Your credit score in some ways is meant to be a snapshot of your overall financial habits – especially your habits surrounding debts and other financial responsibilities.  Developing some good financial habits can help your credit score by putting you in a good financial position.

Good financial habits will ensure that you don’t get into too much debt and that you are able to meet your financial duties easily.  There are a few financial habits that are especially credit-friendly:

Learn to budget

One of the biggest reasons that people develop poor credit is overspending.  In many cases, this overspending is caused by a lack of budget.  A budget can tell you how much you should be spending on each item in your life.  This allows your financial life to stay nicely organized.

Contrary to popular belief, a budget does not have to be constricting or boring or complicated.  Simply note how much you earn each month, and on a piece of paper, write down how much you really need to spend on savings, rent, utilities, food, personal care, transportation, spending money, entertainment, hobbies, education, and other items.  Make sure that you account for every expense.

Then, simply commit yourself to spending that particular amount on each item on your list.  Of course, some expenses on your list will change each month – you may spend more on heating bills in the winter than in the summer, for example – but estimating can help ensure that you can meet all your financial responsibilities.

Live within your means

Many people believe that if they only had more money, they would not have to worry about credit.  In fact, this is not true.  Many people who have money – or at least have all the trappings of money, including cars and nice homes – in fact have terrible credit.

The secret of this is that it is not your income that decides whether you are a good credit risk or a bad one but rather how you handle money.  You could be earning $7 per hour and still paying your bills and meeting your financial responsibilities – in which case you will have terrific credit.

You could also be earning $300 000 a year and be in terrible debt and financial shape due to unpaid bills and excessive debt.  The best way to ensure that you have a good credit rating – no matter what your income – is to spend less than you earn.  That means living below your means.  If you have a very small income, you may need to live with roommates in order to keep costs down.  If you have a medium-sized income, that may mean saving more and entertaining less.

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Credit repair is big business, and there are many companies that will promise to help you get out of bad credit problems.  There are a number of legitimate resources that can help you in improving your credit score but there are also a number of less than reputable companies out there that will take your money but offer you few (if any) valuable services.  A few basic tips will help you see the difference:

Importance of  Seeking professional help

If you are in over your head, and your credit is so bad that you cannot get a loan and may even be facing bankruptcy, you may want to seek help from professionals.  There are a number of financial professionals that can help you with credit repair:

Bankruptcy lawyers and bankruptcy advisors: Bankruptcy lawyers can help represent you in bankruptcy proceedings.  Advisors can help you decide whether to apply for a bankruptcy and how to proceed once you do decide to file.

While getting a bankruptcy lawyer and filing for bankruptcy can be upsetting and can dramatically affect your credit score for many years, it can also give you a chance to start over financially and can help you reestablish good credit again in the long run.

Credit repair companies and credit counseling companies: These companies can help you by acting on your behalf with credit companies, by advising you on what you can do to repay your bills faster, and by helping you make better financial decisions.

Accountants and tax services: Accountants and tax filing services can help you make the most of your money by making sure that you do not end up overspending on taxes.

Bankers and bank officers: Most banks today want to not only help you keep your money but are willing to work with you to make the most of it.  As a banking service, many banks today offer free investing advice, saving advice, and personalized meetings with bank officers that can help you figure out your money situation.
Lenders and bad credit lenders: How you deal with lenders will determine how well your credit score works. Avoiding too many inquiries by not applying for too many loans, establishing long-term business relationships with bankers, and doing business with bankers in an organized and professional way (i.e. paying your debts on time) will go a long way towards giving you a credit rating.  In turn, a good credit rating will make it easier to deal with lenders.

Look out for credit repair companies.

Many companies out there advertise that they can help you with credit repair, but the quality of these services – not to mention what they offer – varies widely.  Some companies really can help you with credit repair while others are actually under investigation for suspect business practices.  If you decide to seek help from a credit repair company, be sure that the company is legitimate and offers you viable services.

In general, you should be looking for non-profit credit counseling services rather than credit repair companies (some of which are really just lenders offering home equity loans anyway, which are of limited use to you if you want to improve your credit).

Check to make sure that the company has good standing with the Better Business Bureau and clients who are happy with the credit repair services they received from the company.  Always read the paperwork carefully before you sign and make sure that you understand how much you are paying for and how much you are paying.

Before deciding to seek help from a credit help or credit counseling service, be sure that the problem cannot be resolved on your own.  Indications that you may need credit counseling include:

• You cannot pay your bills and avoid the necessities of life.
• You avoid the phone, the mail, and the door because you are being harassed by collection agencies.
• You have avoided going out because you feel terrible about your financial state.
• You have no idea how you will repay your bills and loans – you do not know where to start.

Seek free or inexpensive help before seeking paid credit repair help

If you need credit repair, odds are good that your finances aren’t in the best possible shape.  That likely means that you should attempt to spend as little as possible on credit repair – the money you save can be channeled into repaying your debts.  Before seeking credit repair services, follow the tips we have posted on this site in order to repair your own credit.

Also, seek out free or inexpensive sources of credit repair help.  Some non-profit credit counseling services are actually registered charities and will work on your behalf.  If you can get help from one of these companies or undertake credit repair yourself, you will be able to save money quite easily.

In addition, these companies tend to be more legitimate than credit repair companies that take your money, anyway.

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