Credit Repair Tips - 7 Steps to Rebuild and Protect Your Cred... by J.Michelle

If the main cardholder has made on-time payments, then your credit score may receive a boost. When you become an authorized user, the card’s history will appear on your credit report. Authorized users can use the card but will not be responsible for any payments. Become an Authorized UserĪn authorized user is someone who is added to an existing credit card account. For example, if your limit is $200, don’t use more than $60 at a time ($200 x 30%). So if you open a secured credit card, multiply your total limit by 30% and never go above that at a given time. However, a ratio below 10% will result in an even better score.

For example, if your current balance is $100 and your credit limit is $200, then your utilization ratio is 50% ($100/$200).Īs a rule of thumb, it’s best to keep your credit utilization ratio below 30%. This is because your credit utilization ratio, which represents how much of your total available credit you use in a given time, is the second most important credit factor. With a smaller limit, you should only use a secured card for small purchases well below your credit limit. However, your credit limit will typically be lower. You can use a secured card at the same in-store and online retailers where you would use a traditional credit card. If you don’t pay your credit card bill, the card company can take the deposit. For example, if you put down $200, you’ll have a $200 credit limit. When you sign up for a secured card, the provider will require a cash deposit to serve as collateral and act as the credit limit. Get a Secured Credit CardĪ secured credit card is designed to help borrowers build their credit. The later the payment, the more it will impact your score. Only late payments over 30 days are reported to the credit bureaus. If you choose to not use autopay and realize you’ve missed a payment, contact the lender or bill provider and rectify it as soon as possible. Creating automatic payments means you won’t have to worry about missing a payment, as long as you have enough money in your bank account to cover the bill. You’ll connect your bank account to the provider, who will automatically charge your account on or before the due date.

Setting up automatic payments is the easiest way to pay bills on time. This means you should always aim to pay your bills on or before the due date. Your payment history, which is one factor that makes up your FICO score, accounts for 35% of your FICO credit score. On-time payment history is the most important factor when building credit. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring.

Credit Repair Tips - 7 Steps to Rebuild and Protect Your Cred... by J.Michelle