Bad credit can trigger all sorts of issues when trying to get a mortgage, purchase a car or get a credit card. But even if you’re just looking for an apartment or house to rent, your credit history can pose problems.
Most landlords check credit reports of potential renters to determine the probability of receiving the rent payments. This can pose a problem when you may have a repossession, charge-offs, foreclosure, late payments or a Bankruptcy listed on your credit report. When your credit is damaged, you may have a tough time qualifying for that home or apartment that you and your family need.
At reScore Solutions, we understand that many people have fallen on hard times due to job loss, health problems, or having to close a business. Bad credit can happen even when we do our best to pay our bills on time.
Call us so for a free no-obligation credit report evaluation. While you are trying to get your life back on track, we can get your credit scores back up and running.
We specialize in getting your credit reports lender-ready so that you will be approved for a home. Understanding the ins and outs of lending we know what it takes to get your credit reports repaired and credit scores to the specification of your lender.
Raise your credit scores to qualify for loans and credit cards.
What should you do if your credit history is less-than-stellar? Here are seven ways you can overcome your bad credit and still get that rental you’re looking for:
1. Be honest and show that you have been making progress.
Sometimes bad credit isn’t a reflection of poor money management. Be upfront with a potential landlord before your credit is pulled. Don’t make excuses and blame others. Landlords have heard all of the blame games. If you are able to show a valid reason why your bills were not paid on time, such as divorce, health, job loss; but also show that it was a temporary situation and show how you have been able to get back on your financial feet, you may have a better chance of getting approved.
2. Find a guarantor or co-signer
Ask a trusted friend or relative with good credit to co-sign the rental application with you. While you may be the only one living in the home or apartment, your co-signer will be financially responsible if you do not pay your rent. This may give the potential landlord the extra security that he needs to feel comfortable with renting to you.
Of course, you really don’t want your co-signer having to pay your rent, so be sure that you not over obligate yourself to a rent amount that you can’t comfortably afford.
Co-signer for rental agreement
3. Pay in advance or increase your security deposit
Bad credit and especially a consistent bad credit history makes a landlord nervous because it indicates that your actions in the past may be repeated, such as defaulting on the rent payments or not paying on time. By paying a month or more in advance or offering a two-month security deposit, you can possibly alleviate their concerns. Not only does this show your commitment, it also provides them with extra cash that can cover some of the losses and damages, should you skip out on the rent. (Which, of course, you won’t.)
4. Get a roommate
Willing to share your space such as kitchen, living room? If so, a roommate may be a great solution. If the landlord will allow just one person to sign the lease, see if your roommate is willing to sign it solo. (Alternately, try to move-in with a roommate who’s mid-lease.) This way, the person on the lease is the one with more solid credit.
The other benefit to having a roommate is sharing the utilities. Saving money will help you to pay down your debts and helping to repair your credit.
5. Show solid income and offer to pay via direct deposit
Even if your credit is a little weak, your landlord may feel better if you can show that you have history with a full-time job with good pay.
When applying for an apartment, have proof of income ready, such as recent pay stubs, tax returns and a letter from your employer verifying your employment status and income. Offering to have your rent automatically deducted from your bank account can also help.
6. Be willing to pay a little more
Some landlords, even if you are renting from a property management company may charge additional “risk” fees for shaky credit and poor credit scores. You may want to step up and pay more if you really love the home or have to move in a hurry.
If you are dealing with an individual, you may want to negotiate to pay a higher amount so that your application is not denied.
Lower credit scores mean higher interest and rental payments.
7. Letters of recommendation
Just as your would provide a letter of recommendation for a job, provide one for a potential landlord too. Ask for letters from current and previous employers, current and previous landlords, and even past roommates who can vouch for your character. Even if your previous landlords were only for short-term arrangements, their endorsement can hold weight.
Is your teen ready for a credit or debit card? Financial education should begin as a very young age. Don’t wait for your child to go away to college to learn about money management, credit and budgeting. He or she should have a good concept about this before they pack their bags. By all means, don’t arm your children with credit cards and no idea on how to handle it. Understanding how credit works will help them avoid the trap of revolving credit. Credit card companies are in the business of making money and keeping you in debt.
What to teach your teen:
What is a credit score.
How does credit affect me.
How do I keep tabs on my credit.
How do I protect my credit.
How to stay out of debt.
Don’t charge for items that you don’t have the money to pay for.
Don’t buy what you don’t need. Credit means debt. Debt means money that you will have to pay someone until you pay it off.
Help your child learn to save for what they want. This is important to start at a very early age.
Teach and assist your child to set a standard for automatic saving. Like 1/3 allowance and 1/2 of all birthday gifts.
Teaching your tween and teen responsible credit and budgeting.
As our children are growing up it is imperative that we teach them to be responsible with their finances. Your teenager is more mobile and you may find that it’s important that they have access to funds in case of emergency or otherwise. There are options and a parent needs to consider if their child is responsible enough to be in control of a credit or debit card. Let’s look over some of the different options to help in making a decision.
1. Prepaid cards are a hybrid breed. Just because it is called a prepaid credit card and works like a credit card does not make it a credit card. These are cards that are reloadable and works like a debit card. You choose the amount that you want to load on the card, use it like a debit card and it deducts the amount from your balance. You can then reload and continue to use. Being that these cards are associated with major credit card networks, American Express, Visa, Mastercard, these prepaid cards can be used anywhere the major credit cards can be used, whether it’s to purchase groceries, shopping at the mall, paying bills, or online shopping. This card is ideal for tweens and teens. No worry for over-drafting checking accounts or being accessed over-the-limit fees with credit cards. Prepaid cards are an alternative to banks. There are millions of people that do not want to use banks or traditional credit. Although these cards are not connected to a checking account, it still allows you to things that require a credit card, such as rent a car or book a hotel room. With many teens with a part-time job, cards even come with a checking and routing number so that a teen could have their check directly deposited onto the card. Many prepaid cards offer features to be able to access funds at an ATM. You also have the option of loading their allowance on the card. Prepaid fees. Be prepared to be charged with fees with a prepaid card. Each prepaid card comes with it’s own fee structure. Be sure and find a card that best fits your needs. You are protected. Prepaid cards offer the same theft and loss protection that major credit cards offer. Which makes this a pretty safe bet.
Children and credit cards. How to stay out of debt.
2. Store card / major credit card. While credit cards have a credit limit and you are able to use the card until the limit is exhausted. Credit card companies may extend additional credit at a cost of an over-the-limit fee. Eve with a credit card, it is important to keep tabs on your spending. With interest rates charges it may become very difficult to get out of debt. No one wants to head off to college in credit card debt and parents should not be left to clean up their teens out of control spending. Choosing between a store card or credit card may be a challenge when trusting your tween or teen to spend sensible and not send you soaring into uneeded debt. If you feel that your teen has not shown financial responsibility with their money and allowance, then you may want to rethink handing them a card to carry on a full-time basis. You may choose to allow them to use the major credit card on a temporary basis and for particular purposes and allowing the to view the invoices and pay the payments. Also educated them to understand the reality of charging and paying with money they earn from their job or allowance. Although there are fees for reloadable prepaid cards, there are over-the-limit fees for many credit cards. Just being charged one $39 over-the-limit fee is a large amount compared to prepaid card fees.
Teens learn from their parents money management. By gradually graduating their freedom to using your credit cards you will be able to build good spending habits and trust.
So while there are differences in choosing a card, education and holding your teen responsible for their spending is the answer.
You paid off a balance last summer and it still reports a balance. Maybe there are accounts that aren’t yours, addresses that you have never lived at, credit inquiries that you didn’t authorize, collections that you weren’t aware of and the list goes on. We can possibly help you and get your credit cleaned up and raise your credit scores.
Here at ReScore Solutions credit report evaluations are free….yes, another free! We want the opportunity to educate you in having a chance at better and stronger credit while educating you to keep it strong. We don’t do gimmicks, nor do we have a magic wand to poof all kinds of accurate bad stuff from your reports, but we will explain what our services cover and how we can repair negative information and how our services can benefit you, for now, and your future.
We also specialize in assisting with all types of credit issues. Possibly avoid
Bankruptcy
Foreclosure
Charge off accounts
We can assist with dealing with collections, as well as getting you lender-ready for a mortgage. You may not have credit or collection issues and just need to build or rebuild credit. There’s help for that too. I know, you want to know how much will this cost you. After all, you may be living on a budget and paying hundreds or a couple of thousand $$$ is not possible. Fear not, we have low month to month payments and you can cancel or place you account inactive at any time. We eat, sleep and obsess about credit related stuff.
There are other companies that provide credit repair, but we go beyond with excellent customer service and educating our clients which means you can spend more time relaxing and with your family, while we take care of you. Call today. 205-352-3448
