Free tips to restore credit score

Findhow2.com offers free tips to help you fix your credit, and restore your credit score. You deserve better credit. We help you get it. There are federal laws to help you fix your own credit yourself. It's not hard. Even the FTC says so. Probably their most-visited webpage when it comes to credit repair is "Credit Repair: Self-Help May Be Best."

We share that sentiment. Do-it-yourself debt relief and do-it-yourself credit repair is within the reach of anyone. Follow the simple strategies and free tips at FindHow2.com, including sample letters for removing derogatory items on credit report, and you are bound to improve your credit. Go to: http://www.FindHow2.com/repair-credit.html

Fix your credit or dump debt ?

What comes first? Fixing your credit? Or dumping old debt?
Our response: Do both at the same time.
You can get into action checking your credit score right now, and at the same time, you can make the decision to stop adding to past debt and start seeking ways to eliminate your debts.
Maybe you'll need to stop using your debit card several times a day.
Maybe you'll need to end automatic subsrciptions to magazines, mail order clubs, and similar "money drains" that you've forgotten you subscribed to.
Maybe you'll need the help of a professional consumer credit counselor to help get you back on track to get better credit now.
Whatever it takes, it can be done.
And it can be done at the same time.
Your FICO credit score is weighted very heavily on debt loads you carry on credit cards and the amounts you've piled up in installment loans, auto loans, etc. You credit score can be improved when you tackle paying down your debts and when you learn to consolidate debt without adding more debt.
The articles and links we've posted here will lead you to simple steps to reduce debt, fix credit, and get a better credit score.

Restoring good credit just 4 steps away

Restoring good credit is simple. The national credit score is below 700 -- the FICO score lenders want to make a home mortgage loan or a home equity loan.
You can get a higher credit score yourself if you make the effort to follow these 4 simple rules:
1. Lower your debt -- your credit score will suffer if you carry too much debt. Cut it down.
2. Pay your bills on time. Late payments hurt your credit score. And they are easy to avoid with simple planning habits.
3. Keep your credit card, home equity loan and installment loan balances low in relation to available credit.
4. Dispute errors that crop up in your credit report.

For more free online advice, visit:

Credit repair tips -- Free tips on how to fix errors in your credit history yourself.
Improving your credit score -- How to improve your own FICO credit score.
How to get your free credit report -- How to get your free credit report online.
How to dispute and remove errors from your credit report -- How to dispute errors that you uncover in credit reports to restore your good credit.

Bonus: How to deal with debt....
Reducing debt helps you regain control of your life. You have more money to stay current on your monthly bills, plus you'll have more money to save and invest for your retirement. In any case, reducing your debt helps you have more money to have more fun!
Read our free report:
6 steps to get out of debt -- You can get out of debt yourself. This free report tells you how.

4 steps to raise FICO credit score

Good credit is a goal each of us should aspire to. Having excellent credit gets you the best possible terms, such as lower interest rates or having to pay fewer points when you buy a home.
Good credit is not something best left to luck or chance. Getting good credit takes only concentration, commitment and good payment habits to fix bad credit scores, and you can raise your FICO score yourself by changing the way you deal with debt and credit.
And it's so important. If your FICO score these days is not 700 or higher, you will not qualify for the best terms.Getting the highest FICO score is not always in reach of every consumer, due to past credit habits.
Being continuously late making regularly scheduled payments on installment loans adds black marks to your credit rating.
But everyone can change their habits and get better credit. Four positive steps you can take to raise your FICO credit score are:
(1) Pay your bills BEFORE they are due,
(2) Stop taking on more debt,
(3) Reduce credit card balances every month, and
(4) Limit credit inquiries.
With the goal of getting a high FICO credit score of 700+, remember that it is essential to repay the loans you have taken out in a timely manner.
Late payments or payment defaults when your home is at risk is the fastest way to lower your credit score, and to delay getting better credit. So keep in mind, as you pay off loan installments over time, your credit score will start to rise.
Get more info on fixing your credit and getting better credit at http://www.findhow2.com/

Build better credit long before you need to borrow money

The responsible use of credit allows people the opportunity to borrow money at reasonable terms and pay it back over a longer period of time, to allow them to buy a house or investment property today, live in it, and enjoy both a comfortable home and realize appreciation of real estate values.
But getting credit has not always been easy, and lately it's been harder than anytime this century to qualify for a new home loan.
It is easier to get credit if you have been a borrower in the past -- but more importantly, a borrower who pays back a debt on time and in full. So, with discipline and steady repayment habits, practically anyone can begin the process of qualifying for and having access to credit.
Young adults will find it advantageous to build good credit now to qualify for student loans, a new home, a car purchase in the future. Having better credit before you need to borrow money will give you more options.
Learn how to get better credit at http://www.findhow2.com/

How errors lower your credit score

When you check your credit, you never know just what you'll find.
Probably the most frustrating thing you'll come across when you start fixing your credit is to find mistaken entries in your report. Somebody's credit boo-boo's wind up on your credit history.
It's bad enough if you yourself have racked up bad credit. It's quite another slap in the face if you're saddled with someone else's bad credit derogatory marks!
So just why DO errors show up on your credit report?
According to MyFICO.com, errors in a person's credit report might mean that their file is incomplete, contains information about another person, or any number of reasons.
Read some of the other reasons here:
http://www.findhow2.com/credit-report-errors-affect-fico-score.html

Paying bills online can boost credit score

Want to boost your credit score?
Easy: Start paying your credit card bills online.
Timely payments are the best way to keep your credit reports clean, and keeping your credit score high.
Waiting for the U.S. post office to deliver your payment risks making your payment late, and it's much simpler and you are more in control to use credit card online payment web sites to make your credit card payment, whether you are paying off your balance in full or simply making the regular minimum monthly payment.
It's simple, it's convenient, and it's safe. These sites have implemented fantastic security systems to protect your financial privacy. Still, I wouldn't recommend using these services if you only have access to the Internet through public computers, like at your local library or coffeeshop. That's asking for trouble. In fact, I'd recommend that you not pay your online bills using a wi-fi connection if at all possible. I don't care what anyone says, it's still possible for thieves to intercept Blackberry or wireless laptop communications.
Final advice: pay your credit card bill online, from your home computer.
If you need help, simply turn your credit card over and call the toll-free number on the back and ask the company's customer service reps how to get started with making your credit card payments online.
For more details on fixing your credit score, read:
http://www.findhow2.com/repair-credit.html

Accurate negative credit info stays on report

When negative information in your report is accurate, only the passage of time can assure its removal. Accurate negative information generally can stay on your credit report for seven years. There are certain exceptions:
Bankruptcy information may be reported for 10 years. Credit information reported in response to an application for a job with a salary of more than $75,000 has no time limit.
Information about criminal convictions has no time limit. Credit information reported because of an application for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance has no time limit.
Default information concerning U.S. Government insured or guaranteed student loans can be reported for seven years after certain guarantor actions.
Information about a lawsuit or an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations within your state runs out, whichever is longer.
For more detailed information read this:
http://www.findhow2.com/dispute-credit-report-errors.html

Free credit report can uncover errors

People who take the time to check their credit reports on a regular basis with this instant service, are more likely to spot and fix potentially costly errors, as well as foiling the efforts of identity thieves.
Accessing your credit information could allow the credit bureaus the opportunity to market other services when you request their free credit report, as long as such advertising does not interfere with your ability to get the report.
To request your report, go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com/
You can also request a free report by calling (877) 322-8228 or mail your request to P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
It is best to make the request from home, where you will have privacy and the documents you may need to verify your identity.
Read "How to improve your credit score" at
http://www.findhow2.com/improve-your-credit-score.html

How you can negotiate down debts

It pays to not only challenge errors in your credit report, but also, to try and negotiate with credit card firms you deal with and with your other creditors to negotiate down what you owe them.
It takes practice, a thick skin, and organization, but the best part is that negotiating with your creditors is a skill that can be learned!
Here's free details on how to learn how you can negotiate down debts and negotiate with creditors:
http://www.findhow2.com/debt-settlement-negotiating-with-creditors.html

Credit freeze protects credit, thwarts ID thefts

Hooray for Texas!
Texas joined 34 other states this past weekend giving consumers the right to freeze their reports without first having to be victims of identity theft.
The process is simple: when you freeze your credit report, an identity thief is shut out from getting hold of your credit because the creditor can't check your credit history. It's locked up tight.
Practically no lenders I know of will lend out money without first performing even a bery basic credit check. Thus, freezing your own credit has been proclaimed one of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft at this time.
Before this legislation became effective at the first of September 2007, Texans could not freeze their credit reports unless they were already victims of identity theft, as they had to wait for a crime to occur before they could take steps to protect themselves.
As Texans might put it: Kind of like locking the barn after the horse has gotten out.
Read the full account in the online version of the Dallas Morning News:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/columnists/pyip/stories/DN-moneytalk_03bus.ART.State.Edition1.35aa55a.html
Now, if the other 16 states will just get onboard and allow ALL consumers the right to protect their credit.

Simple ways to get better credit

One excellent tip for restoring good credit is to decide for yourself never to charge more than 50% of your credit limit on your credit cards, and don't ever allow yourself to build up a balance of more than 50% of your available credit at any one time.
Carrying a large balance in relation to your overall credit limit is the perfect way to lower your credit score. You want good credit. Here is a simple way to get better credit in the shortest possible time:
Charge a modest amount the first month, say $200. Pay about 20% over the minimum payment due from your first billing, and then the following month, pay the entire balance. Do the same thing for the next 5-6 months, and always, always, always be timely with your payment.
Our advice: pay your credit card bill online a few days BEFORE it is due, that way, you will have time to call the credit card company if your payment hasn't posted to your account due to technical reasons.
At the end of the six month period, take money from savings and pay off the entire balance. Keep the card open, maybe charging something every now and then and remember to always pay the card in full each month before the due date.
Within 18-24 months, you should be boasting a much higher credit score.
Restoring good credit requires time, commitment, organization and solid common sense. By cleaning up your credit when you don't need to borrow money, you will have a much better ability to get decent terms and access to money when you do indeed need to take out a loan or when you apply for new credit.

What's wrong with your credit?

There are a few basic steps to cleaning up your credit reports to boost your ability to borrow money for investments, long-term beneficial purchases, college education, a new car or a new home. Follow our free tips for rebuilding credit scores by 60-90 points.
When something is wrong with your credit, then this info regarding repairing and raising your credit score will lead you step-by-step through these easy to learn procedures:
Step #1 -- Request credit report from each credit reporting agency in your area.
Step #2 -- Dispute all inaccurate entries in writing and mail to respective agencies.
Step #3 -- Review updated credit reports you'll receive in 60-90 days. Detect any items which were not removed into another letter (basically repeting Step #2 until erroneous entry has been removed.) Mail this letter 120 days from last updated report you receive.
Step #4 -- If all else fails, you can write a 100-word statement entry that explains your side of the story for entries you cannot get removed by any other means.
There is power in dispute letters when you send them to the credit bureaus. Learn how to write letters to fix bad credit scores at http://www.findhow2.com/repair-credit.html

Check credit report for free

I've been sounding the alarm for years: your credit score is precious. It affects every part of your life. Why people don't pay more attention to fixing their credit is astounding.

Maybe they like paying more money for car insurance, or a higher interest rate on home , boat and auto loans, or worrying that their credit card company might jack up their interest rates anyday now.

Your credit score is much like the references that you post on your resume when you are looking for a new job, and when you apply for new credit, bad credit returns bad results.

Higher credit score, the lower the risk, so the argument goes with lenders.
Is it true? You may not like to hear this, but the statistics bear them out: Yes, people with high credit generally pay their bills on time.

But what we're focusing on here are the ERRORS lurking in your credit report, and it's still real simple to find them, dispute them, and get them deleted.

Can you recall the last time you checked your credit report? If not, don't despair, you an still get a free copy of your credit report from each of the major credit reporting bureaus from the web site annualcreditreport.com.

We've included some free sample dispute letters that you can copy and paste to challenge errors you may find in any of your credit reports. You'll find them at:

http://www.FindHow2.com/repair-credit.html

Do-it-yourself credit dispute letters

One of the best ways to get derogatory marks deleted from your credit report is to learn how to write and submit a dispute letter. It's not hard, and now we've made it easy for you by providing free sample letters showing you how to do it yourself.
Unflattering information that is inaccurate, duplicated or outdated derogatory content appearing in your credit report should be removed promptly once you notify the CRA's (credit reporting agencies).
You can now get free sample dispute letters at http://www.findhow2.com/repair-credit.html
But don't think simply writing credit report dispute letters will get rid of any accurate and timely information.
Information that is true will stay on your credit report, no matter what you do or whichever scam credit report repair firm you pay money to. Our free sample letter formats work, but they are effective only when they are used to request inaccurate, outdated or erroneous entries appear in your credit. No matter what anyone else promises you, that's just the facts.
Incorrect information winds up hurting your credit score. We believe that as the current credit crunch evolves, your credit history will become your most important asset in gaining credit and you should be vigilant to keep it as clean as possible.
You have more rights today than anytime in history to fix your own credit yourself. These sample dispute letters and accompanying free credit repair information is an easy way to improve your credit rating yourself. Feel free to copy and paste our sample letters and customize them to fit your needs. Get yours today.
http://www.findhow2.com/repair-credit.html

Consistent payments improve credit score

Some people think that if they pay off all their debts, then their credit score will magically shoot up and give them great credit.

Nope. Your credit score is the sum total of your past credit use, your past credit history, not current payments.

Sure, the fact that you PAY your bills is important. But TIMELY PAYMENTS each and every month are truly the biggie here. It's wise to use a bill-paying calendar -- any calendar will do -- and write in when your debts are due one full week before they are due.

This way, if you are a day or two delinquent in paying them according to your calendar, your payment arrives on time.

When it comes to credit card payments, there's no need to even mail payments anymore. Online bill payment systems actually can post your payment the same day you make it, so long as you do it early in the day.

I personally enter in my credit card payment due date into my cell phone's calendar function. The phone beeps, I look at the message, it says "Pay CC today," and I make time to log in to my credit company's website, authorize the correct payment due, and click "OK Payment." It's done in 5 minutes, and my payments have never been late due to slow mail delivery.

In fact, I usually make the next month's payment a few days AFTER my regular payment is due. So, if my credit card payment is due on the 5th of the month, I will log onto my online account on the 7th of the month, make the next month's minimum payment, and know that I can make another payment before the following month by the 5th to help pay down credit card debt. This way, I know I'm not late, and I can pay down credit card balances as my income allows.

If late payments have indeed damaged your credit score, you will need to make months of on-time payments consistently to repair the damage. Consistent payments each month by their due dates is what will improve your credit score, not one-time payments in full.

Raise Credit Score 30pts, Save $76 Year: Survey

The Consumer Federation of America released a study July 19, 2007, stating that consumers could save more than $20 billion a year if they increased their credit score slightly.

On average, each consumer who increased his or her FICO credit score by just 30 points could reduce their credit finance charges by $76 a year.
The CFA claims that most Americans are clueless how their credit scores affect important areas of their lives.

Their report is found at:
http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/Credit_Score_Release_07_19_07.pdf

Solution? Paying all bills on time, refraining from using too much of their available credit on their credit cards, paying down debt instead of buying more things, and monitoring and disputing errors in their credit reports are the four best ways consumers can raise their credit scores, according to the report.

The FICO credit score, by Fair Issac Corp., is the benchmark credit score used by 9 out of 10 lenders. Fair Isaac's website (http://www.myfico.com/) details how consumers can lower the cost of loans simply by raisng their credit score by relatively small increments.

We've been compiling free tips on how to improve your credit scores at FindHow2.com since March 2006. We invite you to log on today to learn how to get better credit.

Credit Card Companies Crunch Credit

In a new article: "Subprime may be hitting credit cards, too" Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer, writes that credit card companies have begun to take steps to protect themselves while subprime mortgage markets are in turmoil.
Credit card issuers are reportedly raising balance transfer fees and making introductory rates less appealing. They are reducing how long lower introductory rates are valid. And they are taking the onerous step of lowering credit limits on existing cardholders, including some prime customers. Customers might be shocked one month to find that their available credit has disappeared overnight.
Once a credit limit has been lowered it can lead to hefty over-the-limit charges. I know from personal experience that this practice can take a bite our of your budget if you use the credit card, thinking you still have available credit, and the next month you find out you went over your limit. Not only did I incur an over-the-limit fee of about $30 at the time, but I also knew instinctively that I'd just bruised my credit.
Having your credit card company decide you get a lower limit is very likely going to reduce your overall credit score. You will be tapping into more of your available credit, and carrying more than a 50% balance on credit cards tend to result in lower FICO scores.
The credit crunch is spreading to what's in your wallet....
(Read full article here...)

Tougher times to refinance at lower rates.
If you had a credit score of 650 points out
of a possible 850 in 2006, you could demand
much lower interest than those with bad
credit. But now it takes a FICO credit
score of at least 680 to be getting the best
deal.

Boosting your credit score takes commitment
to pay all your bills on time, lowering
outstanding balances on the credit cards you
already owe, and paying down overall debt.
Experts recommend that you keep your
balances below 50% of available credit card
limits, while others caution not to go use
more than 35% of available credit.

It's probably a good idea to follow the
advice of one-third of your credit balance,
and start making plans to pay off credit
card debt as soon as possible.

At this time, it's also not wise to open new
lines of credit. This could signal that
you're desperately in need of more credit to
maintain your lifestyle -- something that is
almost certain to cause concern from lenders.

For more free tips, visit our website FindHow2.com.

Free sample letters dispute credit

We get a lot of requests for free sample letters people can use to dispute derogatory bad credit entries in their credit reports.
We've assembled some easy to use sample letters on our website:
http://www.findhow2.com/repair-credit.html
All you need to do is copy and paste into your favorite word processer this copy, customize the letter to fit your circumstances, and print off 2 copies -- one for yourself, one for the creditor or agency you are writing. It's best to keep a copy for yourself. Yes, I know, you can always print off a separate copy from the saved file on your computer. But my experience has shown me that if I do have a printed copy in a file, and I put ALL of my correspondence in that one file, with the notes of who I spoke to on the telephone, the date I mailed those letters, the dates I received updated credit reports, etc., then I can quickly track the credit repair progress.
I recommend that you send these letters to the CRA's and to your creditors registered return receipt mail, as then you will have a record of (1) the exact date you mailed the letters, and (2) the exact date of receipt and the signature of the person who signed for the letter.

Low credit scores, higher auto insurance bills

You've probably been hearing how your low credit score could result in higher auto insurance premiums when your insurance company does an "insurance check" on you. As if insurance automobile and truck insurance isn't expensive enough, now you pay more if your insurance carrier finds out you have poor credit.

Just another reason to know what's in your credit files and taking the time to fix bad credit.
Today outdated derogatory entries in the files the 3 major credit reporting agencies have on you can cost you in many ways, including your auto insurance payments.

We've detailed additional information to help you lower your auto insurance by fixing your credit scores at
http://www.findhow2.com/how-to-save-money-on-auto-insurance.html

Free tips to fix your bad credit

Knowing where to start to dispute errors in your credit report is easy
once you know how. Here are some websites to check out that offer helpful
credit repair information on disputing credit report errors and helping people
repair their own credit. 



http://banking.about.com/b/a/256245.htm

How To Fix Your Credit Report, Banking / Loans, Got
errors on your credit report? Youll want to fix your
credit report to.



http://www.debthelp.com/guides/credit/credit-errors-corrections-repair.html

This means that you as a consumer should check your credit report for
errors and follow-up as necessary. You don’t want negative
credit to hurt your future.

http://www.oskie.com/equifaxtransunionexperiancredit.htm

Free credit help by a live human! Fix my free credit
report online. ... help and disputed errors on credit
report. ...



http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20010906a.asp

Usually, consumers find out about errors in their credit reports
after they're denied credit. To fix mistakes in your credit
report, here's what to do:

"Fix
your credit in just 72 hours" - MSN Money

Anyone whos tried to fix an error in a credit report
knows that it can be a slow, tedious process. Yet some companies promise to
fix credit mistakes in 72 ...



http://www.creditinfocenter.com/repair/Repair.shtml

The whole key to the credit repair procedure is that if the
credit bureaus cannot verify information on your credit report
they must remove it.

http://www.FindHow2.com

Free articles and links to credit repair web sites to help you remove
errors in credit reports and raise your credit scores.



http://loan.yahoo.com/c/basics4.html

Improve Your Credit Profile To Get Better Credit Deals
... The better your credit history, the more likely you
are to qualify for the best credit deals.

How to check your credit report

You never know when an emergency
will arise and you will have to borrow money. So it's important to know how to check your credit report for errors BEFORE you need to apply for a loan.
You might need an equity line of credit, and when you go to
refinance your home, your credit rating will be so low that you
won't even qualify for a bad credit mortgage!
Or a credit card application that arrives in the mail and after you fill it out, you get
turned down because you didn't check your credit to find
outdated, negative entries in your credit report.
Or you've had enough and you want to eliminate credit card
debt, but you can't be a credit consolidation loan even if you
promised to attend consumer credit counseling classes everyday!
It's important to remember that it's not that you're a bad person. It's just that you have bad
credit, and you've first got to understand this: Bad credit is
like bad body odor... it can be fixed!
But you'll need to do certain things in order, like: (1) check your credit, (2) carefully review your credit
report, (3) dispute mistakes in your credit report, (4) write
letters to fix your bad credit, and (5) check your credit again
and again by getting your free annual credit report online.
You can get better credit than you have today simply by making
a plan to fix your credit and sticking to it until your credit
score improves!
You can pay to get your current FICO credit score, but what's really important is knowing what's IN your credit files. For the time being, we'd recommend simply downloading the free credit report you
are entitled to from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion available
for free at http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ .
Once you have your credit reports, you must then take the time to read through
each once carefully, checking the codes and entries and
matching them up with what really happened when
you used credit in the past.
It you were late making payments, then you'll have to wait out
this negative information. You cannot have accurate negative
information removed from your credit files. You can only
dispute errors in your credit report. And errors are likely to
slip in from time to time, so eliminating these during your
credit check will be relatively easy.
Some errors might be that outdated information remains. For
instance, sometimes credit information from a person who shares
a similar name could appear in your credit report and do damage
to your credit score. Or maybe you disputed a bill with a
hosptial in your hometown, and even though you thought the bill
was waived, it winds up showing up as being turned over to a
collection agency, and you have to learn how to deal with a
collection agency all over again!
Reading your credit reports from the three reporting bureaus may seem overwhelming at first. But
reading them will help you start understanding what's in
your credit history that lenders are viewing when they are
making the decision of whether or not to loan money to you.
Armed with this knowledge, plus the effort you will put in to
eliminate any and all errors from your online credit report at
the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and
TransUnion), you will go from being haunted with bad credit to
enjoying better credit and getting that loan you need, when you
need it, at favorable interest rates and terms that you
negotiate with your banker.
When you give your credit report a "check-up" you will need a
working knowledge of basic credit repair techniques, and we've
published a summary of these for you to use free at
http://www.findhow2.com/repair-credit.html .

Where to get help when filing dispute

If you feel that you need help from your state Attorney General
when having a financial or business dispute, you can contact
them either by mail, by phone or via the Internet by visiting:
http://www.naag.org/ag/full_ag_table.php
There, you'll find a complete listing of contacts.
If you need to contact your state's Better Business Bureau, you
can locate the nearest office online at:
http://lookup.bbb.org/

Stop paying credit card late fees

To stop paying credit card late fees, and in the process raise
your FICO credit score sustantially over time, you can simplify
the process by using a service your bank probably offers for free.
An automatic bill paying service offered by most banks for free can help make paying regular monthly bills a snap!
Your first step is to determine how much to pay. The easiest way to do this is to either pull out your last few credit card statements or log onto your online credit card account and check the past several months of payments.
We'd recommend setting your automatic monthly payment at about 20% over your minimum. This way, if you do add additional charges to your credit card debt, you will still be paying enough to make the monthly minimum on time every month... a surefire way to keep the credit card company happy and keep your credit score going up, up and away!
Getting started is easy. Simply check a few recent credit card statements to see what your usual minimum monthly payment is.
Then contact your bank. Register to use a free automatic bill paying services which allows you to make your recurring monthly payments whenever you choose. So if your payment is due the 10th of each month, set the automatic payment to be made midway through your billing cycle.
Just remember to keep enough in your checking account to cover this recurring amount. It'll be easy to do once you get in the habit of doing it, and if your bank does charge for this service, maybe it's time you shop around for a different bank!
Knowing when to pay the bill is important. For example, if your payment is due on the 1st of every month, set the payment to be made the 15th of every month. You won't be late. The payment made the 15th pays the payment due two weeks later (the 1st of the next month). So, when you do receive your statement online or in the mail, you can ignore it, or, if you want to further reduce credit card debt quicker, make an additional payment on your balance due and lower the debt yourself. This is optional.
So even if you never get your bill in the mail or you space it out and forget to mail your payment or log in to pay your credit card bill, you minimum payment will magically (well, automatically!) be made for you... all thanks to your automatic bill paying service.

Now, if you are the type to pay off all your credit cards in full each month, that's fine. This system will still work to your benefit if you are traveling for business or pleasure and you are away from home when you payment must be made. You can relax and know that your payments are being made in a timely fashion, and you can payoff the remaining balance amount you've charged up during your travels when you return.
As always, be sure to double check your monthly credit card statement so as to be certain that the minimum credit card payment you owe has not gone up above your scheduled recurring monthly payment. If it does, simply make the changes necessary for your automatic payment to more than cover the minimun due.

Credit counseling gets you back on track

When you are trying to get credit help for your unsecured debt, you'll often turn to a credit counseling service. These firms help you with credit card debt that has spiraled out of control, and they can help advise you on setting up a workable budget.

Are you behind on student loans? Your automobile or truck payment late? Medical bills unpaid? Is the electric company about to turn out the lights?

It could be that you are needing the valued services on a good credit counseling service. We've written about this on our main web site: http://www.findhow2.com .

We urge you to visit that site and learn how you can get the help you need to get out of debt and fix your credit report. Sometimes you simply can't get it done yourself. We understand, so quit beating yourself up. Just start the process of learning what to do next and getting the credit help you need.

The main things a good credit counseling service can offer is the advice on managing money and keeping up with paying your debts. You might even have access to free or low-cost classes on managing your money. This could be the best thing you can take away from credit counseling, and will enable you to deal with similar financial difficulties in the future.

Can Bankruptcy Boost Your Credit Score?

Here's a unique twist on credit scores found at SmartMoney.com:

"The decision of whether to file for bankruptcy protection is
not an easy one. Among the numerous concerns, one that is
typically front and center is the worry that your credit rating
will be so damaged that securing a loan — even at a lousy rate
— will be darn near impossible. "

True. Their editors have hit the credit score problem squarely on the head. We've been preaching that one needs to carefully protect their credit rating for years on this blog. But the following caught us by surprise, and we'd like to share this with our readers:

"But here's some surprising news: In many cases, the damage done
to one's credit score isn't nearly as bad as expected. Over the
long run, obtaining a score high enough to make you eligible
for very competitive rates isn't out of the question. "

That's good news when it comes to bad credit might not be ALL bad! You can read more of this interesting article at:

http://www.smartmoney.com/debt/advice/index.cfm?story=boostscore

Fighting Foreclosure With New HomeStay Program

It's about time the two biggest government-sponsored loan
entities in America actually heard the pleas from cash-strapped
homeowners and did something worthwhile to ease their pain.

Fannie Mae unveiled a new program called "HomeStay,"
offering brand new options so that lenders can help subprime
borrowers wiggle out of high-interest adjustable-rate mortgages
or other onerous home loans, and into loans that are
"consumer-friendly" to save their home from foreclosure.

President and CEO Daniel Mudd said Fannie Mae plans to
stretch the term on subprime loans up to 40 years from the
current maximum of 30 years — which is anticipated to help
reduce monthly payments for borrowers by around 5 percent. Five
percent is not much, but it's better than a sharp stick in the
eye.

Richard Syron, Freddie Mac's chairman and chief executive,
said his company will be rolling out "more consumer-friendly
subprime products" to provide stable financing by midsummer
2007.

Freddie Mac's new products are reported to include 30-year
and possibly 40-year fixed-rate mortgages as well as
adjustable-rate mortgages with longer fixed-rate periods.

More on "HomeStay" can be found at: FannieMae.com -- HomeStay Announcement

In the press release, we read: "Fannie Mae has a history of working with lenders to serve families who don't have perfect financial profiles. 'Subprime' is, after all, simply the description of a borrower who doesn't have perfect credit."

So, the reason for out interest in this topic is clear: those who do not have a good credit score to show their lender might get screwed by getting stuck into an adjustable rate mortgage that very likely could rise to the point where the mortgage payments are simply unaffordable, and the home, equity and the homeowners sweat-equity in his or her place is lost forever.

We look forward to seeing Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae acting like a benevolent aunt and uncle to calm millions of distressed homeowners and worried housing investors in this country with this and similar actions.

Further, I expect scandals to erupt over this "loose-money" con that was conducted within the usually staid and stuffy world of mortgage banking. May the guilty parties be found out and spend some quality time under arrest.

Foreclosures may hammer credit scores

There's foreclosure madness in the air.Neighborhoods are falling victim to foreclosure rates not seen
in years.People are not only losing their houses. They are losing the
investment they've made in their neighborhoods, in their
communities and schools and churches and businesses.There has been a tidal wave of foreclosures across the nation
as ARM's -- adjustable rate mortgages -- are readjusting as
lenders hike interest rates, and house payments are stretching
household budgets past the breaking point.The houses are going back to the bank in record numbers.USAToday recently reported that homes entering foreclosure hit
a record number in the final quarter of 2006.2007 doesn't seem to be faring any better.There's no quick fix, and the government, in true
Katrina-disaster-style-response, has been loathe to be
proactive. Foreclosures rise, and cities fall apart. I warned of the dangers of relying on interest-only loans over
the past two years, the the short-term benefits seemed sweet:
buy more house than you could really afford to buy, and pay
only a small amount at the beginning. The fairytale was that
by the time the interest rates reset, the housing market would
have pushed home prices up 15-20%, and the homeowners credit
would have magically improved, and a simple mortgage refi could
rescue the occupants and save the day.But that's far from what's actually happened.Burgeoning personal debt levels have stymied the ability to
borrow more. Now that home equity seems to be evaporating as
the housing bubble melts down, there's little wiggle-room to
dodge economic catastrophe.Need proof? Here's what USAToday reported: One Georgia
Institute of Technology associate professor of city and
regional planning, Dan Immergluck, said: "The foreclosure
trends are definitely acelerating in middle-income suburban
communities."Later, he's quoted as saying that the homes surrounding a
foreclosed-upon home drop an average of 1.5%. Each. So if you
have a neighborhood of $300,000 homes, and the home next door
goes back to the bank via Dr. Foreclosure, those home EACH lose
approximately $4,500.Start doing the math, and you'll start to see the tsunami
swells forming off on the horizon.The cluprit are the exotic loans marketed over the past 6-7
years. ARM's and interest-only loans. The hype is forgotten
when the bill comes due. More and more homeowners will find
themselves upside down and in over their heads as their home
payments strip their ability to pay.In the end, their credit will suffer. As they accept the fact
that they will lose their home to foreclosure, they will cease
being a homeowner and they will once again join the ranks of
renters. It is interesting to see large rental development
projects being built in major urban areas. The banks see the
need for these rentals because they helped create the new boom
in homeowners-turned-renters.And, once the credit reports of those former homeowners have
been trashed and ruined and their credit scores are hammered
down to new lows, it may take years to get through this mess.Yes, indeed, foreclosure madness wafts in the air. It was
avoidable once. But not now.

Some free credit reports not free

Unscrupulous companies advertise “free credit reports” these days that aren’t really free.
Sometimes these firms require that you must purchase credit monitoring or other services they offer in order to obtain your free report. Or you are given a free 30-day trial of such-and-such credit monitoring service, then you get charged for it every month thereafter, unless you call to cancel the service.
In our opinion, that's just not fair. Consumers are entitled under federal laws to one free credit report per year from each of the three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Most importantly to keep in mind, there is only ONE official web site to access these free reports: www.annualcreditreport.com .
Or, you still have the option to call the central request phone number: toll free 877-322-8228.
Consumers are cautioned that a simple misspelling of the web site address or conducting an Internet search for phrases such as “free credit report”, “free credit history” or “free credit rating” could take them to a different web site that charges for credit services available to them for free (like the free information you'll find on this site, or on our sister site, http://www.FindHow2.com) .

Following is the current contact information of the three major credit bureaus:

Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, Georgia 30374
Toll Free: 800-685-1111

Experian National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, Texas 75013
General inquiries: 888-397-3742
Additional free credit report: 866-200-6020www.experian.com/freestate www.experian.com/reportaccess (if you have been denied credit within the past 60 days)

TransUnion Consumer Relations
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, Pennsylvania 19022
General inquiries: 800-916-8800
Remember, when you are requesting your credit report, you will be asked to provide your full name, current address, your Social Security number, your date of birth, as well as your most recent address.
When requesting your credit report online, you may need to answer some specific questions that only you know, such as a previous mortgage amount.

Greed at root of risky lending practices

An interesting web article published recently at SeaCoastOnline.com caught my eye today: "Greed is root of mortgage crisis issue." It was written by Joe Adamaitis, president of Direct Mortgage, which offices in Portsmouth, Naugatuck, Conn. and Bradenton, Fla. Read the full article here:
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/03212007/business-b-subprime.column.html
His premise: sub-prime lenders were greedy and took advantage of people with poor credit scores.
He writes: "If we look carefully at the problems linked to this meltdown, we might begin at the root of all fiascoes -- "greed." Sure the (lending) guidelines were loose, but so are the laws that monitor mortgage marketing and advertising to the consumer. Consumers are fed 'bait and switch' ads on a daily basis."
It is important to hear this coming from a veteran in the mortgage business.
Adamaitis continues: "One other issue that can take blame for the subprime problem is today's credit scoring models. I will say that the credit industry has it's own share of blame because the 'scoring formulas' used to rate a borrower are far from as accurate as one would like to believe."
Well said! We too believe that the people who collect and report credit information need to be held to a higher standard, and the current system needs a tune-up. Those with "bad" credit -- as determined by scoring models -- were almost forced to accept higher risk loan programs to get the home loan they were needing.
According to Adamaitis' article: "The inaccuracy pushed many borrowers away from getting conventional financing and into the subprime market. Trying to correct a credit score is virtually impossible for an individual and, therefore, has created an entirely new business."
And he leaves the reader with one chilling warning: "If you're looking for the next subprime-type fiasco, watch the number of credit repair companies that pop up."
It's bad news, but don't blame the messenger. The lending system, perhaps the whole housing bubble, was obviously driven by greed, so Joe Adamaitis' article hits the nail on the head squarely and his observations need to be considered by those who are involved in the industry, as well as consumers who are affected by the fallout of the sub-prime bankruptcies and home foreclosures.
For those working diligently to fix their own credit report, this type of article underscores the need for constant monitoring of not only one's credit report, but also the influences in the markets which lead people down primrose paths to financial disaster.
You CAN fix your own credit and you CAN reduce debt and you CAN build a financial future others will envy, but you MUST be aware that there are constant dangers, and you MUST take steps to remain cautious about things "too good to be true." Again, we recommend that you read and pass along Joe Adamaitis' article link listed above. It could help educate those you love.

Good Credit = Organization + Good Habits + Time

Lenders are now telling home loan applicants: Pay down your debt and improve your credit score. Refinancing is getting more difficult. Getting a mortgage now is a lot harder than it was just a month ago. That includes borrowers with marginal credit who will have to come up with larger down payments and cash-strapped borrowers who are trying to refinance their adjustable-rate mortgages.
"The source of the trouble is the same part of the mortgage industry that helped drive the biggest housing boom in history over the past five years, a corner of the market called "subprime lending" that offered financing to those who otherwise couldn't get a home loan," according to a very telling story in The Star Tribune.
Read the whole article at The Star Tribune
Our message here for more than a year is for people to protect themselves, to pay down personal and business debt, and work hard to improve their credit report.
Fixing your credit report is simple when you follow our free tips at FindHow2.com. There, we've assembled some of the best reports and articles on how to proceed and get your finances in order.
It will pay big dividends to follow our authors' free advice and shape up your spending and saving habits. In summary, the best plan of action to get a better credit score is this: Good Credit = Organization + Good Habits + Time. Organize your bills and your debt obligations. Practice paying your bills on time, all the time. And by doing this regularly, time will come to your aid and help improve your credit.
Try it. You'll be happily surprised at how well these simple free tips work!

Bad credit woes rocking mortgage markets

Well, it's not like we didn't see it coming...
As noted on Associated Press reports, published on Yahoo.com March 13, 2007:
Headline: "Late mortgage payments reach high"
Summary:
++Late mortgage payments hitting record levels.
++Consumers feeling pinch, can't keep up with rising adjustable loan payments.
++Delinquency and foreclosure rates were considerably higher for higher-risk subprime borrowers, especially those with adjustable-rate mortgages.
++Nearly 5% of the 43.5 million loans that the Mortgage Bankers Association tracks could be headed for default.
++Wall Street investors' worried about troubles facing "subprime" lenders who make loans to people with poor credit rattle markets, send Dow Industrials plummeting.
++Fearing out-of-control defaults on high-risk mortgages, federal bank regulators were reported earlier this month to be twisting lenders' arms to use caution in making subprime loans and strictly evaluate borrowers' ability to repay them.
++Experts wring hands: "Unfortunately, it appears delinquency rates will likely worsen before they improve," said Gina Martin, economist at Wachovia Corp. Economics Group.
We've been predicting a shakeout in the housing market and the booming mortgage industry for some time now, and the high-risk loans made over the past several years are now proving to be unsustainable.
For readers of this column, they knew that adjustable and interest-only loans were not in their best interests over the long term.
Yes, for short-term financing, those loans did seem quite attractive. For a time. When rates were low and prices were going up.
Problem is, lenders put the wrong people into these loan programs, namely, people who had lousy credit. The folly of banking on people with poor credit to drive the economy always seemed slightly insane to us.
So what's next? It's going to be painful to watch this meltdown. People will get hurt. They will lose homes and banks will lose money.
But we doubt the scoundrels who foisted these loans onto the financial landscape will lose much or suffer. Most will probably manage to dodge penalties or justifiably appropriate prison time.
They will simply move on to their next scam... remember the S&L crisis in the first President Bush presidency? History may be repeating itself here. Stay tuned...

Re-aging credit offers fresh start

Keeping tabs on your credit takes time, but it's worth it in the long run. Sometimes, you're likely to get in a bind when it comes to paying your bills on time. Making late payments is the fastest way to lower your credit score. But it's not always the end of the world.

One thing to keep in mind is that sometimes you can get a creditor to "re-age" your account.

There are limitations to this. Creditors can basically forgive past-due accounts, erasing any record of missed or late payments, by agreeing to re-age the past due account. The account that once was overdue is then current, and you can start fresh.

Yes, you still owe the same amount on your credit card. But your payment history is cleaned up.

As an example, if you are three months late making your minimum credit card payments and your credit card company agrees to re-age your credit card account, then you're in luck. Your record is cleared. All three of those payments are forgiven. The company will stop charging late fees, and, best of all, your credit report no longer shows you as being delinquent on this bill.

Your fresh start is not automatic, and don't expect all creditors to fall all over themselves to offer you this option. Many will only want their money, and you'd best pay them to keep your credit report from getting any more derogatory marks.

Guidelines were established in 2000 to standardize the practice of re-aging consumer credit card accounts.

For your account to be considered for re-aging, you must be able to demonstrate a renewed willingness and an apparent ability to pay your bills.

In most cases, your credit card account must have been open for at least nine months.
Three consecutive minimum monthly payments or the equivalent sum must have been made previously. And, as with all good things, there are limits on the number of times your credit card account can be re-aged.

Currently, your credit card company can only re-age your account once in a 12-month period, and they can only re-age your account two times in any 5-year period. So, it's imperative, that if you find yourself in credit card crisis, you've got a limited number of times to take advantage of this "free spin" to help you improve your credit.

12 Credit Mistakes To Avoid

Guest Editorial:

Common Credit Mistakes Hurt Home Buyers


By Jeanette Joy Fisher

You can buy a home to live in with poor credit. However, you will save thousands in loan costs if you maintain good credit.

A bad credit report leaves home buyers with nonprime loans which cost more money because of:

• high point charges
• high loan processing fees
• prepayment penalties
• high interest rates

If you desire to buy your dream home or investment properties to build your future wealth, you must maintain good credit.

Avoid these 12 common credit mistakes to build strong credit and save money in mortgage loan costs.

1. Mortgage lenders often scrutinize the type of credit used. Consumer credit, the kind associated with department store credit cards and finance companies, has high interest charges and deducts points from your credit score.

2. "Too much consumer credit," a common remark in credit reports, is caused by too many lines of credit or too many credit cards.

3. High balances caused by only paying the minimum due or maxing out credit cards or lines of credit generate deep drops in scores.

4. Cash advances costs higher interest and extra fees. These extra charges accumulate and keep balances too high.

5. Charging over your limit and paying penalty fees causes negative "high proportional amounts owed" remarks on credit reports and deducts points from credit scores.

6. Late payments, sometimes even only by one day, cause unnecessary late fees. Late payments often increase account interest rates.

7. Some consumers charge more than they can afford. This causes a snowball effect of amassing debt with no easy way to pay it off.

8. Co-signing a loan raises debt-to-income ratio and possibly adds "too many consumer accounts" on your credit report, which lowers your score considerably.

9. Don't ignore credit problems. Talk to creditors before making late payments and make correction arrangements. This action heads off negative reporting to credit reporting agencies.

10. Report address changes to creditors to avoid misplaced bills and late payments.

11. Use your full legal name to protect yourself from confusion. Avoid partial names, different names, and initials. If appropriate, use Sr. or Jr. Report name changes to creditors to avoid confusion.

12. Check your credit report often for mistakes and protection from identity theft.

Avoid credit mistakes to build strong credit and keep your credit scores up. Understand the difference between good credit and the credit needed to obtain real estate financing. Finance your dream home or dream investment portfolio!

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Fisher offers Free ebook: "Credit Tips for Mortgage Financing" at Real Estate Credit Help

http://www.recredithelp.com

Article Source: Joy Fisher

How Impulse Spending Affects Credit

Avoid Impulse Spending! -- This is important because if you want to fix your credit report, you've got to get a handle on your bills, and a tendency to overspend can undermine even the best budget.You know that you need to work on limiting your own impulse spending habits if:

1.) Your spouse complains that you spend too much money every month.
2.) You're surprised each month when your credit card bill arrives at how much more you charged than you thought you had.
3.) You have accumulated more shoes and outfits in your closet than you could ever possibly wear.
4.) You buy things you didn’t know you wanted until you saw them on display in a store.

Sadly, impulse spending will prevent you from saving for the important things like a house, a new car, a vacation or investing your money for retirement. To achieve your financial goals, you simply MUST resist spending money on things that really don’t matter in the long run.

Impulse spending will not only put a strain on your finances but on your relationships, as well. To overcome the problem, the first thing to do is learn to separate your needs from your wants. The best technique is to have a "cooling off" period in which to allow emotions to settle down and let logic take over.

Advertisers blitz us hawking their products at us 24/7. The trick is to give yourself a cooling-off period before you buy anything that you have not planned for. So try this: the next time you go shopping, pr-plan ahead. Make a list and take only enough cash to pay for what you have planned to buy. Leave your credit cards at home. When you pay in cash, you usually will be more hesitant to hand over greenbacks vs. paying with plastic.

On the other hand, if you spot a new item that you think you really do need, give yourself a few days to decide if it is really something you need or something you can easily do without. By following this simple solution, in time you will mend your financial fences and your relationships.

Avoiding impulse spending is a new habit that will take the place of your bad habit of overspending, or worse, of spending money you do not have! This can affect your credit, because you're more prone to be late on bills when you aren't careful with your money, and late payments will drastically lower your credit score.

Refinancing With Low FICO Credit Score

Guest Editorial:

"Bad Credit Refinance Loans - Refinancing With A Low FICO Credit Score"

By Sharon Listner

Your financial situation may have changed for the worse since you first purchased your home. You may have had a great credit score, above 700, back then ... but now you find yourself with a low FICO score below 640 (be it 450, 500, 550, 600 or 620).

Now you need to refinance your existing mortgage loan to take cash out of your home for a home improvement project, credit card debt consolidation or other purposes.

The big question is this: "Can you get a mortgage refinance loan with a low credit score?

The answer is "yes".

Contrary to popular belief, life doesn't end, when your credit score dips below the magic 670 number.

Yes - it is a true that a person with a FICO credit score above 670 will find it easier to get a mortgage refinance loan than a person with a low credit score - but this is doesn't mean that you cannot find a loan.

How to find a poor credit refinance loan


1. The key to finding a lender, who specializes in low credit score refinance loans is to do your research. The power of the internet cannot be underestimated, when it comes to shopping for a poor credit refinance lender.

2. Once you find a lender, ensure that you complete their application form, thoroughly. Remember that you are competing with other applicants, who have excellent credit scores. Leave nothing to chance.

3. Be truthful on your loan application. Don't indicate a "fair" credit rating (620 and above), when you have a "poor" credit rating (any credit score below 600). A lender who specializes in low credit score loans is used to working with consumers with all credit scores and will not turn you down immediately, upon seeing a credit score like 500. Other details on your application form, will factor into the lender's final approval decision.

Research recommended bad credit refinance loan lenders and the various products, they offer at the loan resource guide: http://www.kstreetloans.com.

Sharon Listner writes about finance and conducts in-depth analysis on various consumer mortgage loan products.

Article Source: Sharon Listner

Beware Hidden Costs of Bad Credit

GUEST EDITORIAL:

"The Hidden Costs of Bad Credit"

By Brian Edmondson

Many people don't know or care about their credit. In a lot of cases they may either jokingly say, "I probably have bad credit" or unknowingly assume that their credit is good.

Most people just assume it's either good for fair… but certainly not poor. The realization that their credit is actually considered bad usually isn't made known until it's too late.

Usually the consequences of bad credit are pretty obvious.

Want a store credit card to buy that big screen TV? Denied.
Want to get that new car at the special financing rate? Not a chance.
Looking to lease a new apartment or purchase a new home? Not without a big deposit.

While these are the obvious consequences of not having good credit, there are also many hidden costs of bad credit which you may not be aware of.

Here are 3 of the not-so-obvious costs of bad credit:

1. Higher Interest Rates

This applies to just about everything, whether you are getting a new credit card, purchasing a new car, or buying a new home.

The lower your credit score, the higher your interest rate is going to be. While the rate difference may appear small (the difference between a 7% rate and 9% rate is only 2% right?), the amount you will pay over the term of the entire loan (5 years for a car; 30 years for a mortgage) adds up to several thousands of dollars more.

Be especially careful of credit card offers. They will offer you the card at a very low rate (2.9%, 8%, or 11%) but have very small print that allows them to skyrocket the rate anywhere from 18% to over 20% if you are late on just one payment or go over your limit.

2. Higher Car Insurance Rates

Yes it's true.

Car insurance companies will base your premium on your credit score.

Even if you've never been in an accident, never got a speeding ticket, and always wear your seatbelt you won't get the best rates.

A bad credit score may result in higher insurance premiums and may even result in a denial of coverage!

3. Higher Financial Stress

When most people talk about the negative effects of bad credit, they usually talk about the numbers: credit scores, interest rates, monthly payments, etc.

However, one of the biggest consequences of bad credit is the financial stress it causes in life.

The more money you spend as a penalty of having bad credit means less money in your bank account at the end of the day. Less money lead to more stress, which can have negative effects on you, your job, and your relationships.

Half of all marriages end in divorce, and usually financial problems are cited as a leading cause of a failed marriage. Bad credit certainly doesn't help the situation.

The number one financial mistake people make is not knowing what their credit score is and understanding the consequences of good and bad credit. While there are many obvious disadvantages of having bad credit, there are also many hidden disadvantages of having poor credit.

Knowing, understanding, and managing your credit is an important part of your financial plan, as it effect just about every aspect of your life.

Brian T. Edmondson is a recognized authority on the subject of credit repair and bankruptcy recovery. His web site, http://www.SuccessAfterBankruptcy.com, provides a wealth of informative articles and resources on everything you'll ever need to know about reparing your credit and/or recovering from Bankruptcy.

Article Source: Brian_Edmondson

New E-Book Offers Quick Credit Help

You can take the first step right now and click below to start improving your credit score with our newest e-book available for immediate download!

"How To Fix Your Credit Report For Free!"

It's never too late to get started cleaning up your credit history and giving yourself a fresh start. Only $1.95.... Download your personal copy today!

Top 5 Free Debt Reduction Websites

Here are 5 websites to visit to get free debt relief know-how:

Debt reduction calculator can be found at:
CNN.COM MONEY.

AARP also has a debt-reduction calculator on its website: AARP.ORG.

Financial expert Dave Ramsey offers insight into the truths about debt reduction here: DAVERAMSEY.COM.

Quicken offers a debt an online planning tool to help you build an action plan to escape debt: QUICKEN.COM.

Amazon.com published one of our own articles from FindHow2.com on how to reduce debt and fix one's credit: AMAZON.COM HOW-TO GUIDES.

Visit our top picks for credit repair and debt consolidation books available online.