Getting Your Credit Score From OK to Great

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…

www.poormansurvivor.net

 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 

Stuck in the Middle: Getting Your Credit Score From OK to Great

The middle class may be shrinking in most parts of American life, but it’s thriving in the credit score space…

Over 60% of Americans have a credit score between 550 and 800 — which roughly corresponds to an average-to-excellent rating.

In truth, you really need a credit score above 580 to start getting any benefits. And most loans and credit cards reserve their best rates and deals for those with a 780 and up.

But that’s just minutiae. My point is — if you’re like most Americans — you’ve got a credit score that’s somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. And you want to get it up into the top tier.

(If you have a score lower than 550, go here to find out the best way to escape the lowest class of credit.)

No problem — we’re here to help. Since you’ve already got an acceptable score, you’re probably doing most things right. And if you are willing to wait a few years (and be responsible that whole time), you’ll eventually and naturally break through to a score in the 800s.

But we want to hurry that along. After all, the sooner you bump up your credit score, the sooner you can turn your credit into cash.

So let’s take a look at four things you can do to move your credit score from the middle class to the upper crust.

Credit Builder #1: Pay Down Your Credit Cards First

You might have lots of types of debt. The general rule is you should pay off the debt with the highest interest rate attached.

That certainly makes sense. However, if you’re more concerned with goosing your credit score — as opposed to worrying about the size of your monthly payments — you should attack any credit card debt first.

Luckily, credit card debt also usually carries high interest rates. Even if it doesn’t, you need to get rid of your credit card debt if you want to supercharge your credit scores.

You see, credit card utilization — the percent of your potential credit limit you are actually using — makes up 30% of your credit score. If you’re using 10% of your credit availability — for example $1,000 owed out of $10,000 in total credit limits — that’s better than using 15%. But much worse than using 5% or less.

Every single point makes a difference. If you’re above 30% credit card utilization, that’s a flashing red danger sign. Get that credit card debt down immediately!

Obviously, the best possible option is to pay off all your credit cards every month. But if you can’t quite swing that, pay as much as you can afford.

The less of this interest-heavy debt you carry, the better — in every possible way.

Credit Builder #2: Pay Early

Take a look at your credit cards and note when every billing cycle ends — probably on the same day every month, like the 20th.

Most people wait until that date comes, see how much they owe and then pay it off at the eleventh hour, just before the cycle ends again.

That’s a fine way to do it. In fact, it makes fiscal sense — if you buy something at the very start of a cycle and pay it off at the very end of the next cycle, that’s like getting an interest-free two-month loan.

However, if you want to improve your credit score, you ought to pay off your credit cards before the cycle even ends.

The reason is simple: Credit card debt counts against your credit card utilization, regardless of whether it’s a long-term balance or something you’ll pay off immediately.

But the credit card companies only report what you owe once a month — when the billing cycle ends.

If you pay off your credit card bill just before the cycle ends, your credit card will report that you don’t owe any money (or owe a minimal amount if purchases processed between your payoff and the end of the billing cycle).

This is an incredibly effective way to crush it with your credit card utilization, driving it down to 1–3% without changing your spending habits in any way. In fact, it might be the most effective method for zooming your credit score up in the shortest amount of time possible.

Just don’t forget to check back in after the cycle ends and pay off any remainder as well. If you have a $10 charge that came out of “pending” and you let it sit there past the due date — there goes your on-time record.

And since on-time payments make up 35% of your credit score, letting a small credit charge trigger a late payment alert is shooting yourself in the foot.

Credit Builder #3: You’re Never Late

Obviously, you never want to make any late payments.

But if you do — fight it.

It used to be that most credit cards had something of a gentleman’s agreement with clients — if you were only late on one payment and you called up to ask that to be expunged from the record, they’d happily comply.

Almost like accident forgiveness, but for your credit score.

But those days are gone. There’s no guarantee that credit cards will excuse a late payment just for asking.

 

Still, it doesn’t hurt to try.

Sometimes, you can just say something like, “I don’t think that’s fair,” and they’ll get rid of it for you.

If you can provide an explanation — a computer that crashed and had to go into the shop for two weeks, for instance — your odds are improved.

If you legitimately were late, there’s only so much you can do. Especially if it’s not your first time.

But if there’s a reason behind it — or if the credit card company got it wrong — never stop fighting. A single late payment can knock your credit score down 100 points.

And getting one expunged can jump you up that same 100.

Credit Builder #4: Credit Builder Loans

Credit builder loans are accounts designed entirely to get your credit score up.

Here’s how they work:

1. A bank — usually a smaller local union — will offer you a loan, anywhere from $300–5,000.
2. They put that money into a savings account, which is frozen.
3. You pay the loan off in monthly installments.
4. When you’ve completely paid off the loan, you get access to cash.

In many cases, when you successfully pay off the loan, you get a refund or rebate for some portion of the interest you paid. One Texas credit union charges a 12% interest on credit builder loans — but returns half of it when the term is up.

Lots of people recommend credit builder loans for folks with poor credit, as you usually don’t need a good credit score.

That’s fine — except many people with poor credit have poor credit for a reason. They can’t pay back their loans on time, for whatever reason. And if you take one of these loans and start making late payments, you’ll be worse off than where you started.

That’s why I prefer to use credit builder loans once you’re in good enough shape you don’t have to worry much about missing payments.

Another benefit of this type of account is the diversity it provides. You see, a small but significant part of your credit score is showing you can successfully pay off all kinds of loans.

Having eight credit cards will only get you so far… It would be better to have two credit cards, one auto loan and one mortgage.

Credit builder loans give you exposure to a rather rare type of bank loan. And that diversity can really pay off. Not to mention, in this case, most of your monthly payment is coming back to you.

Of course, it’s better to keep all the money and not have to pay any interest… But that interest payment can be worth it if you use it to jump up your credit score — and force yourself to save up cash you wouldn’t normally have.

Again, this strategy isn’t for everyone. But if you can afford the monthly payment — and don’t trust yourself to put that amount into a savings account without the threat of default — then a credit builder loan could be perfect.

A few months of using these tricks and you’ll have a credit score you can brag about. And that’s when the fun really begins — when you can start turning your credit score into investible cash.

Unconventionally yours,

Ryan Cole 

P.S. It goes without saying, if you don’t have enough credit cards, it’s incredibly tough to build up your credit score. Here are some of our favorite credit cards — which come with a plethora of perks beyond the immediate credit help

These 5 People Added up to 284 Points to Their Credit Scores by Making the Same Move

 

https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/debt/284-points/?aff_id=118&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=native&utm_campaign=284pointstwitter&aff_sub3=284_points_paid_twitter_broad

‘Owe Nothing to Anyone Except to Love One Another’

Read the Story »

 

SIDEBAR

 

I Carry This Every Single Day To Easily Protect Myself From Hackers

 

Fake Phones. There has been a rise in sales of low-cost fake smartphones from China.  These phones typically cost about $50 and come preloaded with malware and other viruses for no extra charge. The fake iPhone is incredibly well made for a phony and it runs a modified version of Android that is very hard to differentiate from the real iOS.  It even has a carefully made fake compass app along with other standard iPhone apps. In other words, next time you are in the market for a new phone I would recommend buying a phone from a major cell phone service provider and never purchase one from websites such as Amazon or eBay. Stop relying on GPS. GPS is convenient and it gets you where you need to go without you having to keep a map in your car at all times.  The problem is, these days, GPS are easily spoofed and that’s dangerous if you rely on GPS every time you get in your car. During Black Hat, hackers were able to alter navigation signals by hacking into the computers inside cars.  These types of hacks could potentially lead to your GPS leading you down a very hazardous path. For this reason, I would always keep a paper map in your vehicle and just don’t blindly follow your GPS. Russia is using the internet as a weapon. It’s no secret that Russia is using the internet in their attempts to interfere with politics.  Russia is also highly focused on weaponizing the internet and the nation has a plethora of intelligence agencies that are jostling for position to be the best hackers in the world. At Black Hat, researchers examined how new Russian laws are making it harder to police internet activity within the country.

Whether you’re a prepper or not, learn these urban survival skills now and increase your odds of survival, today or in the future!

Read more >

 

Here are my ideas for new bill [s] to improve government…

 

>Since term limits never seems to gain any traction perhaps we should entertain the idea of zero pay for elected officials after their third term in office…give them their office, expenses, health insurance while in office and a living allowance only=much like our Founding Fathers and see how many decide to remain in office.

 

>Perhaps we need to resurrect a new version of ‘war’ bonds, perhaps calling them “government bailout bonds” to help pay off our national debt and/or to help pay for our massive deficits and proposed new spending projects since fewer foreign nations are buying our debt!

>An idea I've suggested before:  Eliminate ALL city/state & Federal taxes on the 1st $25K of income for all people. 41% of citizens pay no Federal tax, many city/state taxes are killers for many. Tax laws that encourage more US manufacturing/jobs & elimination of red tape would help too.

More Updates:

Handwell [Backup] Well Pumps

We manufacture a series of easy-to-install "Narrow-Profile" deep-well pumps, engineered to install in the well alongside your existing electric water well pump system. All of our manual well water pumps can be permanently installed for daily use, or stored and ready for loss of power

www.flojak.com

 

 

You know that home-grown vegetables taste great. You also like the fact that with a home garden, you can save money and avoid harmful pesticides. Perhaps you’ve even experienced the satisfaction that comes with growing your own food.

 But what if you’ve never had much of a green thumb? If you lack gardening experience, starting your own vegetable garden can seem pretty overwhelming. Here’s the good news – many vegetables are surprisingly easy to grow.

Before you begin your garden plan, be sure to check this USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to find out when it is best to plant vegetables in your area. The map divides North America into 11 growing zones that are based on climate. Then check the hardiness zone on your plant container or seed packet to make the best purchasing and planting decisions...

10 Vegetables That Even New Gardeners Can't Mess Up

 

 

When you read about what to stockpile for an emergency, you tend to see the same recommendations. Water tops every list, and rightly so since water is essential for survival.

 In terms of food, however, rice, beans, pasta, and canned vegetables show up frequently as staples to have on hand. Then, you usually see powdered milk, granola bars, and other long-lasting foods. These are good options, but many other choices are often overlooked as survival foods.

 Here is a list of energy-rich foods that offer a long shelf life as well as nutrition that you will need in an emergency scenario...

17 Most Overlooked Survival Foods You Should Be Stockpiling

 

Free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom!

 

Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.

You Can’t Buy Life Insurance After You’re Dead

Not Prepared?

 

That's Bad News...

 

Grab an emergency power cell or solar/battery radio weather radio!

Having a Solar Power Cell on-hand for emergencies keeps your essential electronics up and running in case you need to call for help. Lower price, higher output!

Now in stock!

RTIC Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Food Container Stainless Steel, 25oz Cold/Hot

We have a few RTIC brand cooling food canisters in stock. These canisters are just as good as Yetis…Limited quantity [also available in 17 0z. size]

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254247647231?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

 

Support our efforts by shopping my storefront…

http://RetroGuy.net

 

 

 

 

A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production