6 Simple Easy Ways To Rebuild Your Damaged Credit

Jan 16, 2008 @ 07:45 pm by Bruce Liu

Bad credit can happen to good people. Don’t despair. There are many ways you can get your credit back in shape.

But you have to start working on it today — and keep working hard to show potential creditors that you’re serious about getting your credit back in order.

As you do so, your credit score will improve, resulting in better credit offers and a substantial savings in money.

Here are 6 simple easy and surefire ways to restore your credit: 

1.  Open new accounts and pay them off 

Being able to repay a variety of new accounts is a key step in rebuilding your credit. 
  
That means that devising a strategy to open and pay off as many different kinds of accounts as you can is better than adding more debt to an existing credit card.
 
2. Start small
     
Rebuilding your credit can be similar to starting over from scratch, and starting small may be the easiest option. 
  
Credit cards from department stores or your local credit union can be useful.
 
3. Consider asking for help
     
If you can’t qualify on your own, ask a friend or family member to cosign for a small loan or credit card. 
  
If you can stay current on a major credit card account or small auto loan, this will speed up the process of re-establishing good credit on your own.
 
4. Consider a secured credit card
     
They are guaranteed by a deposit that you make with the credit grantor. The cards offer the purchasing power of a major credit card. 
  
Just make sure the grantor reports payment histories to one of the three major credit bureaus so you’re building your positive payment history.
 
5. Use your new accounts in moderation
     
Make payments that are more than the minimum. You can keep a small balance so that your positive payment history will continue to show up on your credit report.
 
6.Keep your balances low
    
Avoid carrying a balance that is more than 30% of your credit limit (creditors may view it as excessive debt that you may not be able to stay current with.
 
Be patient. The payoff is worth it.  It takes some time for your new credit history to gain momentum.

You’re demonstrating that you are not depending on certain credit cards and loans for your financial survival.  With patience and timely repayments, you’ll likely be able to
build a new credit history that creditors will look upon favorably when making decisions about your ability to handle even more credit.