Credit Establishment 101

There will come a day when you need credit. You may want to buy a home or a car and your credit rating will become very important to help make these dreams come true. One of the first things you will need to learn is the basic principle of money management, especially the ability to repay your creditors on time within the 30-day grace period they establish for you. Most people secure credit cards as the first way to establish credit in High School or College. Upon getting the credit card, usually a low spending limit, the ability to repay the card in an orderly fashion will help you establish a positive credit rating with the major repositories.

How your score is recorded

Upon making your monthly payments to the Credit Card Company or bank, your information is electronically transmitted to a credit-reporting agency. Trans Union, Equifax and Experian are the three major credit agencies. Once you have made your payments consistently your rating will rise accordingly. Once your rating has hit 650 or better, your mailbox will become flooded with attractive offers for credit cards and loans. People will want to give you the world because you can pay your bills in a timely manner.

What else is affected with the credit rating?

You may be surprised but if you do not act financially responsible, it can prevent you from getting a job, renting an apartment or even opening a bank account. The fact of the matter is that your credit rating is very important in today's society. Your ability to keep it up to date by monitoring it is crucial. Once a year you can pull a free credit report from each agency. Check the report for accuracy, should it be reporting errors contact them immediately to resolve the issue. Some people might think a simple phone call can fix everything. That couldn't be farther from the truth, repairing damaged credit takes time and only you can do it. Once you file a claim, stick with it and make sure it gets resolved. Once a correction has been made you will receive notification or an amended report from the agency showing the change. Your credit report has much more at stake for you in the present and in the future, watch it closely.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate.

In The News:


ABC News

It's a hard time to get new credit
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 52 minutes ago
(09-07) 17:48 PDT -- Credit - the grease that lubricates the economy - is in short supply now and apparently getting even shorter. ...
Video: US takes over mortgage giants - 08 Sep 08 AlJazeeraEnglish
MORTGAGE RESCUE GIVES HOPE TO CREDIT, HOUSING MARKETS Globe and Mail
City Republic: US tries to kill the credit crunch Brand Republic
Independent - BBC Newsall 4,408 news articles

NEWS.com.au

Beware of credit card sharks
NEWS.com.au, Australia - 11 hours ago
By Alex Tilbury September 08, 2008 08:05am THE average Australian already has an eye-watering credit card balance of $3100. Now lenders are attempting to ...
Interest rates up - on banks' credit cards The Age
Wizard's magic trick with credit cards Melbourne Herald Sun
Banks refuse credit card rate cuts Sky News Australia
The Sheet - Melbourne Herald Sunall 221 news articles

Wall Street Journal

Credit Suisse Ex-Broker Pleads Not Guilty
Wall Street Journal - 5 hours ago
By CHAD BRAY NEW YORK -- A former Credit Suisse Group broker pleaded not guilty to charges he and another broker misled investors about purchases of ...
First indictments of brokers in auction-rate securities heist WorldNetDaily
In Auction Securities Crisis, Are Brokers the Victims, Too? Wall Street Journal
all 3 news articles

Ill. credit unions help with college aid
Chicago Tribune, United States - 16 hours ago
AP CHICAGO - Authorities say eight Illinois credit unions are stepping up to plug college funding gaps wrought by the credit crunch for student tuition aid. ...
Ill. Credit Unions Help With College Aid CBS2 Chicago
State Secures More For Student Loans WEEK-TV
$100 million offered in aid for college students, state says Chicago Tribune
all 17 news articles

Comments show credit card rules must change
Dallas Morning News, TX - 2 hours ago
If you want an idea of how angry consumers are at credit card companies, get a load of the complaints e-mailed to the Federal Reserve about efforts to ...
Rating the best, worst credit cards Fort Worth Star Telegram
all 2 news articles

Credit freeze helps thwart ID thieves
Arizona Republic, AZ - 6 hours ago
OK, so you'll never see Credit Freeze in a comic book battle of good against evil wearing a cape and long underwear. But like other superheroes, ...
ID protection can be do-it-yourself Boston Globe
all 3 news articles

China Daily

New CEOs Are Untainted by Credit Woes
Wall Street Journal - 5 hours ago
Herbert M. Allison Jr. and David Moffett were on a short list of financial-services executives untarnished by the credit-market troubles. ...
Video: Feds Take Over Mortgage Giants AssociatedPress
Paulson Taps Allison, Moffett to Run Fannie, Freddie (Update1) Bloomberg
all 575 news articles

Boston Globe

Treasury Extends Secured Credit Line to Federal Home Loan Banks
Bloomberg - 16 hours ago
7 (Bloomberg) -- The US Treasury extended a secured credit facility to the Federal Home Loan Banks, the government- chartered cooperatives, allowing them to ...
Why banks are damned to a flood of credit crises Trading Markets (press release)
US Unveils Takeover of Mortgage Giants New York Times
Government help, and how to avoid it Nolan Chart LLC
Seeking Alpha - Forbesall 960 news articles

US financial crisis spreads toward your wallet
Christian Science Monitor, MA - 19 hours ago
It warned of the danger to the nation from the sale of trillions of dollars of complex financial products called "structured credit derivatives. ...
Credit Crunch: The Sequel U.S. News & World Report
UPDATE 1-US banks' direct borrowing hits record in week Reuters
Crumbling financials have further to fall Financial Post
FXstreet.com The Foreign Exchange Market - Milwaukee Journal Sentinelall 82 news articles

MSN Money UK

Credit crunch could be bad for your health
WalesOnline, United Kingdom - 4 hours ago
THE credit crunch could have a detrimental impact on people’s health as well as their bank balance. New research suggests people are buying cheaper foods to ...
Credit crunch `fuelling ill health` The Press Association
Credit crunch takes a bite out of people's health, says report Telegraph.co.uk
Credit crunch hits the nation's long-term health Easier (press release)
Mirror.co.ukall 11 news articles
credit - Google News


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