Credit Establishment 101

There will come a day when you need credit. You may want to buy a home or a car and your credit rating will become very important to help make these dreams come true. One of the first things you will need to learn is the basic principle of money management, especially the ability to repay your creditors on time within the 30-day grace period they establish for you. Most people secure credit cards as the first way to establish credit in High School or College. Upon getting the credit card, usually a low spending limit, the ability to repay the card in an orderly fashion will help you establish a positive credit rating with the major repositories.

How your score is recorded

Upon making your monthly payments to the Credit Card Company or bank, your information is electronically transmitted to a credit-reporting agency. Trans Union, Equifax and Experian are the three major credit agencies. Once you have made your payments consistently your rating will rise accordingly. Once your rating has hit 650 or better, your mailbox will become flooded with attractive offers for credit cards and loans. People will want to give you the world because you can pay your bills in a timely manner.

What else is affected with the credit rating?

You may be surprised but if you do not act financially responsible, it can prevent you from getting a job, renting an apartment or even opening a bank account. The fact of the matter is that your credit rating is very important in today's society. Your ability to keep it up to date by monitoring it is crucial. Once a year you can pull a free credit report from each agency. Check the report for accuracy, should it be reporting errors contact them immediately to resolve the issue. Some people might think a simple phone call can fix everything. That couldn't be farther from the truth, repairing damaged credit takes time and only you can do it. Once you file a claim, stick with it and make sure it gets resolved. Once a correction has been made you will receive notification or an amended report from the agency showing the change. Your credit report has much more at stake for you in the present and in the future, watch it closely.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate.


AddThis Social Bookmark Button

American Express
In The News:


Daily Mail

REFILE-FACTBOX-Credit derivatives market in facts, figures
Reuters - 10 hours ago
Oct 15 (Reuters) - Regulators have stepped up calls since the collapse of Lehman Brothers last month for more supervision of the $55 trillion credit ...
Whatever Shall Become of Our CDS Market? Wall Street Journal Blogs
Testimony Concerning Credit Default Swaps by Erik Sirri Director ... Lawfuel (press release)
Banks flee jaws of credit default swaps with fear of domino effect Daily Mail
PRLog.Org (press release) - Artvoiceall 271 news articles

Boston Globe

Credit markets see more gradual improvements
The Associated Press - Oct 14, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) — The government's efforts to crank open the credit markets have led to some mild improvements in lending rates and Treasury bill yields. ...
A Boldie But Oldie Wall Street Journal
US Auto Lenders Aim To Be Part Of Federal Reserve Plan CNNMoney.com
Fear Factor Slate
Advanced Trading - Barron'sall 1,534 news articles

Seattle Post Intelligencer

GM campaign tells buyers they can still get loans
The Associated Press - 1 hour ago
Many banks and finance companies, including GM's own GMAC Financial Services, have tightened credit standards because they can't borrow money to lend, ...
How GMAC's Woes Foretell Consumer Pain U.S. News & World Report
US Auto Lenders Face `Hurdles' Into '09, S&P Says (Update1) Bloomberg
More bad news...or not? GMAC cuts loans based on credit score WalletPop
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Consumer Affairsall 163 news articles

Northwest Pipe Announces Credit Agreement
CNNMoney.com - 54 minutes ago
Northwest Pipe Company (NASDAQ: NWPX) announced today that it has entered into an Amended & Restated Credit Agreement with a syndicate of lenders led by ...

Harley's $35000 Cruisers Caught in Credit Crunch (Update3)
Bloomberg - 2 hours ago
The credit crunch means fewer consumers will be taking the Milwaukee-based company up on its offer. Wholesale shipments of Harleys in the third quarter are ...
Earnings Preview: 3Q decline expected for Harley Forbes
all 6 news articles

Disappearing Credit Forces Hospitals to Delay Improvements
New York Times, United States - 10 hours ago
By REED ABELSON In late August, even before the credit squeeze reached a full state of crisis, a hospital system in Hawaii filed for bankruptcy ...

Victrio Launches Voice-Based Call Screening System to Stop Credit ...
MarketWatch - 6 hours ago
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, Oct 15, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Credit card thieves often talk their way into getting online merchants to ship them products. ...

Lear Taps Credit Line, Outlines Cost Cuts
Wall Street Journal - 8 hours ago
The Southfield, Mich., company also said it has drawn $400 million under its revolving credit facility to protect against "possible short-term disruptions ...
UPDATE: Lear Cuts Costs, Draws On Credit Line Amid Auto Woes EasyBourse.com
UPDATE 1-Auto parts maker Lear to step up cost cuts Reuters
Lear announces $150 million cost-cutting program Crain's Detroit Business
Automotive World (subscription) - MLive.comall 13 news articles

Park National sells credit card portfolio
Bizjournals.com, NC - 7 hours ago
Park National Corp. has signed a deal to sell its credit card and merchant processing portfolios, a move that will pad its fourth quarter by more than $12 ...

Credit Shows Signs of Easing on Bank Rescue
Wall Street Journal - 19 hours ago
By SERENA NG, LIZ RAPPAPORT and CARRICK MOLLENKAMP For the first time since the crisis intensified at the end of the summer, credit markets thawed slightly ...
Credit tight, but key lending rate eases CNNMoney.com
Short-term interest rates drop on US bank rescue plan BloggingStocks
Short-term interest rates drop further BloggingStocks
BloggingStocksall 69 news articles
credit - Google News
Your Ad Here

Games at Buy.com

Holiday Home Store at Buy.com

10 Signs You May Need Credit Counseling

Debt management programs can be of real help for people that discover they cannot face their debts. At first, they will attempt to solve the situation all... Read More

Credit Repair, How To

Credit repair, is in a word, vital to reestablishing your credit. Unless you plan to never use your credit again, then you have to find a way... Read More

Recognizing the Signs that You Might Need Credit Counseling

Most families in America today have a credit card; some have two or more. The type of credit card you own, gold, platinum, ext, is almost a... Read More

Finding What is on Your Credit Report

A credit report is basically a file about you kept by lenders and banks. As annoying as it may be, it's still perfectly legal for them to... Read More

Always Avoid Payment Holidays

Once you've been paying off a credit card for a while, you might be offered a 'payment holiday'. You'll get a letter, saying that since the company... Read More

Commercial Collections: Business Finance Booster Shot

Commercial collections: fixture of the new B2B cultureIf you're in the business-to-business field, or even if you're a consumer products business that works through third-party distribution channels,... Read More

Fair Credit Reporting Act: What You Should Know About It?

The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is designated to promote accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of every "consumer reporting agency" (CRA) or... Read More

Opting For A Credit Card? Check Out Certain Terms

You've just received a "pre-approved" credit card offer in your mail. Without wasting a minute you're ready to accept it, especially if it's the "before-the-offer-expires" one. Wait!... Read More

Compare Credit Card Offers and Reward Yourself

Here's a simple system on how to pay zero interest and get tons of free stuff. Almost everyone uses credit cards. But only a few thousand people... Read More

Addressing Bad Credit Card Debt

Spending HabitsSo you've just got your credit card. The first thing you need to be wary about is that a credit card is very easy to use... Read More

How To Repair Your Credit Report

A credit report is run on a buyer when he or she needs to buy something that will take a long-term loan, such as an automobile or... Read More

Credit Cards and How To Choose Them:

It may seem like a simple question but its important to take into account a few factors when choosing your credit card. If you are in the... Read More

Manage Your Credit Wisely

Getting your first credit card is a big deal and all young people look forward to it with bated breath. We wait for years to be able... Read More

What is Credit Repair and How Can It Help You?

There are millions of consumer credit reports on file from mainly three major reporting bureaus which include Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax. These credit gathering agencies store... Read More

What To Look For In A Credit Card

When you are deciding what type of credit card to get it is important to compare credit cards to each other and find the best deal for... Read More

Saving Money with Credit Cards

Having a credit card is a wonderful convenience for those times when you don't have immediate access to your cash. It can allow you to purchase something... Read More

Identity Theft Exploding: Here?s How You Can Avoid Becoming A Victim

Americans are more concerned about identity theft than unemployment or corporate fraud, according to a survey of 2,000 people conducted by Star Systems.Nine out of ten Americans... Read More

Understanding Your Credit Score

When you apply for credit one of the first things almost all credit officers do is check your credit score. Although not all of those officers explained... Read More

10 Simple Steps to Manage Your Credit

By far the greatest invention the banks have ever come up with came out in the 20th century. Also the new field of Credit Management was born... Read More

To Repair Credit Is No longer Satisfactory - Learn How To Earn A Millionaires Credit In 30 Days...

To repair your bad credit does not necessarily mean that you now have a good credit, absolutely not. When most people have bad credit, they either purchase... Read More

How Credit Scoring Works

The all important credit score! It determines the amount of loan you can get, it determines the interest rate at which you are charged for a loan,... Read More

FREE Credit Report Offer - Careful, It Might Carry Hidden Charges

FREE credit checks or free credit reports. What are they all about? Why every second company on the Net is offering you a free credit report? Are... Read More

Is Your Credit Score Costing You Money?

Most of us want a good credit report to obtain automobile financing, credit cards, and to purchase a home. But, beyond these consumer loans, your credit report... Read More

Good vs. Bad Credit Debt

Do you know the difference between good and bad credit debt? Most everyone seems to think that all debt is bad, but that is not always the... Read More

Beginners Guide to Credit

I remember back when I was 18 and completely oblivious to the concept of credit. It seems like eons ago! If only I had known then what... Read More

How To Choose Your Credit Card Application

The articles and tips provided on this site are intended to help you access credit card offers that suit your lifestyle. By providing you with some basic... Read More