Steps to Repair, Rebuild, and Protect Your Credit

Have you had one or more financial misfortunes over the past several years and now have a less than ideal credit score? If so, you’re certainly not alone. Credit scores have been one of the biggest victims of the financial crisis and the recession. Unfortunately, that number can determine not only whether you can get credit and what interest rates you’ll pay but they can also affect your insurance premiums and even your ability to get a job. Of course, you can’t build a positive credit history if you don’t have any credit. The problem is that it takes credit to get credit. A good place to begin would be to see if your bank will allow you to open a secured credit card. These cards require you to deposit an amount of money usually equal to the credit limit into a special savings account that the bank can collect any missed payments from. This helps to minimize the bank’s risk so it’s relatively easy to get but there’s a chance you may still need a co-signer to qualify. Knowledge is Power and Credit is King!