In a lot of ways, secured credit cards sound like a raw deal. But if you have poor credit, secured credit cards might be your ticket to a great credit score.
Basically, secured credit cards—typically for people with bad credit—require you to pay a deposit that is equal to or greater than the limit before the card will be activated. Then, you can use the account as you would any other credit card. You would also pay the bill, just like you would any other credit card.
So, let’s imagine that you have a secured credit card with a limit of $500. Just to open the account, you would need to make a deposit of $500. Subsequently, you might charge $200 worth of stuff to the card.
Will the secured credit card company automatically apply the deposit to your balance? Nope—you need to pay the $200 bill, just as you would any other credit card. If you make payments, the balance will incur interest. And if you miss payments, the late payments will be reported to the credit-scoring bureaus, and your credit score will suffer, just as with a traditional (unsecured) credit card.
All the while, the bank holds onto your deposit. If you eventually default, the credit card company will keep your deposit, but only after they have turned you over to a collection agency and attempted to collect payment from you.
In short, secured credit cards require you to pay now, buy later, and then pay again, whereas traditional credit cards allow you to buy now, pay later.
If you make payments on time and learn how to build credit, you can eventually request that the secured credit card be transferred to a traditional credit card, at which point the bank will refund your deposit. The deposit will also be refunded if you close the credit card account, so long as you have no balance at the time.
Though secured credit cards might not seem like that great of a deal, they are necessary for two reasons. First, people with bad credit often cannot qualify for traditional credit cards, so secured credit cards allow them to build their credit scores (in this way, they are much like authorized users). Second, many businesses require that their customers have credit cards. For instance, most cell phone companies won’t give you a phone without a credit card—secured or otherwise.
As I mentioned, if you pay the bill on time and keep your utilization rate (the percentage of the balance held against the limit) under 30 percent, then a secured credit card will help your credit score just like any other credit card would. And as your credit card score begins to improve, you can contact the credit card company and ask if it can switch the card to unsecured.
While secured credit cards have high interest rates and force you to set aside a sizable amount of money as a deposit, they are an attractive way to rebuild your credit. Use them in the right way—with careful purchases and repaying your debt on time—and you’ll soon be back in the good graces of your credit card company.
Category: CREDIT BLOG
The Magic of Authorized Users
One of my favorite ways to boost a person’s credit score is to teach them about the magic of authorized users. Authorized users are people who have permission to use other people’s credit cards. For instance, your husband might have a Citi card. His name, and his credit score, was used to apply for the account, but you have permission to use the account.
Becoming an authorized user is a powerful way to boost your credit score because you get to borrow the account holder’s good credit history. If you are an authorized user on a credit card in good standing, your credit score will reflect the credit card’s positive payment history by increasing. Beware, though: If you are an authorized user on a credit card in poor standing, your credit score will reflect the credit card’s negative payment history by dropping.
Keep in mind, however, that you must do three things to benefit from becoming an authorized user:
- Make sure that the credit card company reports your status as an authorized user to the credit bureaus.
- Protect yourself by finding the right account.
- Protect the account holder.
Let’s consider these one at a time.
Make sure that the credit card company reports your status as an authorized user to the credit bureaus.
In the past, people abused the power of authorized users, sometimes going so far as to buy authorized user status on a complete stranger’s account so that their credit scores would increase. The credit-scoring bureaus didn’t take too kindly to this, so they changed the rules. Now, they only consider authorized users if they are legitimately related to the account holder. In a best-case scenario, you would share a last name with the account holder, and you would live at the same address. At a minimum, make sure you are a relative of the account holder. Otherwise, the credit-scoring bureaus will not recognize your status as an authorized user, and your credit score will not improve.
Finally, make sure the account holder asks the credit card company if they report authorized users to the credit bureaus. Some do, but some do not. If the credit card company does not report your information to the bureaus, find another credit card.
Protect yourself by finding the right account.
As I mentioned earlier, your credit score could drop if you become an authorized user on a credit card that is not in good standing. The account to which you are added should have a credit card payment history that is clean. It should also have a credit card balance that never exceeds 30 percent of the credit limit. And if the account holder ever defaults on a payment or causes the balance to exceed the 30 percent threshold, remove your name immediately!
Protect the account holder.
It stands to reason that most authorized users have poor credit, or they would qualify for credit cards on their own. So it also stands to reason that your family members will probably be hesitant about giving you permission to use a credit card. What if you do a little retail therapy and then refuse to repay the debt?
Ensure the account holder that there are ways for you to benefit from authorized user status without actually being able to use the account. For instance, the account holder can shred the credit card that arrives for you, and they can refuse to give you access to the account number. In this way, you will benefit from the credit card’s positive history and create a layer of protection for the account holder.
As well, let the account holder know that your credit histories will not be merged. Your past credit mistakes will remain yours and yours alone. Only accounts that are shared will be reflect on each credit report.
When used correctly, authorized users can see their credit scores jump as many as 50 or 60 points just by being added to the right account. For this reason, we use authorized users to help people with credit repair after bankruptcy, foreclosure, or other financial meltdown.
Pre-Approved Card Credit Offers
If you are like most people, you have received several pre-approved card credit offers in the mail advertising low interest rates, an amazing new credit limit, or other special benefits. You might be wondering how these pre-approved card credit offers will impact your credit score and whether they are a good deal.
Keep in the mind the following points before you send away for these enticing credit offers.
The 1st Thing You Need to Know About Pre-Approved Card Credit Offers
Credit card companies usually obtain your information by paying credit-scoring bureaus (directly or through a marketing firm) to provide a list of consumers with the minimum credit standards for the card. If you are the recipient of one of these pre-approved offers, you may see the words “promotional” and “pre-approved” listed on your credit report. Some people may be swayed by the idea of being pre-approved, but a pre-approved credit card does not mean that you will even be guaranteed to obtain a card. The fine print likely tells you that final approval is determined by your application information.
The 2nd Thing You Need to Know About Pre-Approved Card Credit Offers
A pre-approved card sent to you will not affect your credit score. Credit inquiries made by credit card companies to determine your candidacy for pre-approved offers are considered “soft” and will not be included in your credit score. However, if you decide to sign up for one of these credit cards, you will be subjected to a real credit check, or a “hard” inquiry, and this will cause your credit score to take a slight dip as approximately 10 percent of your credit score consists of the number of hard inquiries you have listed on your credit report.
The 3rd Thing You Need to Know About Pre-Approved Card Credit Offers
Always read the fine print before you choose to open a pre-approved card. Though you may be persuaded by deals such as zero interest for a year on new purchases, the offers are rarely as straightforward as they seem. The language of some of the offers may not really match the reality of the credit card terms. For example, while an offer might boast “interest rates as low as two percent,” you might not fall into the category of people who receive this rate.
The 4th Thing You Need to Know About Pre-Approved Card Credit Offers
If you are considering applying for a loan to make a large purchase—such as a car—within the next year, you should probably avoid signing up for a new credit card. A new credit card can negatively affect your credit score in a few different ways. First, your credit score will decrease when the credit card company checks into your credit score. In addition, 15 percent of your credit score is determined by the age of your credit accounts, and old age means a better credit score. Opening a new credit account will drive down the average age of your credit accounts, reducing your credit score. Lastly, if you have too many credit cards, you may see your credit score drop.
The 5th Thing You Need to Know About Pre-Approved Card Credit Offers
Pre-approved credit cards may also put you at risk for identity theft. A common way for identity thieves to establish a credit account in your name is to intercept your mail and respond to a credit card offer in your name. As a result, your credit might be severely tarnished and worrying about excessive credit scores or too many credit checks will be the least of your troubles.
Because of this threat, the best way to deal with pre-approved credit cards could be to opt out from all offers. You can opt out by sending a letter to one of the three credit scoring bureaus and ask to be removed from their lists, or you can call (888) 567-8688 and ask to be removed from all credit card offers.
Either way, be sure you regularly review your credit report so you can protect yourself from identity theft.
A final note about pre-approved card credit offers: To find the right pre-approved card for your needs, your best bet is to search for a credit card yourself, trying to find the attractive offers on your own and shopping around for the best deal. Avoid signing up for the first offer you; instead, take a look at your other options. Just because something arrives at your door doesn’t mean you should put it in your wallet.
Ready to Transfer Credit Card Balances? Read This First!
Offers to transfer credit card balance to a low-interest card might be seductive. I’ll save money and lower my parents, you might think.
Not so fast! Before you transfer a credit card balance, be sure you understand how the process can benefit you or hurt your credit score. That’s right—it could hurt you.
Let’s take a look at how the process of transferring a balance from one credit card to another works. Traditionally, the process begins with a credit card with a large balance or a high interest rate. Once another card offers you an opportunity to transfer your balance to a new card with a lower rate, you may decide to put part or all of your balance on the new card. By doing this, you can pay off the old credit card, secure a new and better interest rate, and possibly enjoy the rewards, options, and specials associated with the new card. However, you should be mindful of two things before taking advantage of this seemingly smart strategy.
Transfer Credit Card Balances? Consideration #1: Pay attention to your credit card balances. It may seem like a straightforward idea to put all your balances on the card with the lowest interest rate, but keep in mind how credit-scoring bureaus come up with their ratings. Thirty percent of your overall credit score is produced by the balance you carry versus your credit limit, or your utilization rate. To keep a solid credit rating, your utilization rate should never be more than 30 percent of your limit. Many people rack up balances in excess of a 30 percent utilization rate after transferring money to new cards, and as a result, their credit score takes a big hit.
In fact, you should always wait until the card is opened to transfer credit card balance. Do not transfer the entirety of your balance while opening the account. Most creditors will decide your limit depending on the amount that you request to transfer. If you transfer $6,000, for instance, the creditor will determine credit limit to be $6,000, giving you a very dangerous utilization rate of 100 percent. The smarter way to proceed is to act cautiously: open the account first and transfer balances from other credit cards only after you know the limit and calculated the utilization rate. Then, only transfer 30 percent.
Transfer Credit Card Balances? Consideration #2: Never open a card just to transfer the balance. Having a ton of credit cards might lower your credit score as the credit bureaus know that you have the opportunity to dig yourself into massive debt and start missing payments. In a perfect world, you would have between three and five credit cards. If you already have five cards, don’t close them (this could also hurt your score), but don’t open new ones either, even if you think you’ll be saving money by transferring balances and lowering interest payments. In fact, you might end up lowering your credit score so much that you pay extra interest payments on all future loans. You should always make sure that all of your credit cards help with an overall credit-building strategy, so never open a card just so you can take advantage of a low introductory rate.
Once you have dodged these pitfalls, you might be ready to transfer credit card balance. As always, though, be sure to thoroughly read all the related fine-print associated with credit card offers. Some cards may have specific restrictions or fees associated with transfers. Making sure that you understand the extra benefits as well as restrictions of new cards could allow you to shrink your balances and perk up your credit score.
Credit Cards and Credit Scores: The Intimate Relationship
Many people wonder about the relationship between credit cards and credit scores. While credit cards can be great tools in enabling you to purchase goods and services without having the cash on hand, they can also present an almost irresistible temptation to spend money you don’t have and mess up your credit score. What you might not realize is that credit cards can be your secret weapon in obtaining an excellent credit score. By understanding the impact your credit cards have on your credit score, you can take charge of your credit cards and leverage this knowledge into a higher credit score.
Credit cards and credit scores go hand-in-hand in several ways. First, take a look at the number of credit cards you own. Credit-scoring bureaus reward consumers the most if they can manage to responsibly balance between three and five credit cards. Credit card companies want to see that you can manage more than one or two credit cards at the same time, so if you have only a couple of cards, you may get a boost by obtaining an extra card or two.
Warning, if you have more than five credit cards, you shouldn’t immediately cancel a bunch of cards. First, this may damage your credit score by reducing the average age of your credit accounts. The length of your credit accounts determines fifteen percent of your credit score, so closing two or three credit card accounts may cause your credit score to drop. Second, you may be able to maintain and increase your credit score even with more five credit cards if you can pay down your balances to as close to zero as possible on any credit cards you rarely use.
Another important part of understanding credit cards and credit scores is the utilization rate. To get the best credit score, you should maintain a utilization rate of 30 percent or less. Your utilization rate is the ratio of your credit card balances against your credit card limits, expressed as a percentage. Therefore, if you have $600 worth of debt and your credit limit stands at $1,000, your utilization rate is 60 percent. Credit-scoring companies will award you a higher credit score with a sub-30 percent utilization rate, so if you can pay down your debt below this threshold, you will likely see a quick boost to your score.
Another way to strengthen the relationship between your credit cards and credit scores is review your credit report. Make sure you are regularly reviewing your credit report to keep track of whether your credit limits have been accurately reported.
If your credit card company reports your limit as $2,000 instead of $4,000, the $1000 balance on your card goes from being an attractive utilization rate to a negative factor that will drag down your credit score. In other words, rather than showing a 25 percent utilization rate, your credit card will show a 50 percent utilization rate. Unfortunately, credit limits are frequently misreported, so this should a mandatory item for you to double-check when you are reviewing your credit report.
One of the advantages of keeping on top of your credit cards and credit scores is being able to save money. Once you’ve built your credit score by using your credit cards wisely, you can flex your financial muscles. Call your credit card companies, point to your steady and responsible behavior, and ask for a lower interest rate.
A Dirty Little Secret that Hurts Credit
People already know that bankruptcies, foreclosures, repossessions, and collections will hurt credit. And it’s no big secret that late payments are one of the causes of bad credit.
But I bet you don’t know about some of the things that hurt credit! Today’s blog is about the the dirty little secret that will hurt your credit score.
HURT CREDIT SECRET #1: Credit card companies often omit or inaccurately report credit card limits, and this causes your score to drop. About half of all consumers are missing at least one credit limit on their credit reports. And in other instances, credit card companies intentionally report a lower limit than you have.
Why does this hurt credit?
The credit-scoring systems place a lot of weight on something called a utilization rate. The utilization rate represents your credit card balance as a percentage of your limit. If your limit is $1000 and your balance is $300, you have a 30 percent utilization rate. If your balance increases to $500, your utilization rate would increase to 50 percent. In other words, you would be utilizing 50 percent of your available limit.
The credit-scoring formula responds more favorably to people who have a utilization rate that is no higher than 30 percent.
Now let’s imagine that you have a $300 balance on a credit card with a limit of $1000. Your utilization rate is 30 percent. Good news for your credit score, right?
Not so fast. If the credit card company is only reporting a $500 limit, you will appear to be carrying a 60 percent utilization rate. And this hurts your credit score.
There are a lot of theories as to why the credit card companies do this. One is that credit card companies buy lists of borrowers whose limits are, for example, more than $10,000. The companies then send credit card offers with enticing interest rates to the people on these lists. Their goal is to encourage borrowers to switch cards.
Your credit card company does not want your name on that list. They want to make sure that you remain a loyal customer. In an effort to keep you as a client, some experts say credit card companies report a lower credit limit than you actually have, or they do not report your limit at all.
This makes you less appealing to other credit card companies.
This might be good news for their client list, but it causes hurt credit.
Are you a victim of this scam? If so, take the following steps:
1. Pull your credit report from www.720ficoscore.com.
2. If the credit card companies are inaccurately reporting any credit limit of yours, immediately begin the process of correcting this mistake.
Chimney Sweep Scams Sweeping The Country
This year like many others I’ve found an early winter and cold autumn nights. In an attempt to boycott the cold weather I refused to turn the heat on in my house until absolutely necessary. I was determined to make it through the month of October without doing so, yet, on the 30th it became so cold here in North Carolina that I cracked.
One alternative I wished that I had at my frost bitten fingertips was a fireplace. A real fireplace (not the fake, smelly, gas powered crap I have).
It’s that time of year when those lucky enough to posses such amazing fireplaces are getting them ready for the cold winter nights. Unpacking fleece blankets, chopping or buying fire wood, cleaning chimneys: the usual winter preparations.
However, this winter the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning consumers to be extra careful when choosing a chimney cleaner as they have received more than 380 complaints this year alone already compared to the 342 complaints received in all of 2010.
The BBB states in a recent press release about this matter:
In some cases, consumers have reported calls stating the town fire department recommends the resident’s chimney be cleaned. The calls go on to recommend a particular chimney sweep and endorse their services on behalf of the fire department. Though town fire departments do recommend having chimneys cleaned on an annual basis, they do not endorse any particular company or inspect chimneys. Many scam artists are targeting the elderly, making vague, unclear phone calls claiming they have done business in the past and it is time for their annual sweep.
Scam artists are also advertising at a much lower price than legitimate businesses. Typically, a professional chimney sweep will charge between $150 and $200 for the cleaning of one chimney shaft, whereas scam artists are charging as little as $50. BBB advises that if a price sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Many scam artists use a low price tactic to get in your door, at which point they recommend additional work be done immediately, bullying the consumer into a much more expensive bill. If the price you are quoted is significantly lower than that of other businesses, it should be viewed as a red flag.
BBB suggests consumers do their homework before hiring a chimney sweep and inviting them into the home. Additionally, check with your local fire department and with the Chimney Safety Institute of America (csia.org).
BBB recommends using these helpful tips when hiring a chimney sweep:
Check out a chimney sweeping business at bbb.org. Always check with BBB for a trusted chimney sweeping business in your area. Are they an Accredited Business? Do they have any outstanding complaints?
Find out how long they have been in business. How long have they operated in your area? Find out if they offer current references, or if you know anyone who has used their services in the past.
Ask if they have a valid business liability insurance policy. In the event of an accident, this policy keeps your home and belongings safe.
Find out if any employees are certified through CSIA. Though this is not law, it is recommended by the fire department, and speaks to the qualifications of the individual or business you hire. CSIA is a national nonprofit agency with a certification program for chimney sweeps and certification is required of members of the National Chimney Sweeping Guild
Author: This article was contributed by GetOutOfDebt.org, a site that helps people find good credit card relief solutions to deal with tough money troubles.
Source: Chimney Sweep Scams Sweeping The Country
The Debt-to-Limit Scam, by 720 Credit Score
I received some feedback a couple of weeks ago from a student who has called into my one-on-one Q&A session. She’d unexpectedly had her credit card limits reduced, which affected her debt-to-limit ratio, which in turn caused her score to drop.
Credit card companies do this regularly—they promise you a big limit, and then a few years later, they lower your limit out of the blue. This hurts your credit score, which is in part based on the debt you carry as a percentage of a limit.
For instance, let’s say you have a $10,000 limit and a $1,500 balance. Your balance would be 15 percent of your limit, which would be looked upon favorably by the credit-scoring bureaus.
But if the credit card companies went and dropped your limit to $2,000, your balance of $1,500 would be 75 percent of your limit, which would be looked upon negatively by the credit-scoring bureaus.
It’s a scam!
Fighting the Debt-to-Limit-Ratio Scam
Well, this happened to one of my clients, and I told her how to fight back. Then I got this letter (which I’m editing slightly so that you have the complete context):
“I had one card with a limit that had been lowered, and I decided to try for the second time to get it raised because they refused my request the first time. I called, and after spending 1.5 hours on the phone with five or so people (who by the way, got a little more patronizing with each one), they still would not do it.
“But … during the conversation, one of them mentioned something about calling the “Portfolio Risk Department.” After just five minutes on the phone with ONE person in the Portfolio Risk Department, they restored my full credit limit! Done!
“I never would have known to even try this if not for your fabulous program and awesome encouragement! Thank you so much once again!”
At times like this, I love my job more than usual. I’ve said it before: Your credit score is your financial reputation, and I’m tickled pink to help people fight back when their reputations are being tarnished!
With that in mind, let me know if you have any questions about rebuilding your score. From time-to-time, I answer them in my weekly email/blog. Leave a comment below, and I’ll try to answer it in the coming months.
Freedom Ratio Call – Follow up, by 720 Credit Score
Please listen to this call I recorded with the Freedom Ratio creator, Dave Fenton.
Give me your feedback below!
This guy is stuck …
Here is his problem..
- He has over $41,000 in credit card debt.
- He has other unsecured loans totaling $12,000.
- Although he hasn’t been late on his bills yet, he can’t seem to get caught up and doesn’t think he will ever dig himself out of this debt.
- When he puts his debt into a debt reduction calculator, it says that it will take him 21.6 years to pay everything off at his current pace.
(Can you say …. STUCK?)
He emailed me and asked for my advice… I explained to him his three options:
Option #1 – Continue to pay the bills for 21.6 years.
Option #2 – File for Bankruptcy
Option #3 – Negotiate his debt with his creditors.
Let’s review…:
Option #1 – Continue to pay, which needs no explanation. This client did call the credit card company and got his interest rates lowered, however, by following their payment plan; he will be paying for 21.6 years.
That is like being held hostage by your credit card company for 21.6 years. I say “held hostage” because I believe that.
Yes, he took out the debt, but to pay on $41,000 in credit card debt for 21.6 years… is a crazy thought and in my opinion, other options need to be looked at.
Option #2 –Bankruptcy. If he qualifies for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, he will have no more debt, however, the bankruptcy will be on his credit report for 10 years.
He can easily repair his credit (to 720+) after the bankruptcy, which can be done in 1 ½ to 2 years.
There are two downsides to this option;
- The bankruptcy on his credit report. That will impact his ability to borrow for the next 2-3 years.
- Does he qualify for a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy? Believe it or not, many people cannot qualify for a bankruptcy because their income is too high.
If this is the case, he will have to file a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. That means he will have to repay all his debt plus have a bankruptcy on his credit report.
Let’s move on to Option #3.
Option #3 – Renegotiate his credit card debt with the credit card company.
Here is what I know for sure:
- Your credit card company will not negotiate with you unless you stop paying your bills. They may tell you differently, but this is what I know to be true.
- Your credit card company will lie to you so you continue to pay. I’m sure this is not their “policy,” but when you combine eager employees looking to get their bonus with vulnerable debtor – this happens.
- Once delinquent, they will put your phone number into an auto dialing systems. This means you will get up to 8 calls per day trying to collect payment. … Ouch!
- If you understand how to negotiate with your credit card company (and I don’t), I hear from numerous clients that they will offer you a settlement somewhere between 15-40%. Meaning, if this gentleman did it right, he would pay off his credit card debt for between $7,950 – $21,200. You read that correctly, he would pay off $53,000 in debt for between $7,950 and $21,200.
- After you pay off your debt, our clients are getting back to a 720+ credit score in approximately 18-24 months.
The biggest problem with Option #3, is having the stomach to handle the negotiations… because it is very stressful and daunting. And, if you don’t know the proper way to negotiate, you will pay more than you should.
If this sounds like your situation, listen up.
I’m going to put together free information designed for those that have more than $20,000 in debt and would like to know and understand all their options.
If you want to be informed about this information, give me your name and email below!
Once I do the interviews or webinars, I’ll email them to you.
I know this is a long email… thanks for reading!
If you have debt over $20,000 and this post seems to be written for you, submit your name and email below. I’ll provide you additional free information that I hope will help you choose the right option for yourself.
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