I read a great article on the impact credit card interest rates have on your credit and how Credit Card debt can destroy your wealth potential.  The article (6 steps to reducing your credit card interest rates) was written by Jay Peroni and was reprinted  on ChristianPF.com.

Step 1: Find out your current interest rates on your credit cards.

Step 2: Shop around and find what competing cards are charging for interest.

Step 3: Call your credit card companies and ask to speak to a supervisor or manager. Use competitor rates to negotiate your rate down. Keep escalating your request up to the next manager if you do not get the answer you are looking for from the first manager you talk to. Be persistent. Don’t back down.

Step 4: While you are at it, negotiate to have your late fees reversed. This is also negotiable. Be prepared to fight back.

Step 5: Set up your future payments to that company to be made au­tomatically. Either use a bill-payment company or have your monthly payments scheduled to automatically hit before their respective due dates.

Step 6: Continue making the largest monthly payment you can make—above the minimum payment.

Read the rest of the article here.

You sit down to look at your credit report for the first time. If you’re scores are above 720, congratulations! You have excellent credit; stop worrying. If you’re scores are not above 700, no problem—let’s get to work. Take solace in the fact that the national average score is around 676 according to the Gallup Organization. If you’re scores are below 400, 500, or 600, there’s definitely room for improvement and only one way to go—up!

If the numbers I’ve mentioned don’t make any sense to you or you have no idea what they mean, don’t fret—I’ll explain. Credit scores range from 350 to 850. All three of the credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and Transunion—offer FICO credit scores using a complex mathematical formula developed by Fair, Isaac and Company, but they each give the scores a different name: At Equifax, the FICO is known as the Beacon credit score; at TransUnion, it’s called Empirica; and at Experian, it’s called the Experian/Fair, Isaac Risk Model.

If you’re credit scores are above 720 you have excellent credit and will able to get the best interest rates available. As your credit scores drop, the interest rate you’ll receive for a home loan will rise: this is known as tiered pricing. The more of a risk the lender takes on you, the higher your interest rate will be. In addition, all lenders have their own break points between tiers. What this means is that one lender may raise the interest rate if a score drops below 700, while another lender won’t give a higher rate until the score drops below 690. In summation, you should do everything in your power to maintain good credit scores, and be sure to shop around and do your homework when looking for a home loan because all lenders are not created equal. I think you’ve already gleaned the moral of the article but just in case you haven’t, here it is: Good credit scores save lots and lots of money, and be sure to choose a lender wisely to get the best rate for your scores.

Maintaining a good credit is important to your financial life. There are people who experience poor credit report due to neglect and improper report reviewing. There are even others who went through the process of repairing their credit and somehow managed to maintain good credit after. If you do not want to ever need a credit repair, good credit maintenance is advisable. Luckily, simple steps can help one in proper maintenance of a good credit.

The Importance of a Good Credit

Credit history plays in important role in determining whether you are qualified for a loan or not. The credit is really worth a thousand words and it says so much about the consumer. Not only can it affect your finance but other aspects of your life as well.

Several counselors and services agree upon on thing:  maintaining a good credit is important in leading a fit financial life.

Most people do not realize that landlords, employers and companies checks credit scores before making a decision on whether or not they can grant a contract or a job. The scores and credit report can help companies decide whether you pay your bills on time or if you have filed for bankruptcies. By doing so, they can use the information on your credit report as a future marker of your credit worthiness.

What You Can Do

Although maintaining a good credit can be quite a challenge, there is no better way to keep you safe from debt than by carefully following your spending and always sticking on a budget. Budgets are important as they can aid you in controlling your finances, decreasing your debt and building a strong credit
history.

In the topic of managing your debt, the first thing you can do is to keep track of your spending habits. You can do this by creating drafts of what you spend and track anything that you might owe. Monthly statements should be reviewed when they arrive and always check for any possible inconsistencies.  Additionally, always remember to report themimmediately.

To keep your account in good standing, always remember to pay the creditor on or before the due date normally printed on the statement. Do not skip on any payments and strive to pay more than the minimum or, if possible, pay the whole balance each month.

Another step you can take is not to exceed your credit limit. The available credit is the amount left on your credit usually represented by the difference between your credit limit and your outstanding balance. Always remember to maintain the balance lower than the limit
of the credit. Additionally, make sure to add any charges you made after the closing date to your Outstanding Balance included in the monthly statement; doing so can help you find out just how much credit you have left.

Sticking to a budget is also important. Typically, 10% of your monthly income should be used in paying your credit lines, bills or personal loans. However, in case you are paying more, it is time to reconsider your habits of spending. Keep out of impulsive buying
since they are especially hard to pay off.

Lastly, control your finances. It is advisable to create a payment plan, which can help you get on the right track. This kind of scheme should incorporate those whom you need to pay and the amount of the payment each month. Normally, other people limit their credit usage until the finances are under control; this is an excellent method of controlling your finances.

Avoiding complications in credit repair is almost important as getting out of debt. When we have bills that were neglected simply because we didn’t have the money to pay the bills, or else we purchased items instead of paying the bills, we are in debt.

If you are considering a Home Equity Loan to get out of your current mortgage, don’t. Why? Simply because most Home Equity Loans get you deeper in debt and once you are obligated you will find the problem is more complicated than when you applied for the loan.

Lenders often target home owners with financial difficulties offering them high interest rates and making them believe it is a solution for debt relief. In most cases, this is where foreclosures come in, or selling homes come into place. The solution is only an option to get you in debt deeper. One solution then is for homeowners to consider the Reverse Mortgage Loans. This type of loan is often as equity against your home, belongings, and so on. The loan offers a ‘cash advance’ solution and requires that the owner does not pay on the mortgage until the end of the mortgage term or when the home is sold.

Most lenders provide a lump sum advance, a line of credit, or else a monthly installment to the home owners. Some lenders even offer a combination to the homeowners. This is certainly a good solution for repairing your credit, and building your credit to a new future. The downside is that Reverse Home Mortgage Loans often are more suitable for the older generation of people that have built equity over the years in their homes. Another disadvantage is that almost all home loans require upfront payments, such as title, insurance, application fees, origination fees, interest and so on. Therefore, it pays to ask questions and shop around before taking out another loan to repair or build your credit. Fannie Mae Home Keeper Mortgage Programs are one of the many that offer a Reverse Home Mortgage Loan.

Another option for paying off your debts and repairing your credit is to borrow the money from family members or friends. If you have someone that trusts you enough to loan you the money to get out of debt, it is often better than getting a loan. There are several options or questions you must consider before asking family members or friends to loan you the money to build or repair your credit. One of those questions should be the obvious. Can these people afford to lend me the money to get out of debt? Are these people kind enough to loan you money without putting high demands on you. Of course there may be interest involved, but remember they are loaning you money they could be spending on their own bills. Is it possible that you can repay the loan without complicating your situation further? Can I repay these people that loan me the money to free myself of one debt? How long do I have to repay the loan? Make sure there are no extra complications before asking friends or family for money to help get you out of debt.

One of the best solutions for finding a way to repair your credit is searching the options to make the money yourself. If you have a mortgage payment and struggling each month to make ends meet, you might want to sell your home. Many homeowners go for this option simply because they make more money in the long run. Once they sell their home they are often able to repay their mortgage loan and then take out a loan for another mortgage more affordable. If you decide to sell your home to repair your credit and get out of debt, be sure that you look around for the best possible solutions in order to prevent further complications.

Make sure you know how much is owed on your home before you set a price for resell. If there are any repairs that are minor or major, try to repair them first before selling. If you can’t afford to repair the home, try to do minimal repair so that you can up the price of the home you are selling.

Many people have heard of bad credit, but some may not know what it means. For a long time, there was no established method for determining the credit activities of consumers. However, this all changed when a company called the Fair Isaac Corporation designed a credit scoring system that is called the FICO score. Because the three major credit agencies have different information on each consumer, the FICO score calculated by these agencies won’t be exact.

Your FICO score has become the best way to determine if your credit is good or bad. To get your store, information in your credit report is compared to the credit reports of others. Your future credit activities can be determined by this information. When you apply for a loan, lenders will look at the FICO score to determine if they should allow you to borrow money. Having a low score doesn’t automatically mean you won’t be allowed to get a loan.

In the past, having any marks on your credit report would cause lenders not to loan you any money. They had no way of determining which borrowers would pay off their debts. With the advent of the FICO score, more people today who have had problems with their credit in the past are now able to apply for loans. Mathematical models allow lenders to study the behavior of borrowers to decide whom they should lend money to. Banks and credit cards companies have taken advantage of this data by making offers to people who have different credit issues.

Those who have problems with their credit can usually apply for loans, but they can expect to have much higher interest rates. The FICO score ranges from about 300 to 850. The closer you are to 850, the better your score is. Statistics show that the average American has a credit score that is about 677. To qualify for loans that have the best interest rates and features, you will need to have a score that is at least 720. If you want to know your credit score, there are a number of services that will charge you a fee for it.

A number of factors go into calculating your score. The most important factor is your payment history. How you make your payments will determine about 35% of your score, which is almost half. Failing to make payments on time is one of the leading causes of getting bad credit. Your payment history includes payments on credit cards, loans, and other bills. Filing for bankruptcy can greatly lower your score.

The amount of money you owe will determine you score as well. People who have too many loans and credit cards will have a score that is lower. If you have a long credit history that is good, this will increase your score. Lenders are much more likely to give good loans to people who have established credit. It is important to understand the different things that affect your credit score, because this could allow you to maintain a high score.

If your credit score is low, this means that you need to start making payments on time. If you have a large number of loans and credit cards, get rid of some of them. Being responsible with how you manage your credit will allow you to keep a high credit score. Lenders will be much more likely to give you the best rates and features on loans. Even if one lender rejects you, this doesn’t mean that all lenders will reject you. Understanding credit and how to manage it will allow you to remain financially successful.