to help REBUILD your credit, but people with good credit use these services to protect theirs. These alerts will let you know if someone uses your name to apply for credit, or if someone tries to access your credit report without your knowledge. Which leads us to...

*Educate yourself. There are countless websites, government and non-, offering information of every kind on credit. A few of them I have found helpful are:

http://www.usa.gov/
www.ftc.gov/credit
www.pueblo.gsa.gov/
www.dol.gov/

Common sense should tell you to be cautious, especially in regard to researching the Internet. There are always those willing to take advantage of the ignorance of others who will exploit your desire to rebuild your credit as quickly as possible to their nefarious advantage. Remember that ANYTHING THAT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE PROBABLY IS. Check the accuracy of any information you find. Try to use government websites as much as you can. You can find and download forms, learn about laws and have access to countless other resources, straight from the official source. Check any business you decide to purchase any services or products from with the Better Business Bureau. Validate everything. You have hopefully learned by now that it is better to be safe than deep in debt.

*Finally, remember to be patient. This process takes a long time. I'm still working on it, and have been for about three years now. You have to possess a certain tenacity and persistence. Of course you must have the discipline to sit down and put hours into making phone calls and clicking the mouse. I have spent countless hours researching and studying, and calling and typing and checking and rechecking and sitting on hold. But, I am more willing to spend time than money. It is definitely worth the effort to get your financial life back on track, without having to spend even more money, and get yourself even deeper into debt.

It was so easy to get into, and yet seems impossible to get out of. Rebuilding your credit can be quite a daunting task. But in our society, for a person to have any kind of financial future, good credit is absolutely necessary. To avoid the inconvenience and dangers of having to pay strictly with cash, or to face the embarrassment of being turned down any type of credit account, restoring one's credit history is essential. By merely following the guidelines above, the average person can turn their financial future around while spending little beyond what is required to settle their debts.

Learn more about this author, Trina L. Grant.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6

---

Add your voice

Know something about Bad credit: Now what??
We want to hear your view. Write now!