When you have bad credit, it can be hard to qualify for loans, rent or buy homes, or even get hired by a new employer. It also can be hard on your emotional health and negatively affect your relationships. If you find yourself asking, “Where can I get a loan with bad credit?”, we hope you’ll think of us. However, while you can qualify for a bad credit loan with us in Texas, we also want to help you improve your credit score and financial future. In our blog today, we will provide you with helpful tips and expert advice for when you’re trying to rebuild your credit.
Not sure what’s affecting your credit score in the first place or how your credit score works? Check out our blog post on what’s impacting that respected number.
1. Find out your credit score
First things first, right? You won’t be able to improve your credit report unless you first know what it is and what your goal is. Here’s what your number means:
- 300-619: poor or bad credit score
- 620-679: average credit score
- 680-739: good credit score
- 740-800: excellent credit score
Even if you’re in the average range, many lenders are wary and will either charge higher interest rates or not give you a loan. When you have an excellent credit score — as you can imagine — more opportunities will be available to you.
When you find out your credit score and check your credit report, see what specifically is affecting your credit score: Late payments? Missed payments? Your debt utilization ratio? Whatever it is, make that your focus.
You’re allowed to order a free report from each of the three credit bureaus in one year, so order one today to get started.
2. Catch up on payments
Your payment history is responsible for 35 percent of your credit score. In other words, being behind on payments is the biggest influencer on your credit score. You most likely can’t pay everything at once, but don’t worry — contact your creditors, work out a payment plan, and start paying what you can.
When you’re going through this process, you need to be ruthless. Pinch pennies wherever you can, make a plan of attack, and keep to it. When it seems overwhelming or ineffective, look at all you’ve paid over the last couple of months and envision how nice it will feel when you’re no longer in debt.
3. Pay bills on time
Even if you can’t pay the entire amount all at once, make sure you pay the minimum amount possible at the very least. This even includes non-credit bills such as utility or rent payments. These late payments can be reported to the three credit bureaus and negatively impact your payment history as well.
If you have a difficult time remembering to pay bills, set up automatic withdrawals or reminders so you don’t miss any payments.
4. Chip away at your debt
This is similar to the last tip, and just as important if you want to get out of debt and really improve your bad credit score. Your credit utilization ratio comes in right behind your payment history in order of impact on credit score — 30 percent of your credit score is determined by your credit utilization. For example, let’s say you have a credit availability of $10,000. If you have used $8,000 of that, then your credit utilization is 80 percent.
Owing a large percentage of your available credit will count against you on your credit report. For this reason, you’ll want to pay down your remaining debt as quickly as possible. Have a garage sale, find a second job, cut back on expenses — whatever it takes!
5. Avoid closing or opening credit card accounts
The age of your credit account is responsible for about 15 percent of your credit score. While you’re trying to improve your score, avoid altering the age of accounts whenever possible. If you have to close one because of how late you are on payments, then there’s no way to avoid it. However, keep all the same credit accounts whenever it’s in your control.
6. Be patient
Just as you most likely didn’t get yourself into this situation in one day, you won’t be able to get out of this situation in just one day either. It could take 60-90 days (or longer) before you even start to see your credit score improve, and depending on how much debt you have it could be years before you see the credit score of your dreams.
As you follow all of these tips though and practice good financial habits, you can be confident that you’ll one day see a credit score above 700. And even if it takes years before you get there, at least you’ll save thousands of dollars in interest in the process.
If you’re not quite there yet, then that’s OK. When you need a loan but have bad credit, Your Loan Depot can still help. We have some of the best loans for bad credit in Rosenberg, Tomball, Mansfield, Humble, Conroe, and our other Texas locations. We’re happy to provide loans for people with poor credit and help them get back on their feet again. When a financial emergency hits, your credit score won’t wait for you. Let us help — get a loan with bad credit today!
