting facts of this case is that the court recognized a recently developed procedure for measuring credit damage. The owner CM Financial of Fullerton, CA, Georg Finder, is an expert witness in credit cases, and is responsible for developing this process that he calls “Credit Damage Measurement,” or CDM.
Up until recently, lawyers for victims of credit damage had little chance of collecting damages beyond medical treatment, lost wages and property loss. With the development of CDM, that has all changed. So what do you do if your credit worthiness is damaged due to situations out of your control? Call CM Financial at 714 441-0900 for starters to find out how it’s possible to calculate exact financial consequences and therefore enable you to seek out appropriate compensation.
You can learn more about CM Financial and the CDM process, including being able to view sample reports, at http://www.creditdamage.com.
About the Author
Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant with over 25 years experience. She specializes in internet marketing, strategy and plan development, as well as management of communications and public relations programs for small business sectors. She can be reached at Creative Communications: creative--com@cox.net or by visiting www.menopauseinfo.org or www.internet-marketing-small-business.com
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Credit Reports - Credit Cards - Car Loans - Home Loans - Credit.com |
Credit.com offers a variety of credit related products and services including credit reports and credit scores, credit cards, car loans, home loan and ... |
www.credit.com |
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Equifax Personal Solutions: Credit Reports, Credit Scores ... |
National consumer credit reporting company that offers credit reports, FICO(R) credit scores and identity theft protection products to consumers and small ... |
www.equifax.com |
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The FTC's web site on Credit |
Credit is much more than a piece of plastic, and the resources on this site can help you become a more savvy consumer. You’ll also find compliance ... |
www.ftc.gov |
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Federal Trade Commission - Consumer Credit Center |
Features an assortment of helpful articles related to credit issues. |
www.ftc.gov |
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AnnualCreditReport |
Site set up by the big three credit reporting agencies in the United States, to furnish free annual credit reports, as required by federal law. |
www.annualcreditreport.com |
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Springboard - Non-Profit Consumer Credit Management |
Our mission is simple: To offer education on the wise use of credit. ... SPRINGBOARD has been approved to provide credit counseling services and issue ... |
www.credit.org |
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myFICO - FICO Credit Scores, Online Credit Reports and Identity ... |
myFICO.com: Get your Free credit report and Free credit score with a 30-day trial of Score Watch. All three FICO Scores and Credit Reports Available now ... |
www.myfico.com |
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Credit Suisse Global |
Credit Suisse Group is an international financial services group. - Shares part of SMI. |
www.credit-suisse.com |
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Experian: Free Credit Report and Credit Score, Credit Check ... |
Credit referencing and consumer targeting for the USA and other countries. |
www.experian.com |
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National Credit Union Administration - Home Page |
An independent federal agency that supervises and insures 7152 federal credit unions and insures 4240 state-chartered credit unions. |
www.ncua.gov |
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Credit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Debits and Credits, a type of bookkeeping entry; Credit (creative arts), acknowledging the ideas or ... Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit" ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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Credit (finance) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Any movement of financial capital is normally quite dependent on credit, ... Sometimes if a person has financial instability or difficulty, credit is not ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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The National Foundation for Credit Counseling |
DebtAdvice.org is a service provided by the Members of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), most of them known as Consumer Credit ... |
www.nfcc.org |
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FreeCreditReport.com | Free Credit Report and Credit Score Online ... |
FreeCreditReport.com: Free credit reports and credit scores from Experian. Get your free credit report and credit score now. It's free, fast, and easy! |
www.freecreditreport.com |
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Compare credit cards | apply for a credit card | 0% balance ... |
Compare over 300 credit cards, including 0% offers and balance transfers, and make a credit card application online... |
www.moneysupermarket.com |
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Ford Credit - Auto financing for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars ... |
Ford Credit provides auto financing to finance a lease or purchase a car or truck through Ford, Lincoln or Mercury dealerships. |
www.fordcredit.com |
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The Credit Card Prank |
In my lifetime, I have made nearly 15000 credit card transactions. ... Credit card signatures are a useless mechanism designed to make you feel safe, ... |
www.zug.com |
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Credit magazine, corporate bonds, derivatives, structured credit ... |
Credit magazine provides information on the international credit markets for credit investors, issuers and market professionals. |
www.creditmag.com |
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CUNA: The Credit Union National Association |
News and resource directory about credit unions. |
www.cuna.org |
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Credit/Debt Management - Tools and Advice for Managing Credit and Debt |
Drowning in debt? Trying to improve your credit score? This is the place for you. Get real world information and tips, as well as the legal low down, ... |
credit.about.com |
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