Is it too late to still do credit history repair?

The way people usually play the credit game is that they get credit cards as a young adults, they max them out, they get more cards, they borrow on one to pay the minimum payments on the others and finally they can’t make the payments anymore.

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.

People often worry how making any changes will affect their credit. The more important issue is the mountain of debt that’s eating your financial future. With too much debt, you won’t be able to get any more credit anyway. Plus it’s disrupting your cash flow.

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.

A great option for people who have too much debt but a steady income is debt settlement. Instead of making your monthly payments, you save that money and offer your creditors lump sum settlements in the range of 20-40% of the total. Be sure to know the laws in your state and get everything in writing. If you have too many assets, your creditors might attempt to sue you or garnish your wages.

To do debt consolidation you get one big loan and to pay off your other loans. It’s typically at a lower interest rate and often a secured loan such as a home equity loan. The trap many people fall in to is that they spend on the accounts they just paid off and end up in twice as much debt as they started with. If your house is collateral, you could end up losing it.

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.

A final option is to manage your spending better. Pay down your highest interest accounts first and negotiate for better rates. If you need to transfer balances to lower rate credit cards, do it. Make one account give you better terms than the other. Once you pay off one, use that payment to accelerate payments on the next until you’re happy with your level of debt.

While your current situation may look dismal, there are always options. Figure out what you really want to accomplish and get started.

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