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Credit Reports and Credit Scores Choice of September 2024
Knowing your credit score is an important first step in finding the right credit card offer for you. The credit score will show if you will be approved for a credit card. You will know whether it's worth applying for a card for good and excellent credit history, or you'd better consider the offers for bad credit. If you've already have a credit card, track your credit score and see whether you are doing right or you need to change the credit behavior. It is good to check the credit report regularly and see if it is correct and do not contain doubtful records. The following services give consumers a FREE look at their credit scores with all 3 major credit bureaus instantly online.
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CREDIT CARDS AND SCORES
How can I improve my credit score?
The good news is that if you have a bad credit score there are a lot of things that you can to fix it. Even if your score is fair but you are interested in bumping it up to the next category there are proactive steps...
Read moreWhat is a credit score?
Based on the salary one earns, amount in credit that goes to a bank or various banks, monthly regular payments and a clean financial records gives an individual a higher credit score or also called credit rating,...
Read moreWho keeps track of an individual's credit history and score?
As per the United States legal guidelines, there are only three huge credit report agencies, and they are - Equifax, Trans Union and Experian.
Read moreChoose the Card That Will Improve
Your Credit Score
Your credit score is crucial when choosing a card. Is determines how eager issuers are going to be to provide you a credit card, which card you are likely to get and how big a credit limit you are going to be approved for. Therefore it is vital to take care of your credit score and try to make it as good as possible. After all, the best deals and rewards are available to you starting from good or excellent credit and the best options to avoid or deal with large balance are also usually open to people with good credit history.
However, the very credit cards you apply for can help you build your credit history. There are cards for bad credit and for limited or no credit there are secured credit cards. Those cards are specially designed for building credit. You have to put a deposit that usually amounts to the credit line you get and you can use this credit card. After you credit gets better, you can upgrade the card to a better one or apply for another with better conditions.
Although cards help a great deal, it is actually you who is responsible for improving your credit score. The key to doing that is always paying your bills on time and monitoring your credit score often. Carrying a balance is the last thing you can do when trying to improve your credit. Since your utilization ratio is calculated as your balance divided by your credit line, we would advise against maxing out your credit on one card. It's better to take several cards and charge a little from each of them. Paying off your balance on time also helps you pay less for your cards as you won't face the interest that accrues. Credit cards for limited or bad credit usually have larger APR than cards for better credit.
You need to remember though, that cards themselves won't get you into debt. This is a common misconception, but credit cards on their own don't cause bankruptcy. Some people don't apply for them because they are afraid of debt. But if you are responsible, there's no danger for you, on the contrary, having a long credit history may come in very handy if you suddenly need a big loan or a mortgage or you are hit with massive medical charges. To be ready and fully armed, you need to always keep an eye on your credit history and check it once in a while. You can easily do that with one of our offers above.