Your credit history. It could be your best friend, or your worst enemy. Usually it’s like a nosy mother in law coming to visit for an extended period. You know that she’s coming, and that’s always bad news, but you are too afraid to ask or even consider how long she will be staying. Even though that was the worst analogy ever, read on to see how long negative marks should remain on your credit history!

In my opinion, there are two records that really count. Your criminal record and your financial record. Unlike your criminal record which will loom over your head for a very long time, your credit report and scores are not permanent. But how long can these negative records exist on file?

First, errors in your credit report will be removed immediately. It you find a mistake, or a negative account that doesn’t belong to you, contact the credit reporting agency and the creditor. You should be able to have the negative account removed within 180 days.

Anytime your credit report is pulled at your request, something called an inquiry is put on your report. An occasional inquiry couldn’t hurt, but if you have placed a large number of inquiries within a short time period, this usually lets prospective creditors know that you need the dough and you need it fast. The bottom line is that the more inquiries that show up on your report, the lower your score will drop. These will usually last only up to two years.

But here’s the scoop about inquiries. Not all inquires will negatively affect your credit score. Soft inquiries, like when you get your credit score, or when companies check your credit for purposes of making unsolicited credit offers do do any harm. When you apply for a credit card, the creditor pulls your credit report that will result in what is a hard inquiry. This may potentially lower your score.

If you are a current or former student with school loans, you have probably been bombarded with mailed and online solicitations to consolidate your debt. The loan application process can seem overwhelming, particularly if you have more than a couple of loans issued from a number of lenders. However, it is generally simple and straightforward if you are prepared. Here is a brief overview of what you can expect when you decide to consolidate your student loans.

First, you will need to choose a lender. There are many to choose from, but, in general, it’s smart to stick to a well-established financial institution. These lenders will have a variety of payment plans and discounts, and they will be less likely to sell your loan to another lender in the future. There should never be a charge or fee for consolidating student loans. As well, a lender should not need to check your credit because Federal student loans are guaranteed by the U.S. government.

Next, you will need to fill out an application. Remember to gather all information on existing loans prior to filling out your application. Also, you will need to supply personal references. Before you sign your name on the application, make sure that you clearly understand the terms of the new loan. Ask about incentives and discounts that can help reduce your payment. Many lenders have downloadable forms and online calculators to determine the amount you will pay with your new loan.

Once you have submitted your completed application, the lender will send each of your loan holders a Loan Verification Certificate (LVC) to verify the amount owed on each of your Federal student loans. You can expect that your existing lenders will take up to 30 days to return the LVCs. Once these certificates are processed, the interest rate will be calculated and a disclosure statement is prepared. Checks will be issued to your lenders to pay off your loans, and your new consolidated loan will be issued.

This entire process can take between 30 to 180 days to complete, and if information is missing from your application, it can take even longer. Most lenders have customer service representatives who will gladly keep you updated on the status of your loan application. Remember to continue to pay on your existing loans while your application is being processed. You will be financially responsible for these loans until the new lender has paid off them in full.

Finally, keep in mind that interest rates on student loans are adjusted annually every July 1st. This year, rates will be increasing 2.1 percent. You can be assured of the lower rate if you submit a completed application early. Don’t wait until the end of June to start the process.

While consolidating student loans can be a time consuming task, with a little advanced preparation and research you can complete your application with minimal effort. And, once your new loan is processed, you will most certainly be thrilled with your lower payments.

It used to be that “people” made decisions about your credit worthiness. You knew your banker and your handshake was all the collateral you needed. Those days are long gone, and now a single number – your FICO score – determines your credit worthiness.

Several credit models can be used for this article, however we are going to focus on the Fair, Isaac Company model. Better known as FICO.

Your FICO credit score can be used to determine your interest rate and how much credit a lender will give you. So taking care of your score, and keeping your credit clean will save you money.

Getting and improving your credit score is not hard at all, just takes time. Here is a tip or two that will help you improve and increase your score.

FIRST: You need to get a copy of your credit history

There are many reasons you may have no credit history. Maybe you’re just starting out, maybe you pay cash for everything and have never needed a loan. In any case, if you have no credit history, your FICO score is likely to be low.

The easiest way to raise your score is acquire a loan, and pay it off on time. In general, installment loans are weighted more heavily than credit cards. In other words, you will improve your credit score faster if you buy goods with an installment loan, rather than acquiring a credit card.

Another option is to take a $1000 and open a 6 month CD at a bank. Now turn around and get an installment loan using the CD as the collateral. You then take that $1000 loan and do it again at another bank. Do this for a total of 3 times.

Let the CD’s mature, paying only the minimum for the 6 months. Once they mature you cash them out and pay off all three loans. Congratulations…you now have a credit history.

SECOND: Maintain Your Good Credit History

Good job – you have paid your bills on time, and do not have high credit card debt. Here’s some ideas to keep your FICO score as high as possible.

Don’t close your old accounts. One part of your credit score is based on the amount of credit available verses amount of credit used. Closing old accounts can lower this part of your score.

Something to think about. The day of the month you pay off your credit card may have a lot to do with your FICO score. Let?s say you have a $2000 credit card. Every month, you charge about $1800 to that card. And, every month you pay it off. But here’s what happens – your credit card company reports your credit information monthly to FICO, but they report it on the 10th of the month…and you pay on the 15th. This would cause the credit agency to see you carry forward a balance every month. Try changing the payment times…just is sure NEVER to pay late.

THIRD: Fix your bad credit

For whatever reason, if you have a poor credit history, there are things you can do to improve your score. Some of them take time, and you will probably be best served by talking to a credit counselor to be sure that you not only repair your credit history, but also eliminate what caused that poor credit history in the first place.

The FICO score is most affected by your credit history. To repair a low credit score start paying your bills onetime. In order of value you need to pay your Mortgage, Installment loans, and last your credit cards.

The next largest portion of your FICO score is based on how you use credit. The fastest way to improve this is to pay down your credit cards.

When you?re all done with the rest of things…review your credit report. Get one from all the credit agencies. Look for errors and mistakes. Contact them to see if they can remove them or correct the errors.

A good FICO score is a huge part of your financial life. Keep it healthy. Use these tips and watch your score climb.

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When it comes to owning debt that you cannot pay, you might be unsure the exact total that you owe; you might be unsure just how serious and dangerous your debt totals are. If you haven’t been paying your debts, there is a good chance that you just ignored all those collection calls and letters. If you have since changed your mind and realized all the benefits of seeking debt relief, scheduling an appointment with a credit card counselor should be one of the first things you do. Why?

Now, you will find that different credit counselors offer different types of services and share different types of tips. But, you can keep reading on to see a summary of what you might learn when incorporating credit counseling into your debt relief plan.

Get Your Finances In Order: For you to live your life debt-free, you must learn to save money. By successfully reducing your expenses, you will have more money towards seeking debt relief. Unfortunately, it is a lot easier to say “I am going to limit my spending” than actually doing it. Sometimes, it takes professional help to get you started on the right track or see just how easy it is to trim your spending. A credit counselor or financial planner can provide assistance.

Credit Card Use: Many Americans are in debt because of their credit cards. If your debt was caused by credit card use, a financial planner or counselor can help you overcome this problem. If you owe a massive amount of money, they might suggest that you cutup your credit cards. Otherwise, they are likely to share some helpful tips that include proper credit card use which will prevent your debt totals from growing.

The second thing you absolutely must do is to answer any collection letters. You must “demand proof” from the collector that you owe him anything. Send a copy of his letter with your demand by registered mail with return receipt and keep a record of that communication. When you do not answer a debt collector’s letter by demanding proof that you owe him money, the “wording” in his letter is legally designed so that you “admit” you owe him money if “you do not answer” his letter and his recorded phone communication is designed to get your “verbal” admission.

There are two other interesting things you may not have realized that you’ve learned. You’ll probably have enough knowledge to pass the “certification” test to become a consumer credit counselor if you like being nice to people and putting them into programs with a 90% failure rate. The second thing you will have learned is how to become a debt collector, that is if you enjoy being mean to people on the phone and harassing them constantly but as Forest Gump says “that’s all I got to say about that.” The important thing is that you know how to get out debt.

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CREDIT SCORES ARE UP, DEBT FALLS: JOIN THE BANDWAGON

Good news for Joes and Janes! According to CreditKarma.com’s U.S. latest Credit Score Climate Report, credit scores are improving.

From December 2011 to January 2012, the average credit card debt has dropped by 8 percent registering $6,069.  This is the first time that credit scores have gone up since April 2011.

Except for Wisconsin, every state has the reason to celebrate and pat their backs for paying credit card debt this first month. The Cheeseheads however have increased their average credit card debt by 4 percent.

Let us look at the improvement in credit card debt of the following states: According to report Arkansas, Nebraska, and Iowa achieved the largest percentage in credit card debt reduction; the lowest mortgage debt went to West Virginians; And for the lowest auto debt, it was achieved by Wisconsin.

THREE TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT SCORE

There is no quick fix solution to improve your credit score. It takes time, patience and financial focus to do it. Here are three simple but effective steps to fix your credit score.

1. Get a credit card but do not overuse it.

While it is true that you need to have credit in order to boost your credit score, you must also bear in mind that big balances can give you so much burden so it is advisable that you have to be wise in your spending.

2. DO NOT DELAY PAYMENT FOR YOUR INSTALLMENT LOAN

Your credit score will improve by getting installment loan like auto loan, personal loan or student loan. But you have to pay your dues on time to create an impression that you are a responsible person.

3. CREDIT CARD LIMITS MUST BE CAREFULLY CHECKED

If you have a high credit limit but your balance is zero or low it is equivalent to credit score gold. According to MSN Money article, there are instances that your credit card issuer does not report your limit accurately. This is the reason why you have to check your limit.