Is there a point of no return in doing credit history repair?
The story is usually the same. People get credit cards when they’re young. They max them out. They borrow on one to pay the other. They get more cards until they can’t anymore. Finally the minimum payments overwhelm their income and they’re stuck.
Maybe you’ve been through that already. The good news is you still have options. The main credit history repair options are bankruptcy, debt settlement, debt consolidation, credit counseling or learning to manage your debt better.
The first concern many people have is how any particular option will affect your credit. The bigger issue is a overwhelming amount of debt. Massive debt ruins your credit AND your cash flow. Keeping negative marks off your credit doesn’t do much for you if you’re drowning in debt.
Bankruptcy is a best for people who don’t have many assets. That way when you have to liquidate your assets, there won’t be much there and most of it will be exempt anyway. That option hurts your credit the most but if you’re drowning in debt, that might be your best option. Consult with an attorney for that.
Debt settlement is a great option if you just want to get out of debt and don’t mind temporary bad credit. Instead of paying your monthly payments, you put all that money in a savings account and once your accounts charge off, you negotiate 20-40% settlements with the creditors. If you do this, be sure to get it in writing that the account is settled. Be sure and know the laws in your state because in some jurisdictions, creditors can garnish wages.
Debt consolidation is where you pay off all your loans with one big loan. Usually the only place to get a loan that big when you have too much debt is from your home equity. The danger is that people often spend on their paid off accounts again and end up with twice as much debt. Then their home is in jeopardy because now they have twice the payments to keep up with.
Please don’t even attempt credit counseling. If you follow the money, they’re working for the creditors. They get a cut if they set you up with a lower rate from a creditor. That’s why most of them don’t work with all creditors. You can lower your own interest rate if that’s all you need. And for that service, they’ll put a third party intervention mark on your credit which is not a good thing.
The best option is to manage your money better. Obviously if you’re already too far behind, you need to do something more than just pay down your debt. If you can pay down your debt, pay the highest rates first. Negotiate your rates down and make your creditors bid against each other for your business. Once you pay off one, apply that payment to another. Keep that up until you’re where you want to be.
While your current situation may look dismal, there are always options. Figure out what you really want to accomplish and get started.
Find out how to do your own credit repair without an agency. Visit www.creditrepairsecrets.org for free credit advice.