Authorized User Accounts

Authorized User Accounts – How they work?

Authorized users on credit card accounts are commonly used in a variety of situations. Parents can use them for children, employers for particular employees, and couples will often set up each other as users on their credit cards. Understanding what an authorized user account means can help people determine if this option is right for them.

Setting up an Authorized User Accounts

An authorized user account means that the person can use the credit card for their own expenses. Often, the primary account holder will be able to set credit limits for a particular authorized user if they choose, but it is not required. Although the process of adding a spouse to a credit card might not differ much from adding an employee, the potential risks and benefits may differ.

What are the benefits of having an Authorized User Accounts?

Those who have become authorized users on credit cards find that the opportunity can help them boost their own credit and potentially repair credit scores. Although just being an authorized user is not enough to earn a good credit score by itself, the credit line is noted on the person’s own credit history the same way it is noted from the primary card holder. This can help establish an financial track record and give the user a leg up when it comes time to build their own credit or if they need help with credit repair.

Many users also appreciate the ability to gain experience using a credit card and having experience using plastic. In certain situations, such as an employer making employees authorized users, it can also make keeping track of the company finance easier and more straightforward. Couples can use joint cards to build their team credit scores as well.

What are the drawbacks that users should be aware of?

It is critical to ensure that any user added to the card is trustworthy and ready for the responsibility. A user who spends too much, misses payments, or otherwise mismanages the money can hurt the credit score of the primary user as well. Understanding of proper debt management is crucial. Financial difficulties are also well known for their potential to hurt relationships, so any credit card relationship should be carefully considered.

 

Authorized users on credit card accounts can be very convenient for a number of situations and even help people build credit scores. Like any financial decision, however, it needs to be thought through very carefully to avoid potentially damaging liability. Review the above information and speak with a professional about credit tips to determine whether or not adding or becoming an authorized user is the best decision for a particular situation.

 

For more information on how to repair your credit call our office at 617-265-7900 or click below.

marital issues because of debt

Bad Credit Aftermath – How Much it Can Cost You?

How Much Does A Bad Score Really Cost You?

Common sense will tell you that having a good credit score is much better than having a poor credit score, as far as loan approval and interest rates go. But do you really know how much a bad score can really cost you? You might be surprised.

Take a 30-year mortgage for example. Now take a good credit score (680-699), an excellent credit score (740+) and a poor credit score (620-639). Here’s a look at the breakdown of possible costs over the course of a hypothetical $200,000 home loan:

  • Excellent credit (4.025 percent): A likely monthly payment of $958, which equates to an $11,493 annual cost and a $344,798 lifetime cost.
  • Good credit (4.974 percent): A monthly cost of $1,070, annual cost of $12,846 and lifetime cost of $385,368.
  • Poor credit (5.418 percent): A monthly cost of $1,133, annual cost of $13,598 and lifetime cost of $407,950.

As you can see, having an excellent credit score can save you up to $113 per month and $40,591 over just having a “good” credit score over the course of a 30-year mortgage. And an excellent score can save you $175 per month and $63,173 over a “poor” credit score. Hence, taking measures to repair credit before financing such a significant purchase is crucial to your short- and long-term finances.

So just what are some credit tips to repair a poor score?

  • On-time payments
  • Keeping debt within 30 percent of your total credit allotment
  • Having a diversity of different credit
  • Having a lengthy credit history

As if having a favorable credit score wasn’t important enough, the above examples certainly place even more significance on the importance of credit repair and debt management if you’re in a financial bind. As the above examples show, a good credit score could mean the difference of tens of thousands of dollars over the course of a long-term loan. That’s a lot of money that you surely could put toward other purchases and a big incentive to take measures to improve your credit score today.

For more information on how to repair your credit, please contact our office at 617-265-7900 or request a free consultation below.

medical bills

Medical Collections – The Credit Score Killer

Medical Bills: The Credit Score Killer
Making on-time payments, enacting a debt management strategy so that you don’t owe more than 30 percent of your total credit limit, and having a variety of different types of credit are all things that you can do to ensure a good, healthy credit score. But one common credit score killer is medical bills – and many times, your score could suffer due to a misunderstanding with your insurance or your doctor, potentially docking you big points for something that isn’t necessarily your fault. Other times, your score could suffer because you simply just can’t afford the cost.

In fact, medical bills that go to collections are treated the same way as any other type of bill that goes to collections in the FICO score formula. Analysts say that just one medical bill that has gone to collections could drop your credit score by 100 points, thereby forcing you to enact a lengthy credit repair strategy to bring the score back up over time.

So what can you do to ensure that a bill doesn’t go to collections? Here’s a look at some credit tips:

  • Understand your insurance: Many medical bills go to collections because people can’t afford to pay them. One way to better plan and prepare for potential medical costs is to know and understand your insurance plan. For instance, does it cover wellness visits? What’s the deductible? Will you have to pay money out-of-pocket after you meet the deductible? Knowing all these things can better help you prepare in the event of a surgical procedure or emergency rather than take a “wait and see” approach for when the bill arrives.
  • Go on a payment plan: Surgeries, procedures and hospital stays can all add up. And many people can’t afford to pay the total bill in full right away. Check with the hospital to see if you can go on a payment plan to make regular installments toward the bill. Many hospitals won’t charge any interest as long as the balance is paid within a year or two. Others may allow you to finance bills.
  • Keep records: Be sure to retain all your medical bills and check your credit report regularly to watch for inaccuracies. It’s estimated that four out of every five credit reports have errors in them, so if your report doesn’t line up with your personal records, take action to have any discrepancies removed from your report. Otherwise, you could have to repair credit for nothing.

For more great information you can click here to request a free consultation.

Why a Collection Agency Won't Remove a Record After It Has Been Paid

Paid Collections – Why Are They Still on My Report?

Are you one of many Americans who have collection accounts on your credit report? If so, you unquestionably want it to just go away. This is a pivotal part of credit repair but raising your credit score back up to a favorable status is much easier said than done. That’s because according to U.S. law, collection accounts can be reported in your credit history for seven-and-a-half years from the original date you fall behind on payments.

Yikes!

Seven-and-a-half years. That’s a long time a bad record can weigh down your FICO score. Even worse, it’s possible that you can settle your debt with a collection agency and the record will still weigh down your credit score. Why? Because collection agencies are required to report information that is both accurate and complete and that includes this negative aspect of your credit history.

So now that you know why collection agencies won’t wipe a record clean, even after you’ve settled your debt, you might be wondering if there’s anything you can do? I mean, 7.5 years is a long time to wait out a bad record.

The good news is that there are some things you can do to wipe bad records from your report early, thereby allowing you to advance and repair credit. The bad news is these things are not sure-fire. Here’s a look at a few credit tips for working with collection agencies on this matter:

  • First, pull your credit history so you know what’s being reported. There’s a chance you might find an inaccuracy within the report, which can lead to a favorable outcome, as collection agencies aren’t legally allowed to report inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Negotiate a “pay for removal” debt management deal: If you haven’t settled any debt yet, contact the collection agency and see if they will remove your record should you settle the debt. Many will likely respond and say that they’re unable to remove the record, as credit reporting agencies frown upon this policy. But it’s worth a shot.
  • Build new, positive credit: Part of your credit score is based on any new credit you’re building. So if you’re striking out with getting records removed from your credit report, it may just be best to cut your losses and focus on building new credit. As time goes on, these negative records will have less of an impact on your overall score, as long as your finances and credit history are headed in the right direction.

For more information on how to repair your credit after a collection you can request a free consultation by filling in the form below.

maximize your fico with different tradelines

Different Types of Credit – How to Maximize Your Score?

There are five main factors that make up a FICO credit score – payment history, amounts owed, credit history length, new credit and types of credit used.

While the “types of credit” category only factors for about 10 percent of your overall FICO score, it can mean the difference between a good score and a great score, so it’s a category not to overlook if you’re on a mission of credit repair.

First, it’s important to note that there are two main types of finance loans: revolving and installment. Installment loans consist of things like auto loans and student loans — money that is loaned with the expectation that it will be paid back in a relatively short period of time. Revolving loans, which are things like credit cards and bank cards, involve debt that is accrued and, ideally, paid off on a monthly basis (i.e. debt management).

For the best possible credit score, it’s recommended that consumers try to establish a good balance between installment and revolving loans. But here’s a credit tip — there’s one other type of loan that can greatly aid your credit score for the better in the long-term: a mortgage.

When you’re first approved for your mortgage, it’s likely that your credit will take a hit in the near-term. But a mortgage is good for your credit score in the long run for two big reasons. One, it qualifies as a type of credit used. And two, if you make on-time mortgage payments, it will reflect well in the payment history portion of your credit score, which makes up 35 percent of your FICO score.

With all this being said, it’s also worth mentioning that just because you have a variety of installment, revolving and real estate loans to your name doesn’t mean you’ll have a pristine credit score. Like we mentioned above, on-time payments are key. And it’s also key that you don’t have any unpaid loans that are taken on by collection agencies, as it’s hard to repair credit when you have something that could stay on your record — and influence it in a negative way — for up to 7.5 years.

So while diversifying your credit is important, it’s important not to overlook other factors that go into the makeup of your overall score as well.

Different Types of Credit Scores – Credit Tips

When it comes to your credit score, you’re likely already familiar with your FICO score. It is, after all, the most common type of score that creditors check before approving you for a home loan, car loan, etc. But there’s more than just the FICO score that creditors may check when it comes to looking up your finance history. Vantage and PLUS scores are two in particular that come to mind.

So what are the key differentiators between FICO, Vantage, and PLUS? Here’s a closer look at the different types of credit scores:

FICO

The FICO credit score, which ranges from 300 to 850, is made up of five main categories:

  • Payment history, 35 percent
  • Amounts owed, 30 percent
  • Length of credit history, 15 percent
  • New credit, 10 percent
  • Types of credit, 10 percent

As you can see from the FICO score makeup, the single most important thing is credit history – so here’s a credit tip – pay your bills on time. It’s why making on-time payments is such a crucial piece of credit repair. Debt and debt management is the next most important thing and the score is, rounded out by how diverse your credit is, new lines of credit you’ve opened, and how long your credit history is.

Vantage

Unlike the FICO score, the Vantage score essentially judges you on your last 2 years of credit and delivers your score in a range from 501 to 990. Unlike the FICO score, which takes into account 5 components of your credit history, Vantage measures you on 6 categories. Here’s a look at what they are and how significantly they weigh into your overall score:

  • Payment history, 32 percent
  • Utilization, 23 percent
  • Balances, 15 percent
  • Depth of credit, 13 percent
  • Recent credit, 10 percent
  • Available credit, 7 percent

Many of the categories of the different types of credit scores are similar to FICO, and there’s the “payment history” category, which takes tops in importance on its own. But the Vantage score includes a separate “Utilization” category, which measures debt-to-credit ratio, and “Balances.” In FICO, those two categories are somewhat grouped together. So while on-time payments are also important to repair credit with the Vantage score, there’s almost a greater emphasis on debt-to-credit ratio and debt.

PLUS Score

The score is measured between 330 and 830. It’s considered more of an “educational” score rather than one that’s used by lenders, but it’s nevertheless still a score. It’s a scoring system developed by Experian. Here’s a look at the breakdown:

  • Payment history, 31 percent
  • Credit usage, 30 percent
  • Age of accounts, 15 percent
  • Account types, 14 percent
  • Inquiries, 10 percent
Cash or Credit

Cash or Credit – Key Credit Repair Tips and Advice

In order to avoid debt and overspending, many Americans have moved away from credit cards and loans and instead save up cash for purchases. The thinking behind this practice is that they’ll never have to embark on any credit repair or debt management mission, as paying with cash only ensures that they’re never spending beyond their means.

Paying only with cash also ensures that consumers are paying the lowest possible price for items, as they can avoid interest rates that can make large purchases even larger in the long run.

But is paying cash for everything all the time really the right way to go about your finances? While it certainly carries some benefits, one area where this practice can hurt you is how it pertains to your credit score.

Yes, your FICO score, that three digit number that’s essential for getting approved for loans and credit cards and also for cell phone plans, employment opportunities and more. Building credit is important for a variety of reasons, and while many people may be scared off by falling into debt and having to repair credit, a favorable credit score can help you with more than just home and auto loans and credit cards.

Here’s a look at some other reasons why paying cash for everything may not be the best financial strategy:

  • Your FICO score is composed of five factors: payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit and types of credit used. If you pay cash for everything, you won’t have a credit report. And while many people are OK with this, there’s the chance of being denied for a credit line in the event of an emergency or being turned away for a job or cell phone plan. Like we mentioned earlier, your credit score is important these days for more than just loan approval and favorable interest rates.
  • You can have a credit card and be responsible. One argument for paying cash over credit is that you’ll never have to worry about spending getting out of control. But there’s another way to use a credit card and keep spending within means — by being responsible. Here’s a great credit tip to build your score and keep debt down: Make payments on time. Not only does this save on interest, but it’s also the most heavily weighed aspect of your credit score.

So while many are spurning credit cards altogether and opting for a cash-only approach, it’s possible to have the best of both worlds, so your credit score as well as your finances don’t suffer.

Serious Credit Tips

Credit Mistakes to Avoid at Any Cost – Credit Tips

Credit Mistakes to Avoid- If you’re in need of credit repair, it’s something that you have to devote time and energy toward working on. Repairing credit takes commitment and a proper understanding of how credit is configured. And while improving your credit score isn’t something that’s easy or fast to do, harming it is something that is.
With that being said, here’s a look at the five most common blunders people make that harm their credit score. Knowing these could be the credit tips you need to keep your score favorable and not poor:

  1. Not paying bills on time: Payment history accounts for 35 percent of your FICO score, specifically if you’ve made on-time payments. A late payment won’t just incur late fees and possibly higher interest rates, but it can immediately dock your credit score of anywhere from 80 to 110 points.
  2. High debt-to-credit ratio: Ideally, it’s recommended that you keep debt-to-credit ratios at about 30 percent for the best possible score. So if you have one credit card and a credit limit of $10,000, keeping it no higher than $3,000 is ideal. Anything more will drop your credit score, so take debt management seriously.
  3. Bad debt: Simply put, don’t let any bills go to collections. Not only will they stay on your credit report for up to 7.5 years, they’re not good for your overall finance picture.
  4. Hard credit pulls: Hard credit pulls are done any time someone is officially approving you for some sort of credit line. They also impact your score by about 5-10 points for every pull and stay on your report for up to two years. Simply put, know the difference between a hard pull, which docks your score, and a soft one, which doesn’t. Many consumers don’t and are surprised to see their score so low.
  5. Check your credit report: You should regularly check your credit report – ideally, once a month. Why? Because it’s estimated that up to 40 million Americans have some sort of mistake on their report. By staying on top of your report, you can monitor and dispute incorrect information, which could be bringing down your credit score.
closing accounts

Closing Out a Credit Card – Does it Damage Your Credit?

So your credit score in unfavorable and you want to get your finances in order. However, credit repair is a big part of getting your FICO score back in favorable order. So what’s there to do?

To put it simply, there is not one tried and true “fix” to turn your credit score from poor to stellar over night. No, instead you need to take a look at the areas where your credit score is lacking luster and then make appropriate changes, whether in regards to debt management, making on-time payments, etc.
But one way people think they can magically improve their credit score quickly is by closing out credit card accounts. This is what we like to call a “repair credit no-no” when it comes to upping your FICO score. Here’s why:

  • Your FICO score takes into consideration what’s called a “credit utilization ratio.” Simply put, this takes into account your total credit amount versus the amount of credit that is currently being used. Generally speaking, you want to keep this credit utilization ration around 30 percent, meaning that you’re only carrying a balance at or below 30 percent of what your total limit is, for the best possible score.
    • If you close out a credit card, you’re also eliminating parts of your total credit amount. Say, for example, you have two credit cards. Between the two of them, you’re at a 30 percent credit utilization ratio. You close one of them, thinking it will help, except now your credit utilization amount will rise about 30 percent, hurting your FICO score.

So if someone offers “closing out a credit card” as one of their credit tips, don’t be fooled. The best way to repair credit is to simply make on-time payments, enact debt management strategies to pay down loans and credit card debt and be mindful of the types of accounts you open.

factors making up your fico

Payment History – Why It’s So Important?

Of the five categories that make up a FICO score, “payment history” is the one that carries the most weight. Specifically, payment history accounts for 35 percent of your total credit score, while amounts owed (30 percent), length of credit history (15 percent), new credit (10 percent) and types of credit used (10 percent) round out the rest of what goes into your score.

But just why is payment history so important? Here’s a look:

  • The whole point of a credit score is to inform a lender of whether you’re a reliable borrower. And a big part of being a reliable borrower is making on-time payments. That’s the biggest thing that the “payment history” category tells a lender — whether or not on-time payments have been consistently made on things like credit cards, retail accounts and loans.
  • A common query many consumers have is whether a late payment here or there will harm their credit score. And the answer, in most cases, is no if your score is otherwise favorable. However, if you have regular late payments, credit repair is necessary. Luckily, in this case, it’s simple to repair credit — just make on-time payments.
  • What’s in the score? Specifically, when it comes to late payments, a FICO score considers not just how many late payments there are, but how late they were, how much was owed and how recently each one occurred.

Like we already noted, the good news regarding the payment history portion of the credit score is that it’s easy to correct. There’s no debt management involved, just the matter of making on-time payments. So take these credit tips from us as it pertains to your finances. Make sure your credit history is in check. It’s the biggest piece of the FICO pie.