Nationwide Credit Clearing
2336 N Damen
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Chicago, IL 60647
773-862-7700
877-334-3296
FAX: 773-862-7703
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Tag Archives: credit cards
Tips to Improve Your Credit Score this Year!
It’s the beginning of a brand new year and we wonder,, have thought about your credit score yet? A New Year means new opportunities for you financially! For those of you seeking a more financially secured life, take these tips, read them, and begin to implement them into your daily routine.
- Keep your credit card balances low. The most effective way to improve your credit score is to pay down your revolving (credit card) debt. Your credit utilization ratio accounts for 30 percent of your credit score. While you may hear that paying debt down to 30% of the available balance is a good mark, an ideal credit utilization ratio is actually around 10% or lower.
- Pay your bills on time.
- Don’t allow outdated or inaccurate information to remain on your credit report. If you see something incorrect listed on your report, you should take actions to have it removed.
- Sending your payments in early may also help your credit score. Different creditors have different report dates when they send the information to the credit bureaus.
- Check your credit report annually. It’s important to make sure that there are no errors on your credit file. A significant number of credit reports do have these errors, which can lower your score. These days, you also need to make sure that your identity hasn’t been stolen or compromised, which affects up to 1 in 8 Americans every year.
- Don’t be tempted by new credit card offers or take on new debt. You can have these solicitations stopped being sent to you by “opting out” of these offers.
- Paying off a collection will NOT increase your score. It’s not the balance, but the fact that the account went into collection status is what is essentially hurting your score. But your score will increase if the collection agency is willing to delete the account off your credit report.
- Don’t go without credit. You only have a credit score if you have an active credit history. Some credit scoring systems cannot calculate a score if no balance is reported to the credit history within the last six months.
- If you want a high score, do not pay all your debt down to zero. FICO calculates a significant portion of your score by your credit utilization ratio, so it’s important to simply keep them all under 30% of their limit
- Request an increase to your credit line. Then make sure not to use the excess credit because this will improve your overall credit % usage
- Add missing accounts to your credit report. A perfect way to build your credit is to add positive accts that are not currently being reported. Unfortunately Cell phone companies, Internet providers, utility companies, and medical billers are not required to and often don’t bother reporting credit. But if you ask them to do so, they sometimes will post a new but well-seasoned, positive new trade line to your credit report.
- If you’ve missed payments and have an account in collections, they will often agree to erase any negative credit reporting for that account as long as you pay it off in full.
- Call Nationwide Credit Clearing if you have any questions in regards to your credit or want to see how you can improve it. We’re the nation’s leader in credit repair, with our clients enjoying a lifetime of financial freedom
Nationwide credit Clearing has been the leader in credit repair for over 20 years. We can help anyone in the United States increase their credit score. Give us a call today to find out how it all works!
“Home of the Free Credit Report & Consultation”
2336 N. Damen
First Floor
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-862-7700
Toll Free: 877-334-3296
Fax: 773-862-7703
E-Mail: support@mynationwidecredit.com
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Secure a Solid Loan by Improving your Credit
Everyone knows that personal credit scores are crucial when it comes to obtaining a loan for a car, house, or anything that is a large purchase; however a business credit score is just as vital for small business loans. Understanding the ins and outs of building or regaining good credit may seem complicated, and here at Nationwide Credit Clearing, we want to help by providing you with these simple tips to be familiar with.
KEEP THE UTILIZATION % AT A LOW
The optimal proportion of utilization is 30% which means, if you have a $10K limit on your charge card, try to keep the exact balance below $3K. In a nutshell, you want to have a lot more credit available than you actually need. The more connected you allow yourself to reach your max amount, the higher risk you look like.
ORGANIZE MORE THAN ONE CARD
10% of one’s credit score will be based upon the mix of credit you ACTUALLY use as well as how effectively you manage them all, so be sure to have multiple cards open as well as spread utilization equally amongst them. Do NOT cancel your cards in an effort to improve your credit score. Your cards need to be kept open with a low utilization rate.
TIMING IS PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING
Every time you submit an application, your credit score is checked. The greater number of applications you submit, the more reduced your credit score is going to b, unless you do all of your applying within a short period of time. Still, if all inquiries are set up within about 30 days or less, the reporting agencies will consider multiple inquiries as just one inquiry regarding a single purchase, so you want to keep your credit application window of this time as short as you possibly can.
MONITOR YOUR CREDIT SCORE OFTEN
Everyone is entitled to a free copy of their credit report from each one of the top 3 reporting agencies one time per year, meaning you can request a copy from a different agency every four months.
RECORD & TRACK ALL PAID OFF DEBTS
The more positive history you have of paid off debts, the better you look to prospective lenders, so make sure you keep those gold stars on your credit history as long as possible.
DON’T BE LATE
Your credit report doesn’t just cover credit cards & loan payments but it also includes every other payment you have made or are currently making. That unpaid $30 copay or electric bill will hurt you just nearly as much as a balance of $1k that hasn’t been paid on a loan or card (if it goes beyond 60 days that is).
Nationwide Credit Clearing recommends you check your report often and ensure you don’t possess unknown outlying debt..
If your credit score is not as solid as you would like it to be, start implementing these pointers and you will see your score begin to go up. Keep in mind, the right loans can in fact help develop your credit, and we can help get you there. Even though you may seem to have a hiccup and overlook a payment, do not let it discourage you. Pay the bill, and then keep moving forward; that dimple won’t be there for long.
If you still feel uncertain about how to even begin with these steps, Nationwide Credit is here to help guide you. We offer a free credit report and consultation. If it’s been a while since you have checked your credit score, please give us a call.
“Home of the Free Credit Report & Consultation”
2336 N. Damen
First Floor
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-862-7700
Toll Free: 877-334-3296
Fax: 773-862-7703
E-Mail: support@mynationwidecredit.com
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How Can A Bad Credit Score Affect You?
When you make a purchase using your credit card, you are typically not thinking about the affect it will have on your future. You probably aren’t thinking of the purchase as a test of your personal integrity or reliability. You are more than likely thinking about that new television you are purchasing or how your new watch will look on your wrist. In contrast, your creditors don’t care how your new watch will look or how much joy your new television will bring you. They want to recover the money they lent you, with interest. Lenders do not like borrowers with elevated credit risk (the risk that you will not repay the money you owe). To determine your credit risk, lenders will rely on your credit score.
Your credit score is based on the information that is provided in your credit report. It will include data on past loans, foreclosures, credit utilization, bankruptcies, credit applications, and more. Credit scores follow a scale ranging from 300 (most risky) to 850 (least risky). Lenders will often times segment the score ranges into classifications such as A, B, and C.
Your credit score will affect more than just your personal finances. Credit scores influence many aspects of your personal and public life, even including situations that do not involve borrowing money. The following are situations that can be affected by a bad credit score:
- Getting approved for a loan will be difficult
- Higher rates and restrictive terms on loans that you are approved for
- Trouble renting an apartment
- Trouble getting a job
- Difficulty getting a mobile phone contract
- Higher insurance premiums
- Potential strain on your personal relationships with friends and family
Here at Nationwide Credit Clearing we will professionally assess your credit situation by procuring basic information that will allow us to obtain a copy of your current credit report. We will do this by a “soft inquiry” so that it will not affect your credit score. Our team of professionals will determine the best method of credit clearing to utilize on your case. Learn more about how we can help you!
Source: Money Crashers
“Home of the Free Credit Report & Consultation”
2336 N. Damen
First Floor
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-862-7700
Toll Free: 877-334-3296
Fax: 773-862-7703
E-Mail: support@mynationwidecredit.com
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How Many Credit Cards Is Too Many?
You are at the register paying for a pair of new shoes at your favorite department store. The cashier asks if you would like to sign up their rewards program to save 10%. You are thinking who wouldn’t want to save 10%, of course you want to sign up. So you sign up for the stores credit card to get a discount on your purchase. Is that 10% off and a new credit card really benefiting you?
Stop and ask yourself if you really need another credit card. The more credit cards you have the greater chance you have of getting deeper into debt. It is important to remember that credit cards are not a form of supplemental income. The annual fees of the credit cards can also add up, so that 10% you saved will eventually cancel out.
Your credit score can also be negatively impacted by having too many credit cards. Which will in turn impact your ability to borrow money. Learn more about how a bad credit score can affect your life in our recent blog post (Little Known Causes for Bad Credit
In contrast, adding more cards can help your score by decreasing your credit utilization ratio (the amount of debt you carry compared to your available lines of credit). However, if you have a lot of credit cards with high limits and you go to a lender to take out a loan, the lender will take into consideration a situation where you ran those credit cards up and what your debt-to-income ratio would look like then.
So, how many credit cards is too many? There are people who are very successful using a single credit because it is easiest to manage one card. Having 3-5 cards is typically not a problem. But if you find all your credit card balances are increasing, that is a danger signal.
Source: CreditCards.com
If it’s been a long time since you have checked your credit report, give us a shout here at Nationwide Credit Clearing. Our Initial Credit Report and Consultation is Free of Charge! Call Today!
“Home of the Free Credit Report & Consultation”
2336 N. Damen
First Floor
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-862-7700
Toll Free: 877-334-3296
Fax: 773-862-7703
E-Mail: support@mynationwidecredit.com
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Credit Talk 2016
5 Ways To Be A Victim Of Credit Card Fraud
Credit card fraud takes place in a variety of ways. It can occur from someone dumpster diving to high-tech hacking. Perhaps a dishonest clerk or waiter takes a photo of your credit card and uses your account to buy items. The fact is fraud can happen to even the most tech-savvy consumers. Check out these 5 common ways consumers fall victim to credit card fraud.
Not Shredding Your Bank Statements: Do you still receive paper bank statements? With online banking many consumers don’t even bother to look at the statements that come in the mail. However, if you are still receiving statements in the mail there is action that needs to be taken. If you are disposing the statements, make sure the are shredded and illegible. If you are keeping the bank statements store them at home in safe place.
Not Checking For Skimmers: Thieves may attach skimming devices to the exterior of an ATM or POS system that requires a PIN. Before using a POS system check to make sure there is no unusual device added to the machine. Glue, scuff marks, or loose materials around the machine, are signs the machine has been tampered with.
Online Banking Using Public Wi-Fi: Free Wi-Fi is becoming readily available at restaurants, coffee shops, airports, etc. across the country. How safe are these public networks? When using public Wi-Fi, it is best to not check the balance of your credit card. It is easier for hackers to intercept online transactions and passwords when you are using an open wireless network.
Responding To Phishing Messages: Have you ever received a text message from your “bank”, asking you to log into your online banking account? Be skeptical of these messages, especially if they request personal information such as your login or account number. Your financial institution has this information and won’t ask you for it. When you receive a message you are unsure of, contact your bank immediately before you respond.
Not Checking Your Account: How will you know if there are questionable charges on your credit card if you never check your account? Open your bills and statements promptly. If you see a questionable charge, report it!
If you or a loved one has been a victim of credit card fraud, contact Nationwide Credit Clearing to learn how we can help you. Call today (773) 862-7700.
“Home of the Free Credit Report & Consultation”
2336 N. Damen
First Floor
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-862-7700
Toll Free: 877-334-3296
Fax: 773-862-7703
E-Mail: support@mynationwidecredit.com
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Credit Card Best Practices
Whether you are opening your first credit card or need a refresher, these credit card best practices are essential to maintaining a healthy credit score. While you may think you have your credit cards under control, there may be a few items on this list that can help you to improve.
Here’s the Rundown..
Look For A Low Interest Rate: When you are on the market for a new credit card, be sure to check the interest rate and annual fee. Read the cardholder agreement! It will give you insight into all the fees you can be charged. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before opening a new card.
Don’t Spend More Than You Can Afford: Don’t buy a TV that costs as much as your credit limit, just because you can. Purchase what you can afford to pay off at the end of that month. This will enable you to avoid interest fees.
Pay On Time: Show lenders you’re reliable, pay your credit card on time! You don’t want to pay that late fee. Also, be sure to check when your payment is due each month, it can change from time to time
Pay Off As Much As You Can: At the very least pay the minimum balance. Pay off the entire balance whenever you can, to reduce the finance charges you pay. As a rule of thumb, pay off as much as you can to avoid high interest payments. When you do have to keep a balance on your credit card try to keep it below 30% or less.
Avoid Cash Advances: When you choose to do a cash advance, a fee and interest rate is typically part of the deal. Interest rates for cash advances tend to be much higher. Only do a cash advance if it is an emergency.
Stay Within Your Limit: Keep track of what you are purchasing each month. If you stay within your limit, you’ll avoid over limit fees. Keep your credit card balance below 70% of your limit at all times. This shows lenders that you have control over how much credit you use.
Use Your Credit Card Regularly: Use your credit card regularly with the mindset that you will pay it off at the end of the month. This will show lenders that you have a proven history with being able to handle your money responsibly.
If you have tried time and time again to put these steps into play in your daily life but can’t seem to get anywhere, there is help.
Don’t wait! Better Credit is just a click away! Call the experts at Nationwide Credit Clearing. “Home of the Free Credit Report and Consultation”
Nationwide Credit Clearing
2336 N. Damen
First Floor
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-862-7700
Toll Free: 877-334-3296
Fax: 773-862-7703
E-Mail: support@mynationwidecredit.com
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Paying only the Minimum Credit Card Balance
For many of us, opening a credit card is our first chance to start building a credit history. We believe that obtaining a credit card and using it responsibly will give us a head start on a long life of positive financial habits. Millions of credit card users are fulfilling their goal of swiping their card and paying it off each month. However, there are others who are struggling to get the money together to pay of the minimum balance. We all have a tight month every once in awhile, and paying the total balance seem so optional, compared to other bills. But what really happens when you pay the minimum balance?
How The Minimum Balance Works: Interest
As you are probably aware, you can swipe your credit card as you please, as long as you do not exceed the credit card limit. As with all debt instruments, the credit issuer gives you the option to pay the bill in its entirety or to pay a small amount to deal with at a later time. Interest will be added to the remainder, which in return will increase the price of your purchases. What is interest exactly? It is what the credit card issuer chargers their cardholders to extend the loan past the finance-free grace period. The lower your interest rate or annual percentage rate (APR), the less debt you will roll over month to month.
How Does The Minimum Balance Affect Me
Aside from the obvious, of having to pay more for your purchases due to the interest rate, there are other negative consequences to paying only the minimum balance.
- Your Credit Score Will Fall: Making a minimum payment on your credit card is a quick solution for when you are short on cash. But the debt that you rack up over the course of a few months of minimum payments, will really mess up your credit score. 30% of your credit score is determined by how much debt you carry. Accruing charges on your credit card and failing to pay them off is like putting a dent in your credit score every month. Over time, this will add up to a lot of damage.
- Your Monthly Bills Will Pile Up: As a result of the damage you will be doing to you credit score with minimum payments, other monthly bills will expensive to. These include obligations such as insurance, rent, and loans. Lenders and insurance companies tend to charge people with poor credit more.
- Credit Card Costs Will Skyrocket: One of the most obvious impacts of minimum payments, is the unpaid balance building up. The average interest rate on a credit card is 15%, it will become very expensive to fail to pay off your balance in full. Additionally a lot of credit card companies charge a fee for exceeding your credit limit. When you are only paying off the minimum balance, this is quite easy to do.
What Should You Do?
Keep track of what you are spending. Make sure that you do not swipe for more than you can comfortably pay off at the end of each month. Credit cards are a great tool for building good credit. However, don’t give in to the temptation to rely on them to cover the balance of a purchase you can not afford. Just because you can spend the amount of your credit limit, does not mean that you should. Remember that your credit card activity is being watched. The credit card company will send the date of your opening to consumer credit bureaus, and every month report your activity. If you charge regularly, keep the balance at $0 and make all payments by the due date.
If you have high credit card balances, deragatory remarks, or even late payments and you just can’t seem to get yourself together enough to increase your overall credit score, there is help.
Nationwide Credit Clearing
2336 N. Damen
First Floor
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-862-7700
Toll Free: 877-334-3296
Fax: 773-862-7703
E-Mail: support@mynationwidecredit.com
http://mynationwidecredit.com
What factors affect my credit score?
Your credit score is made up of a calculation of different factors obtained from your credit report.
When you ask, “What factors affect my credit score?”
Below are the most important points to know when considering what makes up a credit score.
1. Credit Card Utilization
This percentage is calculated by taking your total credit card balances divided by your total credit card limits. It essentially shows creditors how much of your available credit you use on average. A good rule of thumb is that lower credit card utilization rates are better.
2. Percentage of On Time Payments
This is the % of payments you’ve made on time during your credit history. It’s a factor that often weighs heavily into your creditworthiness, so just one or two late payments could negatively impact your credit score. If you have missed payments, it’s best to set up automatic bill pay or create calendar reminders for bill due dates to ensure you pay on time.
3. Total Accounts
As a general rule, the more accounts you have open, the higher the likelihood that your credit score will be good. This factor indicates that more credit cards means more lenders that have been willing to take a chance on loaning to you. Having a good mix of different types of credit is important for your overall credit health. A General rule of thumb: only open accounts that you need, not ones you want!
4. Age of Credit History
The longer your credit history and the older your accounts the better. That is why it can be a good idea to keep older credit cards open and active.
5, # of Hard Inquiries
Whenever you submit an application for credit such as a credit card, mortgage or auto loan a hard credit inquiry is started on your credit report. One hard inquiry will usually have little effect, but multiple inquiries can have a larger impact. A soft inquiry happens when you check your rate to find out what you are eligible for. When you check your rates through Nationwide Credit Clearing, this is considered a soft inquiry and won’t impact your credit score in any way shape or form.
6. Derogatory Remarks
Derogatory marks are negative and represent things such as collections, tax liens or bankruptcy. These records usually stay on your credit report for Seven to Ten years. This basically tells a lender that you may have been irresponsible in the past. Unfortunately, you have to wait out the length of time in order for it to go away.
Your Credit Score: What is NOT factored in?
The general population doesn’t know enough about Credit in general to be able to determine what exactly is and is not factored into your overall credit score. Nationwide Credit Clearing has compiled a list of these factors for you to review on your own. This is good information for everyone to understand.
Federal laws including The Consumer Credit Protection Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibit some things from being factored into overall credit scores.
These things include:
- Religion, Color, Race, Sex, national origin, & marital status. In Fact, US law prohibits credit scoring from even considering any of the above factors. Just as well, any receipt of public assistance, or the exercise of consumer rights under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.
- Your age cannot be factored into your credit score
- Your employer, occupation, salary, title, employer name, as well as date employed or any of your employment history. Lenders can consider this information for certain purposes, but it is not used in the credit scoring process
- The state, city, or address of where you live
- The interest rates you are being charged on any of your current credit cards or loans
- Rental agreements.
- Anything reported as child and/or family support obligations
- Any type of information that is not found in your credit report.
- If information is not proven to be predictive of future credit performance, it will not be factored in
- Certain types of inquiries such as:
- “consumer-initiated” inquiries — requests you may have made for your credit report while simply checking your score
- “promotional inquiries” –- requests made by lenders in order to make you a “pre-approved” credit offer
- “administrative inquiries” – requests made by lenders to review your account with them.
- Requests that come directly from Employers
If you or someone you know is having trouble with their credit, and needs some guidance on how to increase a credit score, Nationwide Credit Clearing can assist you.
Stop letting bad credit affect your finances! At Nationwide Credit Clearing, We help you work on your credit report and dispute unfavorable or inaccurate/outdated information. In Turn, this it will help to improve your credit score and ultimately allow you reach your future financial goals.
Don’t wait! Better Credit is just a click away! Call the experts at Nationwide Credit Clearing. “Home of the Free Credit Report and Consultation”
Nationwide Credit Clearing
2336 N. Damen
First Floor
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-862-7700
Toll Free: 877-334-3296
Fax: 773-862-7703
E-Mail: support@mynationwidecredit.com
http://mynationwidecredit.com
