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How to Quickly Improve Your Credit Score by Adding Positive Payment History to Your Credit Report

Most consumers are aware that negative items on their credit report can be disputed with the three major credit reporting bureaus. Often, this process can lead to a significant improvement in credit score through deletion of the damaging items that were lowering the score.

However, to achieve excellent credit, it’s not enough to just remove negative entries. Why? Because a lack of positive payment history is also an obstacle to having good credit. You need to demonstrate a record of on-time payments in order to raise your credit score.

In this article I will describe two simple techniques for rapidly ADDING good credit entries to your file.

THE CO-SIGNER TECHNIQUE

All that is necessary to add years of excellent credit history is the love and trust of a friend or family member who has good credit.

Credit card companies are always willing to have their best customers add extra cards for family members. By adding your name to one or more of their accounts, they will actually cause a new credit card to be issued in your name. The “catch” is that they will be the co-signer on the account, meaning that they are responsible if you miss payments.

Of course, you never want to risk the credit rating of a friend or family member, so simply have them use their own address on the application for the extra card. That way, the card will be mailed to them, and even though it has your name on it, the card will remain in their possession. They can even cut it up if they want to.

The simple beauty of this approach is that the new card will show up on your credit report, and normally it will show the opening date of the original card (not just the application date for the extra card), as well as the entire credit history of that card! It’s like getting years of good credit added to your file with the stroke of a pen.

THE PASSBOOK SAVINGS LOAN TECHNIQUE

The “Passbook Savings Loan Technique” is a great way to add positive payment history to your credit file. It will also give you an excellent credit reference to use for most types of financial applications. This technique does require some cash at least $500 to $1,000. However, this amount will be held in a savings account as loan collateral, and the total out-of-pocket cost to complete this technique should be well under $50.

Here is the Passbook Savings Loan Technique in detail, so you can see exactly how everything works.

STEP 1 Locate a Small Bank that Meets Your Requirements

I recommend that you work with smaller community banks and not the major chains. The smaller banks are more likely to have the exact type of account that you will need to open, and they are more likely to work with you and be flexible. Savings & Loan institutions and Credit Unions can also be used, provided they meet the requirements. The product you want is called the “Passbook Savings Account,” which is basically just a simple savings account. And the type of loan you will take out is a “Passbook Savings Loan.” This is the easiest type of loan to get because it is totally secured with your own cash. Most banks are only willing to loan you 85% of the amount you have on deposit, so there is always some reserve money in the account.

Your target bank will be suitable for this method if it meets the following three requirements:

A. The bank must have a Passbook Savings Account product with NO MONTHLY FEE on balances of $500 to $1,000.

B. You must be able to borrow up to 85% of your balance on a 12-month loan schedule. This is typically called a Passbook Savings Loan.

C. CRITICAL: The bank MUST report activity on this account to the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax).

If the bank product does not meet these requirements, then do NOT use that bank. There are thousands of small banking institutions throughout the country, so it should be fairly easy for you to find an appropriate one in your local area.

STEP 2 Open a Passbook Savings Account

Go to the bank you’ve chosen and open a Passbook Savings Account for $1,000 or less—depending on what you have to work with. Take your Passbook home and wait a week or so, because you don’t want it to look like you opened the account only for the purpose of taking the loan.

STEP 3 Obtain a Passbook Savings Loan

Return to the bank and ask to see a loan officer. Look your best, be courteous, and explain that you wish to take out a Passbook Savings Loan for $850 (or 85% of whatever amount you actually deposited).

When you take out your loan, your savings account is frozen. However, every time you make a payment you unfreeze an amount equal to your payment, less a few dollars for interest. Be sure to ask that the loan term be for at least one year, with minimum monthly payments. Do not get a simple one-year loan with no payments. This will not benefit you at all, because you are trying to establish a history of payments.

You will not be turned down for this type of loan no matter what your previous credit history and in most cases it will not even be checked. If you have bad credit, make sure you tell your loan officer before he or she pulls your credit history. Tell the bank representative you are trying to re-establish your credit and that a good credit rating is very important to you now.

STEP 4 Make Your Payments

Assuming an interest rate cost of 6%, your monthly payments on the $850 loan will be $73.16. (Remember, this is a secured loan, so the interest rate should be fairly low.) Since you have “borrowed” $850 in cash, you will use that money to keep the payments going on the loan. Be sure to make your payments well before the due dates. Always pay EARLY in order to be on the safe side in establishing good payment history.

STEP 5 Pay Off the Loan Early

After six months, pay off the loan early. At this point, you will have approximately $980 remaining from your original $1,000 deposit, part of it as cash on-hand, and some remaining in the savings account. You will have paid a whopping $20.31 in interest (assuming the rate was 6% for the secured loan). I’m sure you will agree that $20 is a small price to pay for adding six months’ worth of good payment history to your credit report!

STEP 6 Make Sure the Loan Shows on Your Credit Report

After you have paid off the loan, obtain fresh copies of your credit reports to verify that the loan payment history is showing correctly. Since you selected a bank that reports regularly to the big three credit bureaus, everything should show up correctly. But mistakes do happen. If the loan is not reported correctly, ask the bank directly to fix the omission or ask the credit bureaus in writing to add the credit reference to your report.

The Passbook Savings Loan Technique is a simplified version of the more complicated “Three Bank Technique.” Basically, the concept is to use the secured loan proceeds from one bank to open up another account at a second bank, and then to repeat the process for a third bank. The math is a lot more complicated, but the principle is the same, with the added benefit of having three simultaneous loans adding positive payment history to your credit report. This approach costs a little more in interest expenses, and involves a lot more work, but can really turbo-charge your positive credit history.

Discover What to do When Your Credit Worth is Damaged

The good thing about bad credit is that you can fix it. If you start now, over time, your bad credit can turn into good credit, and you could qualify for the loans you want at the rates you want. The most important aspect of rebuilding your credit after it has been damaged is showing lenders and creditors that you are serious about repaying your debt and that you can be a reliable borrower over a significant period of time.

Negative account histories remain on your credit report for up to 7 to 10 years, depending on the type of action. Bankruptcy can stay on your report for up to 10 years, and collections drop off after 7 years.

Advice varies widely as to the best methods to rebuild your credit. Some points most experts agree on include:

Starting small – Don’t be intimidated by large debt amounts. Even small payments, made on a regular basis, will improve your payment history and, eventually, your credit score.
Spending less than you earn – Borrowing money to finance a lifestyle that is beyond your means will only land you deeper in debt.
Paying your bills on time – Building credibility as a borrower involves meeting your commitments to pay, early if possible.
Keeping your balances low – When using your healthier or newer accounts, keep the balance that you owe between 25% and 50% of your line of credit. An average of 30% is suggested.
If your credit is damaged and you need more information about the three major credit bureaus, go to www.apscreen.com

Other tips might not seem related to your credit score. Staying at least two years on the same job demonstrates steady employment, and you appear more stable to lenders. You can also open an emergency savings account. Contribute to the account a little at a time on a regular basis. This will not only appear as positive activity to lenders, but also will serve as reserve money to keep you from charging unexpected expenses. Finally, stop borrowing for a while. Certainly avoid borrowing more money from home equity or other lines of credit to pay off credit card debt. Shuffling the debt does not make it disappear.

When establishing new credit, it may be necessary at some point to open a new account once you have paid down your existing ones. Credit unions usually offer the best deals to people with damaged credit. If you are unable to qualify for a credit card, try a smaller company, such as a department store or gas station that might offer you a line of credit.

You may want to look into getting a secured credit card. Offered by several banks and credit unions, secured credit cards are a positive way to show lenders that you can pay bills on time and be trusted with credit. To use a secured credit card, you will deposit a sum of money into a savings account and pay a small yearly fee to the institution offering the card. If you deposit $500, you will have a line of credit up to $500. Using your card on a regular basis and paying it off monthly in full could lead to a traditional line of credit. Once the bank or credit union sees that you are capable of maintaining your secured account, they may extend an offer to you with a fair interest rate.

Another option is to have a friend or relative co-sign for a line of credit with you. This step is risky because you are not only gambling with your loved one’s good credit, but also with their good faith.

After a few months of good behavior, order copies of your credit report from all three credit agencies and check for improvements or errors. Be sure that negative information that you have remedied has been removed. File any complaints in writing and check your report again in a few months to ensure that the changes have been made.

Repairing damaged credit is time-consuming but well worth it, both to your peace of mind and to your pocketbook. For more information about credit reports, you can visit

Americans tend to have an optimistic view of retirement-but a recent poll found many people still have a lot of work ahead of them before they can leave their jobs.

For instance, 47 percent of respondents said their retirement savings will last them 10 to 20 years. Those numbers seem promising until you consider that people should be actually planning for 30 years. Similarly, nearly half of all Generation X respondents said they expect to rely on pensions to help fund retirement. The plan may seem sound, but experts warn that many pension plans in the U.S. are at risk of going belly up. Plus, fewer than a third of all companies now offer pension plans.

The poll was sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) in an effort to better understand the American public’s approach to savings and retirement. The group sponsors a Web site called 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy (www.360financialliteracy.org) to help people come to terms with financial issues at different life stages. Here’s a look at some additional polling results:

Paying For Retirement

Younger Americans do not plan to rely as heavily on Social Security for retirement as do older Americans. Close to six in 10 people age 55 and older plan to fund their retirement through Social Security. Only four in 10 (41 percent) of Americans under the age of 55 are counting on Social Security to fund their retirement. Instead of relying on Social Security, those under 55 are more likely to rely on their personal savings and investments.

College Costs

About three in 10 Americans have a child who is planning on going to college in the next five to 10 years. One quarter of these parents plan to pay for their child’s education with personal savings, another quarter intend for their child to earn scholarships to pay for tuition. Surprisingly, only 13 percent of respondents plan to use private student loans and just 12 percent plan to fund their child’s education with financial aid.

Financial Concerns

Rising energy and home-heating costs and uninsured medical expenses rank as the highest financial concerns for Americans (15 percent each). Retirement and the price of gas (13 percent each) follow closely behind. Education costs are also a concern as 9 percent of respondents worried about their child’s college education and 7 percent worried about their own college education.

Forty-one percent of Americans under age 55 say they plan to rely heavily on Social Security for retirement.

The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) has issued a report which supports the Pension Commission’s recent demand for reform in the structure of the basic state pension. In fact the report goes further than simply backing the report, it calls for reforms to be implemented more rapidly than the Commission has recommended.

Essentially, the reforms that are proposed are for simplifications to be made to the current variations in available state pensions for those who are eligible. Means testing, currently used in determining eligibility and the extent of the pension available, would be dropped in favour of an across the board pension rate. Additionally, tax breaks for those who try to save for a personal pension would be put in place to encourage saving.

These reforms would serve to make pension availability, and budgeting for retirement, much clearer to understand and buy into, thereby preventing nasty surprises for the individual late in life, or the government as a generation becomes dependant on a state pension. A recent survey by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) concluded that very little provision is being made for the future by those aged 18-40 and that a very large number of UK citizens could well become dependant on state pensions.

Personal finance has become a boom sector amongst that same generation, with online access to personal finance databases such as Moneynet (http://www.moneynet.co.uk ) and Motley Fool (http://www.fool.co.uk ) providing a wealth of options for UK consumers. However despite the fact that many of those options include savings and pension schemes, it appears that they are rarely taken up, with consumers opting for credit card deals, mortgages, insurance, and personal loans instead.

Pension experts have showed their backing for the proposed Pension Commission reforms with their overwhelming response in the PPI report, and it is to be hoped that the simplifying of the state pension will bring the importance of the issue to the attention of the age range identified by the FSA.

Disclaimer

All information contained in this article is for general information purpose only and should not be construed as advice under the financial Services act 1986. You are strongly advised to take appropriate professional and legal advice before entering into any binding contracts.

What is financial planning, and why it is crucial for you.

Even if you do not think you are a financial planner, you better start thinking like one fast. In the United States, there is an approximate of 5.6 million people who are either self-made millionaires or financially independent. And what is so hard to believe about that statistic, you ask? This is because that is only about 5% of the American population.

The remaining 95% of the American population (we’re talking about 106.4 million people here!) are not only not rich, but most of them are facing financial disasters, either owing to poor financial planning or foolish spending!. This is why you should start thinking like a financial planner. Financial planning is not so complicated, and it can make a huge difference in your life.

As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail”. Much of the same can be said if you do not plan your finances well, it does not matter if you are a high earner, you still need financial planner skills, to keep you form harms way and to ensure that your life will be financially secured.

The fact of the matter is that financial planning Is Not An Option, most of us need to think ahead today, and you should practice your financial planner skills right away to enjoy the money you make today in the future.

The basics of financial planning is to keep all your finance in order, this is very basic advice, alright. However, more often than not, we would rather concentrate on other things in life such as health, studies, work and more.

Think about the things you want to achieve in life, and how you are going to get there, financial planner always set his goals and puts some order in his thought before starting to actually put the wheels in motion. Financial planning can include buying a house, paying for your children education and thinking about a retirement fund.

Financial planning will help you use your current pay check and your saving to start working on a program that will give you peace of mind on the financial level, a financial planner will plan a budget according to every households expenditure budgeted and a savings plan drawn up, this will help you spend your money wisely and effectively.

A financial planner will consider having savings invested in an investment vehicle that pays higher returns than the normal bank account, it will add in some muscle to your savings and help you reach your financial goals in a shorter period of time.

By starting your retirement planning now (not later!), you can gauge how much money you will need to maintain your current lifestyle and where this money will come from. Many people, especially those who have just started working, always put their retirement planning on the back burner for reasons such as I just started work and Oh, I am still young.

Many, however, fail to realize that by starting early to save for retirement, you will be able to save and invest more due to the magic of compounding interest, provided that you invest your savings wisely. Maybe you do not have to wait until the age of 65 to retire. For all you know, by the age of 40, you might have already reached your financial independence and do not have to worry about getting up early to clock in or work until late hours because there are deadlines to meet.

There are so many things that we teach our children that keep them on the right path throughout life. How to save money is one of the most important lessons that parents teach their children. Teach your children about finances by opening an account and setting money aside. They’ll learn about patience, interest and saving.

It’s easy to forget, or ignore, the need to save. We all too often are saying that there isn’t enough money to put into savings and we’ll do it later. But if there isn’t enough money to put into savings, is there enough money if there is an emergency. By having a savings plan, you can keep an emergency from destroying your finances.

Savings can be anything from a simple savings account to bonds and retirement plans. You may be saving for emergencies, college, a new home or for retirement. Or even for all of the above! No matter what your goal is, there is a savings plan that will fit your needs. Not all types of savings are going to work for you. You have to find the plan that fits your own personal financial needs.

What makes saving money just a wonderful experience is interest. You aren’t just saving your money, your actually letting it grow. Your money is making more money. How does this work?

When you put money in a savings account, certificate of deposit (CD) or money market account, you are basically lending the money to the bank. The bank will use your money to make loans to other customers. They are borrowing money from you and paying you interest, while someone pays them interest on the money they have borrowed from the bank.

Banks charge higher interest rates on loans so that they can pay your interest, plus make their own profits.

Interest can seem like a complicated math problem, but it isn’t hard to understand. Most banks will talk about both “rate” and “yield.”

For example, a $10,000 CD with a 5% annual interest rate (APR) will also have an annual percentage yield number (APY) that is a higher number. The difference between the APR and the APY depends on how frequently the interest is paid, and in what form.

If the interest is paid annually at a rate of 5%, the $10,000 investment with earn $500. Simply multiply the investment amount by the APR to determine the interest paid. When the interest is paid annually, the rate and yield are the same.

The yield goes up as interest is paid more frequently. The interest begins to earn interest along with the original investment. When the 5% CD is paid twice a year, in six months the interest payment is $250. We figure this by multiplying the original investment by the interest rate for half a year, or 2.5%. The $250 in interest will earn $6.25 in interest over the next six months, adding $256.25 at the next six month mark. Compound interest is starting to take over.

In the first scenario, the CD earned $500 in interest in one year. The rate and yield is at 5%. The second CD earned $506.25. The rate is still at 5%, but the yield has increased to 5.06%. It may not seem like a lot, but over time it keeps building up. When shopping around for savings plans, look at both rates and yields.

Theres only one way to discover the health of your credit. You need to examine your credit report. Your credit report is your consumer identity that potential lenders will use to judge your credit worthiness.

Use these tips to give your credit profile the tune-up it needs:

Tip #1- Check for Errors
Your credit report or profile is more than just a collection of who your creditors are and how much you owe them or have paid them.

The first thing you need to do is carefully check that your credit report is accurate. Nearly 70% of credit reports contain errors.

These errors may be as simple as an incorrect middle initial or address. Or it could be as serious as a creditor reporting that you were late with a payment when in fact you were not late at all.

This error might not seem like a big deal to you. However,to a future lender like a mortgage company it makes a big difference !

Carefully examine your credit report and if you find an error contact your creditor and the credit bureaus. Catchand correct these errors now before it hurts your chances of securing credit in the future.

Tip #2 – Correcting Errors
The two most common errors contained in credit reports are:

1) wrong account information
2) incorrect recording of late payments.

If you find an account reported that does not belong you, you need to contact the credit grantor or issuer immediately. Remember, finding accounts that you have not personally opened is a sign of possible identity theft.

Hopefully youll discover that this error is nothing more than an oversight and not an identity theft problem. Most often this occurs when they report an account belonging to a family member or someone with a similar name on your credit report.

If your problem is an error in reporting a late payment you will need proof to back up your case before this error can be corrected or removed. The most common error occurs when a payment is reported as late when it was actually a current or on time payment.

In either case, the problem can and should be corrected. You will need to correct the error in writing. Keep a journal or log of all calls and correspondence.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires the credit bureaus and the agency reporting the information to the credit bureau to correct inaccurate information in your credit report. Therefore, it is important that you contact both the credit bureau and the creditor whose information is in dispute.

A sample letter is included here to help you in correcting your credit profile. Make sure that you clearly identify the information that you dispute, include copies of receipts or documents that support your position. Then request that the information be corrected or deleted from your file.

Send your letter by certified mail and request a return receipt from the recipient. Keep all correspondence that you mail out. Give the agencies involved 30 days to begin their investigation. You can call them but be aware that phoning them does not protect your consumer rights! You must notify them in writing to protect your rights.

They must notify you of the results of their investigation. Although the process will take time, its important to do it. This is your credit profile, your consumer identity that is at stake. Dont expect an error to correct itself.

At your request, the credit bureaus must send notices of corrections to your credit profile to anyone who has requested your report in the last six months. If you applied for a job and were turned down because of inaccurate information in your credit report, you can have the corrected report mailed to anyone who received a copy in the past two years.

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Sample Dispute Letter
Date

Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code

Complaint Department
Name of Credit Reporting Agency
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to dispute the following information in my file. The items I dispute are also encircled on the attached copy of the report I received. (Identify item(s) disputed by name of source, such as creditors or tax court, and identify type of item, such as credit account, judgment, etc.)

This item is (inaccurate or incomplete) because (describe what is inaccurate or incomplete and why). I am requesting that the item be deleted (or request another specific change) to correct the information.

Enclosed are copies of (use this sentence if applicable and describe any enclosed documentation, such as payment records, court documents) supporting my position. Please reinvestigate this (these) matter(s) and (delete or correct) the disputed item(s) as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Your name

Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing)

Originally Posted at http://www.ftc.gov/

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Tip #3 – Budget Planning
You can also use your credit report to help you plan and implement a personal budget. Your credit report will show you where you are spending your hard earned dollars. While the credit card balances may not be completely current, youll still see which of your cards has the highest balance outstanding.

If you have more than one major credit card you should compare the annual percentage rate (APR) you are paying on each account. If you are working on a budget to pay
down your credit cards, start by paying down the one with the highest APR or interest.

Once that credit account is paid off, move toward paying off the account with the second highest APR. Using this method you will be able to concentrate your efforts toward paying down your outstanding credit obligations.

You should also check with your credit card company to see whats the best annual percentage rate (APR) they can offer you. If you are a good customer, you can often qualify for a lower rate than what you are currently being offered.

Caution: Ask if the new rate you are getting is a promotional rate or a contract rate. A promotional rate will expire at the end of the promotional term, for example 6 months. A contract rate does not have an expiration as long as you continue to meet the terms outlined by your creditor for that rate.

Tip #4 – Making a major purchase
If you are considering a major purchase such as a car or a home, checking your credit report gives you the chance to see what a potential lender sees and uses to judge your credit worthiness.

You want to make sure that your credit report is accurate before you apply for that sports car or new home. Errors or problems can be corrected before your lender can use
those against you and deny your credit request. Youll also have a better idea of what type or rate of credit you should expect from a potential lender.

Tip #5 – Check your credit report regularly
Check your credit report regularly. Guard your consumer identity as you would anything else you treasure. Use your credit wisely, along with these tips, and you will enjoy the benefits that your good credit and your good name deserve now – and for years to come.