I am almost 7 years out of BK as of March '07. I have a car loan and a couple low limit but hight interest credit cards that I have paid on religiously since.
I keep looking for better deals, but anytime I apply I get bankruptcy as the reason for denial.
How long will it take for me to get back to where I was. I had perfect credit before a personal and financial breakdown.
Please only answer if you really know what your talking about. Thanks!
2006-12-24 03:35:50 · 5 answers · asked by Kari 4 in Business & Finance ➔ Credit
Get a copy of your credit report for free from www.annualcreditreport.com - the Federal government has instructed the three major credit reporting agencies to provide reports free of charge annually. Analyze your credit report to see what stands out and where the problems are. After seven years, the issues should start disappearing, but you should make sure that whatever is still listed is explained.
Contact the credit reporting agencies and work with them to provide explanations for the information on your credit report. If you've paid something off and it's not reflected on there, make sure that gets changed. If something was beyond your control, you have the right to be able to attach an explanation.
Since you do have credit cards, light but regular usage of these should boost your credit rating. Try to never carry balance from month to month if you can, but at the very least pay off as much as you can to keep your interest payments down.
I would make extra efforts to pay off the card with the lowest balance. Keep the account open, but do NOT use that card. Then work to pay off the next lowest balance until you have only one card. Limiting your number of cards will make it far easier to control your finances. There is no practical advantage to spreading your debt across multiple cards.
The attached article also has some good ideas. Hopefully it will help! Good luck!
2006-12-24 04:59:25 · answer #1 · answered by Jerry Hayes 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It seems like there's two issues here. One of which is your credit score and the other is your credit report.
Your credit score is probably not bad if you've had no late or missed payments on your cards and auto loan for about the last two years (if it's been less than two years, your credit score is still repairing itself)
However, the lenders don't only look your your score, but also your report, which shows the bankrucpty. You seem to be forgetting that lenders are a business. And as a business, they're out to make money. No matter what your credit score may be, with that bankrucpty on your report, they're not going to give you good deals because, frankly, they don't have to. And by giving you high interest rates on your loans and cards, they make more money.
You not going to be able to get a really good deal (assuming your score has repaired itself) until the 10-year mark is up and the bankrucpty no longer shows on your report. Basically, it's an issue of- you did the crime (bankruptcy from the company's point-of-view is theft), now they're making you do the time (but at least it's only 3 more years to go)
2006-12-24 04:07:20 · answer #2 · answered by Vadalia 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I declared banko two yrs ago and my credit is improving fast. I have only applied for one credit card within the past 2 yrs and I was approved. As far as getting better deals (I don't know if you mean credit limit increases) I get offers in the mail just about every day for a credit card with a higher limit, I'm getting better offers now than before my bankruptcy and my credit was much better before I declared bankruptcy. Maybe you are not finding anything right now because you have lots of credit avl. such as your car loan and other credit card debt. You are also probably not getting any other offers because you are applying for too much credit.
2006-12-24 05:58:22 · answer #3 · answered by vsweety 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2006-12-24 04:34:55 · answer #4 · answered by Deb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I should think you'll be back in good credit by now.
2006-12-24 03:38:30 · answer #5 · answered by epbr123 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋