Clean Credit Will Reap Huge Benefits

The Importance of Clean Credit

A lot of folks fail to realize the importance of clean credit or keeping their credit clean. Without clean credit, life can become a real struggle. Without clean credit we can find ourselves denied the things that  most folks take for granted ... a house loan, a car loan, that new job, that new apartment, that cell phone service contract and even credit cards themselves.

Make Time for Your Annual Credit Report

One of your main priorities should be in keeping your credit clean. You should also make it a point to get a free annual credit report at least once a year. You get annual medical checkups DON'T YOU??? ... well you need an annual credit report as well. This will help insure that you maintain your clean credit.

Some folks may not think they have credit problems. Well maybe not ... yet. What about that identity thief that just raided your mailbox a week ago and is now taking out all kinds of credit in your name? Huh? Don't need a credit check up huh? Think you have clean credit now? It's at this point that the number one question most folks want to know is "how do I clean up my credit".

Or "how do I eliminate my credit card debt because it's massive after that identity thief ran up enough debt in my name to buy a third world country"?

(On my free credit report page I have provided info on how to go about getting your free credit report).

You can also get a free credit report when applying for a loan or a credit card. Also, if you ever find yourself on the end of a loan denial, you are also entitled to a free credit report.

Hidden Things That Attack Your Clean Credit

Most folks don't know that everytime you request credit of any type whether it be for a personal loan, a car loan, a mortgage, a cell phone service contract, a rental agreement, some job applications or even a credit card, a credit report is requested by the person you handed the paper work to.

Every credit report requested by someone considering extending you credit will go on your credit report and will whittle away at the points of your credit score. These requests for your credit report (by someone other than you) will remain as part of your credit report for three years. It seems that anymore, everone wants to check your credit report.

Maintain Your Clean Credit by Paying On Time

When you find yourself with credit card balances or loans as most folks do, make sure that you pay your bills on time to avoid bad credit reports and points off your credit score. In general, you want to make sure to start reducing credit card debt. When folks get behind on their debt payments, the lenders can contact the credit bureaus and report you. This will adversely affect your clean credit.

This goes down on your credit report as a blemish and can cause you to have bad credit or less than perfect credit. This is reflected  by the subtracting of points from your credit score. From time to time, lenders will forget to let the credit bureaus know that you have paid off a debt. This too can have an adverse affect on your clean credit. That is another reason you need to at least get an annual credit report.

If You Get Behind

If you find yourself behind on your payments for a particular debt and it has not yet gone to collection, do everything you can to get these payments back up to date - you don't want a bad mark on your credit report.

Once folks get too far behind their only recourse might just be a qualified debt counselor that can help them to repair their credit and work with creditors to satisfy or eliminate credit card debt or some of their other debt.

Of course the best plan of action is to not get yourself into that predicament in the first place. Treat credit as a tool and not as a source of instant gratification. Make sure that you never take on more credit than your income can handle and always pay off your credit card debt every month carrying a zero balance. At least do what you can to begin reducing credit card debt.

A household budget and a little common sense is what most folks need to insure that they keep their clean credit. This keeps them from having to worry about how to clean bad credit in the first place. And remember ... don't forget about your annual credit report and reducing credit card debt.

To Visit the one of the 3 major credit bureaus that I feel is the best, click on the Equifax link below. Equifax allows:

• Credit management products like Equifax 3-in-1 Credit Report and Score Watch help you make informed decisions when making purchases, securing loans, paying for college educations, and managing your personal finances
• Identity theft is the fastest growing white collar crime in America. One in five families have been affected by this epidemic. Identity theft protection products like Equifax Credit Watch Gold with 3-in-1 Monitoring continually monitor's your credit files and alerts you of potentially fraudulent activity like a new credit card application that you did not initiate
• Knowledgeable customer care and fraud specialists available 24/7
• up to $20,000 complimentary identity fraud expense coverage with no deductible
• Click on the Equifax link below to learn more:
  

Equifax

For more info on your credit rights and your credit in general, visit the Federal Trade Commission Website:

Federal Trade Commission's Website on Credit (877) FTC-HELP

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