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Credit Card Entrapment- The Secrets are out
Have you ever wondered why your credit card bill is so high and you can't seem to pay off the balance? Well you are not alone in this. You should be aware of a couple of trick that they use and you probably don't even pay attention to it, but you...
Credit Counseling Services Checklist
There are credit counseling agencies that rescue people from the deepest financial holes. There are also credit counseling agencies that just shovel in more dirt. How do you tell them apart?
by Joel Walsh
Signs of a Reliable Credit Counseling...
Credit Report – Watch Out for Parking Tickets
The economic downturn of the last five years has affected millions of Americans, but it has also affected the budgets of states, cities and counties. With limited tax dollars with which to work, various government entities have had to try to stretch...
Research can help you avoid Bad Credit
Staying in contact with your creditors every month can help you
avoid bad credit. If you research the marketplace before coming
to a buying decision, you are well on your way to avoiding bad
credit and repairing credit hassles. You want to...
Total Cost Of Credit vs Monthly Payments
I read a press release the other day which points to the fact we need to be very careful with our finances. The subject of the release was home mortgages. A company was announcing the availability of 40 year mortgages for its customers....
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Good Credit -- Essential for the Prospective Home Buyer
Credit is a funny thing. It can be a useful tool in the hands of an informed individual, or a weight of burden to the unsuspecting. One thing is for certain, you must have a decent credit score to attain a quality mortgage loan.
We speak to hundreds of individuals each month that are in the market to buy property. Unfortunately, many of them have less than desirable credit scores, and because of this, are not able to get prequalified for a loan.
There are numerous reasons for bad credit scores: bankruptcies, late payments, large credit balances, and a host of others. There are many legitimate reasons a person may have bad credit, but frankly, most of the people we talk to have simply made poor financial decisions.
In most cases, bad credit can be easily avoided:
1. On revolving credit card balances, make sure you pay your minimum balance each month. You will even receive a slight credit boost if you pay over your minimum amount, so do it if you can.
2. Avoid "maxing" out credit card accounts. Credit cards are good to have to build your credit, but make sure you keep your spending under control. Preferably, you should be able to pay off any CC balances completely in the same month you spent the money.
3. If you need to make any big purchases, avoid the temptation to place the entire purchase on your credit card.
Instead, put money aside each month until you have enough for the purchase. Remember, just because you have a big spending limit on your cards, doesn't make it your money! You have to pay every penny back plus interest!
4. Try to think of a credit card as a tool for building credit as opposed to a tool for buying the things you want. You spend a small amount each month, and pay it off immediately. This will spike your credit score, and keep you out of CC debt.
5. Make sure to pull your credit rating at least twice a year. This will give you a good feel for what your score is, and most credit score reporting services will give you a detailed explanation for why your score is where it is. If you find any errors, make sure you report and resolve them immediately. It can be long and gruesome work to get a negative mark removed from your credit record, but it can be well worth it when it comes time to buy a house.
I hope some of these tips will be helpful for you as you try to be a good steward of your finances.
You may also want to check out these free resources:
www.FamilyCredit.org
www.DebtFreeChristian.org
Justin Smith is the President of the Christian Real Estate Network - http://www.HisMove.com
About the Author
Justin Smith is the President of the Christian Real Estate Network -- http://www.HisMove.com
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