A message from Robert Linkonis Sr., Executive Director
Happy New Year!
Achieving Good Credit
With the New Year, many individuals start thinking about all they want to accomplish in the coming months. Maybe buying a home is on your list of new year’s resolutions?
If buying a home feels unachievable, start by working on your credit score. A credit score of at least 700 is the first step in qualifying for mortgage loans. While practicing good credit habits and addressing any credit issues are the first steps, according to the FTC, nearly 20% of credit reports contain errors!
Alongside working with us to legally repair inaccurate and unverifiable items, here are some things you can do to help build your credit score.
- Don’t miss a payment – set up automatic payments so you never miss a payment.
- Catch up on past due accounts – if you are past due on any accounts, do what you can to catch up. Try using the debt snowball or debt avalanche method.
- Pay down revolving balances – try to keep your credit usage to below 30%. Pay down any revolving balances to reach this mark.
- Limit how often you apply for new lines of credit – especially while working to rebuild your credit!
Negative remarks, while they will diminish over time and fall off your report after 7 years, are best addressed as soon as possible.
Our custom credit disputes leverage the consumer protection laws and the credit bureaus’ automated codes to help remove or correct any unverifiable items.
As a client, we dispute accounts with the bureaus and creditors on your behalf. Using our years of experience, we utilize the tools you need to move your case forward and the results you are looking for.
Tips To Start Your Debt Free Journey
According to the ConsumerFed, 1/4 of low-income individuals are unaware of how to increase their creditworthiness. We want to help you by giving you the education and tools you need to rebuild your credit profile now and manage your credit and finances in the future. The more best practices you know, the better you'll be off!
Sometimes knowing where to start when we want to make a difference is hard. Here are some financial ideas to jump start your new year's resolutions! Start with one or two and see where it gets you!
- Cut unnecessary expenses – if you truly don’t need it to survive or it doesn’t add meaning to your life, eliminate it.
- Budget! – you will hear this over and over again, but setting a budget is so important in realistically knowing where your money is going. Start by simply tracking all of your expenses, decide what can be eliminated, and move forward with a realistic budget from there.
- Pay more than the amount due – paying the minimum due balance just means you’re paying more in interest over the long run, making any items you bought on credit even more expensive than you originally paid for.
Give us a call today to start your credit repair journey!
Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.(804) 823-9601 | (800) 648-5157
