A good credit history can benefit one’s financial health, but it’s not always easy to maintain. Missed payments, high credit utilization, and other negative financial events can damage your credit score heavily. So, what can you do to rebuild your credit score? Let’s dive deeper into some financial products that you can use strategically to repair your credit history and ultimately open more opportunities in the financial world.
Use Personal Loans to Consolidate Debt
Having multiple high-interest debts, such as credit card debt, can cause you to pay more in interest and may be detrimental to your credit score if you’re struggling to pay them off. Consider getting a personal loan to consolidate them into a single, manageable loan. This could lower monthly payments if the new APR is lower or the repayment term is longer. Consolidating debts may also make it easier to repay by simplifying into one lender to repay. Additionally, when used to pay off debt, personal loans may help improve your credit score with on-time and full payments.
Make On-Time Payments
Another way to rebuild your credit history is by making timely payments on your loans, bills, and credit cards. Late payments damage your credit score and can take years to fall off your credit report. Making consistent, on-time payments can rebuild your score by demonstrating that you’re responsible when managing debt.
Always make your payments on or before the due date. Also, consider setting up automatic payments to help ensure that you never miss a payment.
Consider Secured Loans
Obtaining an unsecured loan when you have poor credit may be challenging. Luckily, secured loans can come in handy. These loans require you to use collateral to secure the loan, such as a car (often called title loans). Collateral reduces the risk a lender takes on because if you don’t make your payments, they can keep the collateral. Because of this, lenders offering secured loans typically have less strict eligibility criteria, meaning you can get approved with a lower credit score. Just make sure to pay back the loan on time and in full so you can improve your credit score and keep your collateral.
Keep Credit Utilization Low
Keeping your credit utilization rates low is essential in rebuilding your credit history. Utilization rates refer to how much of your available credit you use. You can minimize your credit utilization by paying off your credit card balances on time and using less than 30% of your available credit limit.
Track Your Progress
Finally, it’s essential to track your progress as you rebuild your credit history. The major credit bureaus, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, provide free access to your credit reports. Checking your credit regularly will allow you to find areas you can improve on in your financial life, and can also help you spot any errors or omissions. You can dispute these by contacting the credit bureaus, which can improve your credit score.
The Bottom Line
Rebuilding your credit history can be daunting, especially if you have a poor credit score. However, using the right financial products and strategies can help you move toward a better financial future. Making on-time payments, consolidating your debt, and keeping your credit utilization low are just a few ways to repair your credit history. Be consistent and patient, and you’ll reap the benefits of these good financial habits over time.