Bad Credit? Improve It With These Tips
In this day and age where most people have easy access to a consumer credit, Americans are finding themselves sinking deeper and deeper into debt. Racking up a mere $10,000 in debt is now easy and all too common.
The desire for sure and proven ways to rebuild and renew credit history is indeed on the rise, with more and more people getting into debt and feeling the overwhelming pressures of it. Unfortunately for most people, the term “budget” has a negative connotation. It seems more like hell than a save haven of rescue. However, the use of a particular type of credit card has proven to not only rebuild personal credit and credit scores, but to dispel the negative connotation of the word budget.
In addition to being extremely helpful, these credit cards also provide consumers with bad credit, who’ve been denied traditional credit cards and bank account, a way out of their misery. It is common knowledge that here in the United States, there must be two people earning income in a household for a comfortable lifestyle to be maintained. Moreover, if two people are working outside the home, then who is left to do the budgeting and financial planning?
They say that the way to eat an elephant is one bit at a time. Let’s take our first bit and analyze both secured and pre-paid credit cards, and the cons and pros with each for your situation.
Secured Credit Cards Advantages – Getting a secured credit card account is an easy and cheap way to begin boosting your credit. Damaged credit can also be improved with these types of cards. They can be used the same way in which you would use and Visa or Mastercard.
Cons – One of the major drawbacks to this type of card is that to secure the card you must put down a $200 to $250 deposit with your application. For many this may be a tough requirement. These cards also tend to have much higher interest rates (15% or higher) and additional charges such as an annual fee (usually around $50). Despite these drawbacks, for many looking to rebuild their credit, these cards make sense.
Pre-Paid Credit Cards Pros – Pre-Paid Credit Cards can be a great tool because they provide you with the freedom and flexibility of using your own cash. These cards look like real credit cards and can be used for just about any situation that requires a credit card. Instead of granting you a credit limit based on your financial standing, these accounts require you to “load” the card with your own money. Yeah, real cash. Approval for this type of card is easy and almost guaranteed, even if you have credit problems.
Cons – If you are looking to rebuild or establish your credit however, beware. These cards may not report your repayment history to the credit bureaus. If the creditor does not report your account, this type of account will not help you improve your credit. By carefully selecting these cards, you can assure yourself that you receive the most bangs for your proverbial buck.
You might also consider that Pre-paid cards cannot be used in all situations. For example: hotels and car rental agencies may not allow you to use a pre-paid credit card to secure your rentals. It’s always a good idea to call ahead first and ask each company their policy before entering into any transaction.
