Building a good credit history is difficult, but it isn’t nearly so difficult as trying to repair a bad credit history. Some high schools and universities are just now trying to teach our children what credit and credit history is all about. There is quite a long way to go still, but there is some achievements that can be seen.
The first credit that a young person gets is usually to buy a car. This first bit of credit is where building a good history begins. If a parent who has an excellent score can cosign the note for the young person, it will help to lower the interest rate on the loan. However, the MOST important credit-building factor is to pay the note on time and in full every time it comes due, and if it is at all possible, pay ahead.
Credit cards are easy to get. They are far too easy to get, in my opinion, but that’s another story. The point here is that they are easy to get, but that is a story for another day. Anyway, the point is that there are easy ways to build a positive credit history quickly. Most credit worthiness is determined by the level of available credit you have opposed to the amount of debt.
If you have a credit card that has a $5,000 limit but your balance on it is, say, $400, it would be a very good credit-to-debt ratio. Lenders like good credit-to-debt ratios. Credit reports that have great ratios are very nice to have. Having a past history of making payments and paying off a full balance on a card by each billing period due date will help greatly to build that great rating quickly.
Maintaining a good history is difficult. Life does happen. Individuals can get sick or injured. They can lose a job through no fault of their own. When bad things happen, the best thing to do for a credit report is to talk to creditors. Explain your situation and most creditors will work with you and will not file reports with credit bureaus that damage your credit rating.
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