Credit Repair Tips for The Road To Purchasing a Home
I remember the day I got my first credit card in the mail, I was 18 and it felt like a right of passage, I was finally an “adult”. Unfortunately, I had no idea how credit worked or how important it would be in my adult life. It quickly got out of hand and after a few years of treating the plastic cards in my wallet as free money, I had a very low credit score.
It wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties with a baby on the way that I truly realized the importance of my credit score and regretted the hole I had dug myself into. My husband and I were a couple who thought nothing about living in apartments for rent in Elizabeth NJ as we traveled and enjoyed knowing that our rent payment also came with not having to worry about everyday house maintenance who was quickly transformed into a family who wanted to buy a home and lay down some roots. However, my husband was still building a credit history after becoming a U.S. citizen and my credit score was too low for mortgage companies to consider us.
I began working on raising my credit score and building my husbands credit history immediately. I checked my credit reports for mistakes, paid down debt, and settled old accounts and slowly my credit began to improve. It took time and we ended up renting a home for a few years before our dream came to fruition, but we are now homeowners and have been for years. I am sharing my credit repair tips below to help you move towards your financial goals.
Tips to Repair Your Credit Score
Stop Applying for New Credit
Every time you apply for a new credit card it puts an inquiry on your credit report which negatively impacts your credit score.
Pay Your Bills on Time
This may seem like an obvious one, but I remember laying in bed remembering a bill was due and thinking “ugh ok I’ll pay it tomorrow” or next pay cycle. While a late payment or derogatory mark from a creditor may seem harmless, it can have long-standing consequences, in some instances staying on your report for seven years.
Lower Your Debt
Stop paying the minimum payment on your credit cards and try to lower your debt quicker.
Look at Your Credit Report
You can get a free copy of your credit report from all 3 credit bureaus each year. Pull each one and look over them for errors that you need to dispute. When I first pulled my credit reports I found accounts that listed multiple times, addresses that were wrong, and even an account that wasn’t mine. I need to get these items fixed and removed from my credit report so that my score would increase.
Hire Professionals
The credit repair process can get overwhelming and you want to make sure that all 3 credit bureaus are reporting the correct information which can change as you work to rebuild your credit. I’m guessing that since you are reading this you know the importance of a good credit score so why not have professionals on your side to help you navigate the process? Lexington Law Firm is the oldest and most respected name in credit repair, and the only player in the category with the legal experience and technology to both advocate and drive results for consumers.
About Lexington Law Firm
Repairing your credit can be tricky and having professionals like Lexington Law Firm on your side is a game changer. The credit repair industry has grown substantially in recent years, which means there is a lot of incorrect information floating around but Lexington Law Firm will help you learn about the errors on your credit report that can and need to be fixed because they believe you have the right to a fair, accurate, and substantiated credit report. Lexington Law Firm uses their knowledge to fight for their clients’ rights during the credit repair process which makes the repair process easier and less stressful for you.
Why You Should Choose Lexington Law Firm
Not only can the credit repair industry be hard to navigate, but it can also be expensive. As a CROA compliant organization with packages that meet every client’s needs, starting at just 24.95 a month Lexington Law Firm is both affordable and trustworthy. Plus they have long-standing relationships with all three of the credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. These relationships and deep expertise about how getting errors removed works, enable the team to communicate more efficiently for their clients and makes them the right choice to help you in the credit repair process.
Are you ready to repair your credit work toward your financial goal?
These are wonderful tips for repairing credit! I taught personal finance courses to high school students. I hope they kept their notes.
It says to stop applying for credit, but isn’t important to build that credit up? I don’t have a lot of credit but after years of traveling I’m just now starting to think about purchasing a house and I’m in my late 40’s. We didn’t’ have bad credit just NO credit. Now, we’re finally at a place in our lives were we are starting to see the benefits.
These are some great tips, it is wonderful that you can repair your credit and be able to buy a house once it is done.
Your advice is spot on. It takes a while to get a good credit score and so important to keep in good shape.
It’s nice to know that even if we made some regrettable errors in your youth regarding our finances, there’s still hope to set things right. Even if it takes time, it’s so worth it to have a good credit score not only for loans, but even some employers look at your credit score before deciding to hire you or not.
He had to go through as a couple years ago and it took a lot of work but we did finally get a credit score up. We bought a house about five years ago now and I am so excited that I have that house. It all is because I worked on my credit. It is such an important thing.
So many people get into trouble with credit cards simply because the credit card companies make it so easy to spend more than you should. Thanks for sharing your tips, I’m sure they will help a lot of people.
I understood the important of the credit score too late. These tips are really very important for everyone!
Such great advice on how to take care credit score. That’s why I am really careful and planning to handle my income well.
Thanks for sharing these great tips on repairing your credit. Once you repair your credit, buying a new home is a great accomplishment!
Such great tips! We always make sure to pay our bills on time. And pay more than the minimum.
Oh wow! That was totally amazing! Thanks for sharing these tips with us, such a huge help.
Such great tips for Credit Repair! I know my credit has dipped a bit… Time to get it back up to par.
These are great tips for repairing credit! I am sure that many potential home buyers will find this information to be very useful.
Great tips! Purchasing a home does require good credit but you can get there with patience!
Congrats on your home purchase. Babushka knows first hand how difficult it can be to bring up a credit score; it takes dedication and good guidance. Glad you have both.
If you have no credit then I would say absolutely work on building your credit (I’m not an expert but based on my experience) my husband became a US citizen in his 30’s and needed to build credit while I had to fix mine. However, if you already have some established credit, I would stop applying for new credit cards, each application dings your credit and can lower your credit score.