Ruining Credit Scores: A Myth

Credit cards have become increasingly popular world-wide, making it easier to buy now and pay later but are they actually helping or hindering someone’s credit? “Maxed Out” by James D. Scurlock demonstrates how credit cards can hurt someone’s credit, while “Why Won’t Anyone give Me a Credit Card” by Kevin O’Donnell demonstrates how someone may have financial stability to pay off a credit card, but still be consistently denied one by the credit card companies. Owning credit cards is not the problem; the problem is being irresponsible with it.

Bad credit reports can affect ones’ life in several negative ways. With a bad credit report and a low credit score, it is harder to receive a credit card, an automobile loan, a mortgage, or possibly a job. It is important that one is always aware of the credit decisions made. Paying bills late, maxing out credit cards, and filling out too many credit applications in a brief period will also have a negative impact on the credit report. To keep a good credit report, one should pay bills on time and apply for credit sparingly. Last, but certainly not least, one should check their credit report annually! A free credit report is available from each of the three credit reporting agencies each year. This is something one should take advantage of since it will help them judge whether they are managing their credit wisely. It is imperative that one keeps a good credit score. If not, one could miss out on many opportunities. For example, one may find an opening for their dream job that they are qualified for, but the negative credit report causes them to not get the job. Do not let this happen! Maintain a good credit report and opportunities like this will not pass by!

(3) In order to get the best interest rates, on home mortgage loans or car loans you need to have good credit ratings, which enables you to borrow more money with less interest. However poor credit effects you the opposite way, it can also keep you from qualifying to rent a house / apartment, and denial of credit cards. Other issues you may have with bad credit, you may have to pay a security deposit on utilities, you might not get that phone contract you want, denied for employment, higher insurance premiums.

Credit Rating of the Borrower and Debt Defaults. One of the main reasons that scholars have put forward in discouraging students from taking college loans is based on how their credit rating will be affected should they fail to pay. Default risk has been

You can't make your debt disappear overnight, but you can make sure you pay your bills on time. There are several components that go into your FICO score, and the most important if those is your payment history. Your payment history accounts for 35 percent of your score, which makes it the largest single part of your score. It even counts more than how much debt you owe, which accounts for 30 percent of your score. A solid payment history won't make lenders fall instantly in love with you, but a history of late payments will convince them to avoid

Making mistakes when it comes to your credit is a lesson that many people learn the hard way. Constant phone calls, mail, and threats can make a tough financial situation worse. Either how well or how poorly you manage your debts and finances are available to creditors to see when you apply for credit, such as for a retail store card, or even an auto or home

What you don’t know about student loans can hurt you.” As Americans pursue more education, they also accumulate more student debt. Student loans have become a big problem for college students across many American campuses’ because of increasing tuition cost, decreasing the amount of grants and scholarships, and the high interest rates of student loans.

5. Excessive spending habits: Not everyone is budget savvy. Some individuals let their wants or desires drive their spending habits by purchasing items and services that are not a necessity for basic living. Credit card spending can help fuel this type of habit. Too much credit card debt could ultimately change the borrower’s ability to repay for their mortgage and other liabilities.

I learned from our interview that there are three credit rating agencies, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. These agencies use a wide variety of information about every person to determine his or her “creditworthiness” from the perspective of banks and just about any other entity that might ever consider extending financial credit to a person. Generally, a good credit score means that lenders will be willing to let you open new accounts, borrow money, and give you the lowest interest rates on any loans. Conversely, a bad credit score means the exact opposite. I learned that every late payment of any kind is a negative mark on my credit score and that makes the credit card’s policy on late payments very important. I learned that the APR is the financing charge calculated as an average percentage of interest on any amount

Medical emergencies are at the top of the list of factors that can have a negative impact on your credit. My mother is a successful business woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago. After two surgeries, 6 months of chemo and 6 months of radiation treatments, her medical bills alone ran into the of thousands of dollars. Adding in all the secondary therapies, treatments and medications, her total costs ended up in the hundreds of thousands of

For some, there are just goods that they consider absolutely essential to their existence, often to the point of spending every cent just to have these. In turn, they rely on loans, and survive from paycheck to paycheck. But living on credit will then lead to a lifetime of hardship to pay off all their loans. If worse comes to worst, some may even default on these loans. But don 't blame the loans. In fact, a good credit profile can improve your credit score. Before applying for a loan, you must first learn all about loans. That is the first component in good personal money management. And during this time, when we are all being hit hard by the worldwide financial crisis, we all need to be astute when it comes to handling money. Here 's the scoop on loans. Basically, loans are quantities of money that you borrow from a lender, which can be repaid over a set period of time with the inclusion of interest. Interest is a percentage of the loan which the bank earns in return extending credit to the borrower. Loans can be secured, or where the borrower stakes a piece of his property to acquire the loan, also known as a collateral; or unsecured, where no collateral or tangible asset is pledged. One particular example of loan that many need to learn more about are bad credit loans. Those with good credit scores have a history of paying on time, and satisfying their debt obligations, while those with bad credit scores have a penchant towards late payments and neglected loans. This

In the case of credit cards, they can do irrevocable damage if not handled in the proper manner. If you tend to be an impulse buyer, they provide access to buying power that might exceed what you can actually afford to spend. After rolling up large debt balances, the monthly interest charges can become financially debilitating, especially if you get in the habit of making minimum payments. If you make late payments or miss a payment or two, your credit score is subject to a material hit, which compromises your ability to secure credit in the future. Finally, the stress you might experience as your debt troubles related to credit cards start escalating have the potential of causing you both mental and emotional hardships. The bottom line is you need to avoid credit cards if you can't handle them responsibly.

“The amount of credit card debt outstanding rose nearly threefold between 1990 and 2002, from $173 billion to $661 billion. ”^1 Credit is a double edged sword it could cause two things: it could be beneficial or detrimental to a person’s life. Fair Isaac Co best known as FICO is an analysis company that takes information to analyze and predict what is likely to happen. FICO takes information of a particular customer and develops what they called a FICO score or a credit score; this helps banks and lenders understand the behaviour of a certain person. How likely they are to pay their bills and if they can handle to have a large amount of credit.

What many consumers don’t know is that a damaged credit score can hurt them for many years. Reports such as bankruptcies, liens, and late payments are all unfavorable and can cause banks and subsequent creditors to charge an excessive

2. According to Discover, each time you apply for a credit card or a loan, the creditor may obtain a copy of your history. This action is called an inquiry and it will be recorded on your credit history. Too many inquiries within a short period of time may have a negative effect on your credit history and score. Lenders will assume you’re trying to get as much credit as possible because your spending is out of control. If your record is not as good and you have a lower score, you may not be able to borrow at all or you may have to pay higher rates.