Credit Repair Blog - The Credit Repair Resource

Credit Repair, the Big Picture

There was a time when the credit repair industry was focused exclusively on sending dispute letters to the credit bureaus. Those days are over. There is no question that intelligent and well structured dispute letters are very effective in cleaning up erroneous derogatory information, and it is a thrill to see these bad accounts removed or corrected. But, as important as credit bureau disputes are, unless you put equal emphasis on building new positive credit you are missing the vast majority of benefit that is available from the credit repair process.

Money in Your Pocket

It is no exaggeration to say that well over fifty percent of the benefit of a smart credit repair program will come from careful building and management of positive credit. Why would you ever settle for a one hundred point increase in your score if you could get a two hundred point increase? The right approach to credit repair can easily mean a difference between loan approval and denial, or the difference between a low interest rate and one that will strain your budget. Over the last few years credit markets have shifted almost entirely credit score based pricing. Your credit score translates directly into dollars and cents, your dollars and cents.

Getting Secured Credit Cards

If hard times have left you with no open accounts you should get back on your feet with two new secured credit cards. Secured cards are the perfect credit repair tool. They will require a small savings deposit, usually two or three hundred dollars. This money is used as collateral to secure the limit on the card and will be returned to you when you close the account. Because these cards are collateralized you will not be denied unless you have previous unresolved issues with the card issuer. They are easy and cheap, and for credit repair purposes, they are every bit as good as a larger unsecured card.

Consider Authorized User Accounts

If you are interested in giving your credit repair program a little extra boost there is another credit building strategy you may consider. If you have a family member with excellent credit that would like to help your endeavor you can ask them to add you to one of their credit card accounts as an authorized user. Once they do this the account should appear on your credit report within sixty days and your credit score will inherit the full benefit of the account as if it were your own. On a cautionary note, you should not consider purchasing authorized user accounts as the software used to calculate your score has a way of blocking these brokered accounts.

Cautionary Notes

If you were choosing between secured cards and authorized user accounts, secured cards are the best long term credit repair option for the simple reason that they belong to you. Authorized user accounts come with notable risks. If your card donor runs his balance up your score will tumble due to no fault of yours. And if for any reason the account goes bad you are likely to have trouble removing yourself, as card issuers usually will refuse to make any changes to the account until it is healthy again. But, if you have the ability to include both secured cards and trusted authorized user accounts in your credit repair program, by all means do it.

Picking the Right Type of Credit

When it comes to credit repair you should build credit with mainstream credit cards such as MasterCard and Visa. There are certain forms of credit that can harm your credit more than helping it. The credit scoring software that calculates your score has a built-in bias against consumer debt including store cards and furniture store loans. So do not assume that because you have a store card that you have the credit profile that you need. This type of credit can be convenient and may have certain benefits, but while you are in a credit repair program it should be avoided. Stick with the basics.

Managing for Credit Repair Results

Once you have your credit cards open it is crucial that you manage them properly. This is where you credit repair effort can really shine. The credit scoring model places great weight on the balances that you keep on your credit cards and the newer the card the more important the balance becomes. For the best score benefit use less than twenty percent of the total credit line on the card. If you let your balances run up to the limit your scores will fall, as much as one hundred points depending on the overall content of your credit report, so spend carefully. If you have this problem, do not worry. Just pay those cards down and your score will pop right back up. Good luck!

Copyright © 2009 Sky Blue Credit Repair. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

The Full Potential of Credit Repair

Credit repair can eliminate many of the bothersome errors on your credit report. This is an exciting and wonderful thing, but it is only half the benefit that a properly implemented strategy is capable of delivering, and to neglect the true potential of credit repair is to sell yourself short. Go the extra mile and you will see your scores reach unexpected heights and your credit report become so attractive to lenders that you will be able to secure the best, low cost financing available. Your credit is far too important to settle for anything less than the best.

The Power of New Credit

Everyone loves to watch negative items get deleted from their credit reports. It is liberating and exciting, but by itself it may not do much to raise your credit scores. Your credit scores do not have natural resilience. In other words, the absence of derogatory information on your report may eliminate the dead weight that was holding your scores down, but without positive credit to create loft, they will remain dormant like a deflated balloon awaiting inflation. You must have positive open accounts to provide this loft. Without positive credit your credit repair endeavor, and scores, are sure to disappoint.

The Right Type of Credit

If you do not have open accounts that are reporting in a positive manner you should remedy that state of affairs immediately. Building new credit is essential to your credit repair success, but not all forms of credit will benefit your scores, and some will be downright harmful. For the right outcome, stick with MasterCard and Visa. American Express and Discover are also fine, but harder to get and less widely accepted, so choose wisely. If you cannot get approved for standard cards, you should apply for secured cards. They are inexpensive, every bit as valuable and you will not get denied. Avoid store cards and consumer debt, like furniture store loans catalog credit lines. The FICO scoring model carries a bias against this type of debt and your scores will suffer.

The Importance of Balance Management

For the right credit repair results you must keep a close eye on your revolving balances. This cannot be stressed enough. Your scores will swing wildly based on your balances. Many people make the mistake of getting a couple of new secured credit cards and running them up to their limit. The intention in getting the card was right, but letting the balances run up can cost over 100 points. This is an easy error to make, especially if the limits on the secured cards are low. Credit repair requires diligence. Watch those balances!

Patience and Victory

Once you start your credit repair process you must be patient. The credit bureaus are required to process your disputes, but they do not do so willingly. The systems they have set up to manage the voluminous number of dispute letters they receive are designed to move the letters through the system with little emphasis on accuracy. Do not get flustered if your initial complaint gets ignored or denied. Remain calm and keep sending your request until you are satisfied. Statistically, the odds are that they will eventually process your credit repair request properly.

The Strength of Savings

In our experience those that start a credit repair program simultaneously with a small savings plan are most like to succeed. Unexpected events will arise. And with these events often come expenses. If your budget is too tight you will find that these occurrences stress your ability to make your payments on time, and suddenly you will find another new late payment on your credit report. Do not put your credit at risk. Find a way to start a savings plan. Budget for it. It will provide a buffer in hard times and insure that your credit repair results are safe.

Credit Repair Resources

Confused or overwhelmed by the prospects of investing the time needed to launch your credit repair effort properly? Do not be discouraged and do not give up. Nothing is more important. If you cannot handle it on your own, find a reputable credit repair service to take up the cause on your behalf. Do a little homework, check out the options, interview your top choices and make your decision. A professional credit repair company will insure that the job is done right. You will succeed!

Copyright © 2009 Sky Blue Credit Repair. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Examine Your Reports Closely

Credit repair requires a critical eye. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Question everything on your credit report that you are not completely sure of. It is no longer sensible to believe that the content of your credit report is accurate just because it is in writing. The entire credit reporting system, with its many participants, is prone to error. And these errors have the ability to depress your credit score and cost you money. Take your time, find every error, and get ready to dispute.

Question Collections

When examining your credit reports, give special attention to collections. Collectors buy and sell debt every day. If your account does not pay off, the collector will package it up and sell it to another collector who will try their luck. And each collector in turn will report your collection to the credit bureau. By law, when a collector sells a debt they must withdraw the account from your credit report. Unfortunately, there is no real motivation for them to do so and these erroneous accounts can linger needlessly for years. Now is the time for action!

Dispute Intelligently

The credit bureau dispute letter is the heart of credit repair. It is not hard to write a dispute letter, but is it challenging to make that letter effective. When it comes to credit repair simple is best. It may be tempting to tell your whole life story in your dispute letter, but your heartfelt tale will fall on deaf ears. The bureau dispute processing centers handle a significant volume of letters on a daily basis. The goal of a dispute clerk is to translate your letter as quickly as possible into a two digit code summarizing your concern. For best results, just say what is on your mind and nothing more.

Build New Credit Today

As important as the dispute process is, it is even more essential to your credit repair that you have open positive accounts. Your credit scores are based on everything on your report, both the negative and positive. Removing the negative will eliminate the burden on your scores. But your scores will not automatically rise. You need something good on your reports for your scores to improve. If you cannot get regular credit cards, get secured cards. They are the perfect credit repair tool and can improve your scores over 100 points within six months, if managed right.

Manage Revolving Debt Right

Your credit scores are very sensitive to the balances on your credit cards. This fact cannot be stressed enough. Many people working hard at credit repair are discouraged when their scores continue to languish in spite of perfect on-time payments. For the best credit repair results you should only use twenty percent of the amount available on your cards. To underline the importance of this matter it is worth noting that your revolving balances can move your scores over 100 points. A maxed out credit card will have a devastating effect on your scores. Watch your balances!

Budget and Save

For long term credit repair success you need to make sure that new problems do not arise. A fresh late payment will be a major setback. The best way to avoid the kind of financial stress that can lead to late payments is to have a financial buffer in the form of a savings account. When unplanned expenses arise they will not become unmanageable. If you do not seem to be able to save money you should start by creating a written budget. Examine all of your expenses and make sure that there is room for savings each month. Even a small contribution will do the trick.

Get Credit Repair Help

Professional credit repair help is very affordable! For a small monthly fee you can have someone review your credit reports, manage the entire dispute process, and guide you through the process of building and managing credit for credit score optimization. If you feel intimidated by the task, just reach out. You do not have to do it on your own. And your credit is too important to ignore another day. Do it yourself, or hire a pro, but take action now. You will succeed!

Copyright © 2009 Sky Blue Credit Repair. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

The Joy of Simplicity

Are you interested in credit repair? Would you like to have a beautiful credit report and awesome scores? You may need to make some lifestyle changes. But there is good news, although credit repair success demands a financially responsible lifestyle, it does not demand a life of austerity. Many people embarking on a credit repair program begin making changes out of necessity, only to discover the joy of living a life of simplicity.

You Can Do It

The days of living beyond one’s means are over. The time has come to balance your budget, build your personal wealth, and live a life of confidence and clarity. It can be done, and it is the perfect complement to your credit repair program. The inner power you will experience when your life is in balance far outweighs the short-lived pleasure that comes from driving off the lot in a car that will force you to skip meals to make the payment.

Control Your Finances

Now is the time to make good decisions. Once your finances are stable you will be able to start a savings plan; this financial buffer will insure that you can weather the storms of unexpected expenses without falling behind in your payments and risking your credit repair results. It boils down to getting control of your finances and finding a way to balance your budget.

It Can Be Fun

Starting a budget does not have to be a torturous process. Think of it as an adventure or a game. Begin by listing all of your expenses. Leave nothing out, from the big monthly costs to the little daily incidentals. Even include your lunch money. And don’t forget the occasional expenses like quarterly insurance bills. Now it’s time to put on your thinking cap and figure how you can reduce your expenses. Remember that this can be fun. You should be able to cut costs without becoming a monk.

Simplification Tricks

Many of our credit repair clients have simplified their lives and reported back to us with these inspiring tips. Several people have successfully traded in their automobiles for lower costs options, saving hundreds of dollar per month. And you would be surprised that there are many low cost cars that are great to drive. Try eating at home a little more often. Restaurants are expensive, and if you eat out two or three times a week it adds up. Several people have taken cooking classes and discovered a whole new outlook on dining at home. Entertainment is important, but how much are you spending at clubs or the movies. Explore the options of entertaining yourself at home; rent a DVD, break out a board game, take a walk in nature.

Beyond Credit Repair

A lifestyle change offers benefits well beyond supporting your credit repair project. You will experience an increase in inner peace and personal self confidence. And you will be surprised how successful so many of your efforts become when you approach them with confidence and inner strength. You can do it. Good luck!

Copyright © 2008 Sky Blue Credit Repair. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Credit Repair Works, But…

Credit repair can do more than clean up your credit reports. It can raise your scores, help you prevail against collectors, guide your debt negotiations, and transform your financial life. But you must do it right. Too many people jump into the process head first without taking time to learn the rules. As powerful as credit repair is, an uninformed effort is almost guaranteed to produce disappointment. Here are the three most common blunders you must avoid if you want awesome life-changing results.

Don’t Believe Your Eyes

Shake off any ideas that you have about the infallibility of the credit bureaus. Your credit repair effort will start with a detailed examination of all three credit bureaus, and you better approach this task with a critical eye. Almost three-quarters of all credit reports contain mistakes. Look very carefully. Expand your area of focus. Score damaging errors include underreported credit card limits, accounts reported as open with balances that are really closed and paid, duplicate accounts that overstate your debt load, and collections illegally reported by collectors that have sold the debt. Your mission is to hunt down and dispute everything that does not look right. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Every point matters.

Don’t Wait to Open New Accounts

Many people are puzzled by the injunction to open new accounts now. Your credit repair effort is destined to fail unless you have open accounts in good standing. You need to act today. But there are caveats. Not all forms of credit are useful for improving your credit scores; stick with MasterCard and Visa. In the current credit environment it is likely you will not be approved for regular credit cards. This is not an obstacle. Secured cards are ideal for credit repair; they are inexpensive to open and you will not be denied. Small secured cards are every bit as valuable as high limit cards. But you must manage them right. Here’s how.

Watch Those Credit Cards

The FICO credit scoring model puts so much emphasis on the relationship between your card balances and their limit that a lapse can cost you over 100 points. It does not matter if your limit is high or low, if you let your balances approach the limit your credit repair project will suffer. The FICO scoring software measures your card usage ratios and adjusts your scores accordingly. The lower your balance relative to your limit, the higher your score will be. So get those balances down. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that it is sufficient to pay the cards off at the end of each month. The creditor is unlikely to report to the bureaus at the exact moment that your balance has been paid. If you need your credit scores to be good in the next 60 days get your balances down now and keep them there as long as your scores matter.

Summary

The quality of your credit has never been so important. Your credit will affect your ability to borrow money, get insurance, rent an apartment, and even get a job; you cannot afford to ignore it or take it for granted. Take action today to insure that your credit report is as good as it can possibly be. If you don’t feel up to the task just hire a credit repair service to do the work for you. A professional credit repair service will see that every opportunity to sharpen your reports and boost your scores is taken advantage of. Don’t let your credit life languish. Wake up and do something. A little effort on your part will pay dividends for years to come. Good luck!

Copyright © 2008 Sky Blue Credit Repair. All Content. All Rights Reserved.