Learn the pitfalls of bad credit management.
When you think of needing a good credit score, the first thing that comes to mind is buying a home. Next is buying a car, and third is probably the ability to get a credit card.
It's true, a good score will help you in all those areas. Not only will it make you eligible for a home, a car, or a new credit card, it will mean that you will be granted a lower interest rate than someone with poor credit. Your buying power will be larger, because less of your money will be drained off to pay interest.
Just think, if you borrow $30,000 for a new car and pay just 1% more interest than your neighbor, you'll spend an extra $300 per year - $25 per month that you could be using for other things - just on interest. If you pay 2% more, that's an extra $50 per month. Of course, the lender will probably let you stretch your payments over more years, so your payment might be the same as your neighbors, but you'll pay it for an extra one, two, or three years.
That doesn't sound like fun at all, does it?
But that's not all. Your credit score could mean the difference between having and not having a cell phone, or satellite TV service. It could also mean the difference between an affordable insurance rate and one that makes you want to sell your home and your car just to avoid the premiums.
Not buying a house? Prospective landlords also check credit before deciding if they'll rent to you. After all, if you've got good credit you're more apt to pay your rent on time. When your credit report shows late payments or defaults, they'll form the opinion that you don't care much about paying your bills. So naturally they'll choose a tenant with good credit over a tenant with bad or even marginal credit.
But that's still not all. Professional employers check credit before hiring employees. When your credit is good it indicates trustworthiness and responsibility. When it's poor, the prospective employer suspects that you're disorganized, irresponsible with money, and just might not be conscientious in caring for the company's best interests.
This practice is especially prevalent in employment fields tied to financial practices - banks, accounting firms, and treasuries.
The first step you need to take is to learn about your current score. Get a free credit report from an online provider, read it carefully to make sure it has no errors, and then begin working to make it as good as you possibly can.
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