Bad credit bank accounts are perfect for those who have a poor credit history, have been bankrupt, or have a county court judgment registered against them. This helps them to repair their credit history without being caught in a fraud net. For the best services with a bad credit bank account, people should check the policies of the banks because different banks have different policies regarding bad credit bank accounts.

Repairing credit history is the first step to getting back into business. With careful planning and skilled help and patience, it can be done. It is very important to know what is owed and to whom. Current copies of credit reports should be obtained from all major credit bureaus. People should check the accuracy of the information provided in these reports to avoid further inconvenience. Paying bills on time to upgrade credit is also advisable, as is assessing the credit situation regularly to avoid any mistakes. Consolidating debt by paying minimum amounts.

People should maintain their credit accounts so that they can use credit when in financial need. They should go for a secured bank credit card that is backed by money deposited in a bank account while reducing the number of credit cards they have.

It is advisable to always pay the minimum dues on credit cards and get a copy of a credit report yearly to catch any errors. People should avoid things that can limit their credit such as high balances on credit cards, too many applications for credit, and low credit scores.

Credit needed for real estate mortgage financing differs from credit needed for consumer loans. If you need help getting a home mortgage, these credit tips will help you.

Contrary to what many credit advisors say, paying off credit cards each month is not always the best action to take. When making credit card payments, don’t pay the balance in full each month — let a little roll over. Carry a balance on your credit card every other month –as little as a dollar. Paying balances in full does not increase your credit score; paying balances in full may in fact lower your credit score. Accounts with zero balances do not compute significantly in your total score. For instance, a credit card with a perfect payment history and no balance will not raise your credit score as much as a credit card with a low balance. Any balance keeps the card active so it computes in your credit score.

You most likely have been advised to cut up your credit cards and close your accounts. Following this advice degrades many credit scores.

Canceling Credit Cards

Canceling credit cards can lower your credit score. Keep your longest-term credit card account open to show long-term credit history. If this account has prior late notations, negotiate with the creditor to drop negative reporting on your credit history file. Slowly close out newer accounts after they are paid off. Keep your best accounts open — those paid on time or reporting “pays as agreed” and with the longest history.

Credit card companies may raise your rate if you cancel a card before it is paid off; it is best to keep accounts with outstanding balances open until you pay them off.

Perfect Balance of Credit

1. Mortgage over one year old with all payments on time

2. Visa Card or Master Card with less than 10% of available credit as balance due

3. Discover or American Express Card with less than 10% of available credit as balance due

4. Auto loan either paid off or paid down with low payments compared to monthly income.

Debt-to-Income Ratio

Credit scores do not reflect income — credit bureaus do not have income reported to them. However, real estate lenders look at the consumer debt-to-income ratio — the amount of monthly debts in relation to the amount of earnings. Consumer debt is more highly regarded/scores higher if total debt is under 20% of net income, or total monthly payments on all debts is less than 35% of monthly gross income.

Qualifying Ratios

Lenders want the total debt ratio (the percentage of total monthly payments, including the new mortgage, to income) to be less than 33% for a typical conventional mortgage. This means the new mortgage payment, credit card payments, and all other monthly debt payments should not equal more than about one-third of the monthly income.

Lenders want the mortgage debt ratio (the percentage of the new mortgage payment to income) to be less than 28%.

Non-prime loans have lower standards; some lenders allow debt-to-income ratios as high as 55%. Borrowers with less than perfect credit qualify more easily for a non-prime loan compared to an “A-paper” loan.

Once you total your monthly expenses and determine your debt ratio, you can estimate how much you can afford for a house payment. For example, if your income is around $3,000 per month, you can afford a home with payments around $1,000 per month (including taxes and insurance) with a conventional loan, if your other debt does not total more than 5% of your income.

For investors, these equations change. Lenders expect 10%-25% down on investment property and allow about 75% of the rental income to offset the debt ratio.

Understanding your credit helps you manage your credit so you can obtain real estate financing, either for the house of your dreams or for your financial future.

(c) Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Know Your Options – Short Sale vs Foreclosure

If you’re behind on house payments you may be facing the dilemma of doing a short sale vs foreclosure.  Losing your property to foreclosure on account of an inability to keep up with your monthly home loan payments is one of life’s most unpleasant experiences. It’s also an event that keeps on impacting you long after your residence is history by damaging your credit scores. The sad thing is, almost all people cannot be completely positive that they will stay safe from foreclosure since they can’t predict the unexpected. Incidences for instance serious illness, a major injury, divorce or job loss can happen to any person. Therefore it’s an excellent idea to know the available possibilities should the worst happen.  Below we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a short sale vs foreclosure.

Short Sale vs Foreclosure | Short Sale Benefits

1.

You avoid foreclosure – many people agree that a foreclosure is the worst possible thing for your credit.
2. You may be able to qualify to by a home in as little as 2 to 3 years
3. You do not have to make any mortgage payments, unless you choose to make them.
4. You may meet the new homebuyers, and feel good knowing who will be purchasing your house.

Short Sale vs Foreclosure | Short Sale Disadvantages

1. Short sales can take many months and can be a very frustrating process.
2. The bank will be looking at lots of your personal information.
3.

Typically your home will be listed with a REALTOR while the short sale taking place, which means it will have to be in show condition and you will likely have people walking through the home at various times.
4. Your credit will likely be affected and the derogatory marks can stay there for up to 7 years.

Short Sale vs Foreclosure | Foreclosure Benefits

1. You don’t have to make any mortgage payments.
2. You get to stay in the home until the foreclosure auction takes place.
3. You won’t have any buyers walking through your home.

Short Sale vs Foreclosure | Foreclosure Disadvantages

1. It can be embarrassing to be foreclosed on and the bank will likely post a Notice of Public Sale on the front door.
2. Your credit will take a huge hit.  Foreclosure is one of, if not the worst things for your credit.
3. According to Fannie Mae guidelines, you will likely not be eligible to buy another home for at least 7 years.

If you are facing a financial dilemma  and are evaluating a short sale vs foreclosure on your home make sure that you know all the facts and speak with a real estate professional about your situation.  There can be many other options that you have in addition to short sales or foreclosures, but only by speaking with a professional that has done a tremendous amount of foreclosure and pre-foreclosure real estate will those oaptions be determined.

When you look around your neighborhoods, it’s hard to find any good news. Friends and neighbors may have lost their jobs or be on short-time. There are foreclosed properties on every street. Shops and businesses have been closing down with increasing frequency. These are the signs of a real recession where unemployment and poverty stalk the land. The cause of all this pain is not hard to find. We have all been living beyond our means. When the banks and credit card companies offered us more money to borrow, we just took it. Why bother to save when the value of our homes only goes up? Let’s plan for our retirement by borrowing cheap money and buying stocks and other more risky investments. No-one ever loses if they follow the advice of the credit rating agencies. Well, we know better now. What goes up can also come down. What is given a triple A rating can be junk tomorrow.

In the midst of all this chaos, the credit card operators have been cutting back on the borrowing limits. This has forced pain on us for two reasons. Firstly, finding the money to pay down our debts more quickly means redesigning the family budget. Sacrifices have to be made. Secondly, the way the credit score is calculated depends in part on the extent to which we use the credit cards we have. If the limits are reduced, we look like bad risks because the amount borrowed is closer to the limit. We have less money available to borrow and cut down on card usage so we can repay faster. Put the two together and the score falls. This is a direct criticism of the methods used to calculate the scores. It produces a fundamentally unfair result during a recession.

This would not be a problem if the credit score was only used by banks and credit card operators. But it’s also used by companies to help decide whether to employ you, by landlords deciding whether to rent to you and by insurance companies deciding whether you are a responsible person. National figures show more than half all insurance companies use credit scores as a key factor in deciding your premium rate. This is extraordinary. There is only one possible effect of being in debt when it comes to the way in which you drive. If you cannot afford to repair your vehicle, you drive defensively to reduce the risk of an accident.

Some states like California and Massachusetts have banned the use of credit score for this purpose, but they are a minority. They cite discrimination as a reason for the ban. The majority of the population without access to banking services and credit cards fall into minority racial groups. When they do not have a credit score, they are forced to pay a higher premium simply because of who they are, not how they drive. So, when you are looking for affordable cover, get the maximum possible number of car insurance quotes to find the best policies. If you live in a state which refuses the regulation of the car insurance market, contact your local government representatives and tell them how much pain you are suffering because of this unfair use of credit scores.

A debt consolidation program for medical bills helps to convert medical bill debts into monthly manageable payment. Debt consolidation programs also reduce the amount of monthly payment on medical bills. The debt consolidation program first understands the client?s needs and then restructures the payment plan. Many non profit organizations, agencies and online services conduct debt consolidation programs. These agencies have established communication links with a list of creditors. The creditors include the government, banks, credit unions, hospitals and other lending institutions.

There are different types of consolidation programs for secured and unsecured debts. A medical bill is a type of unsecured debt. Unsecured debts have higher interest rates. Debt consolidation programs first analyze the amount of medical debt and then prepare a payment plan. This payment plan is discussed with creditors to lower the interest rate. The reduction of average interest rate is on the total medical debt. Late fees, penalties and taxes are also discussed in the payment plan. The revised consolidated medical debt is then divided into easy monthly installments.

Debt consolidation programs for medical bills help to get easy installments from the creditor. The client requires a good credit rating to gain medical bill consolidation from creditors. Debt consolidation programs select creditors with minimum credit scores. They help in the supervision of debts more professionally and successfully.

The advantage of a debt consolidation program for medical bills is that the client has to pay only one medical bill against all the medical bill debts each month. Debt consolidation eliminates the past interest and penalty. It helps to keep current on medical bills. The client has to pay the actual medical debt amount through the debt consolidation program. The client becomes debt free by means of a well organized debt consolidation program.