I have a lot of credit cards to pay and always make the minimum sometimes a little bit more then the minimum per month. But I don’t know the difference between good credit and bad credit. Does bad credit involve not paying your credit? what is the difference between these two terms?

Your credit score is made up of the following things;

1. Payment history 35%
2. Time in bureau 15%
3. New credit 10%
4. Type of credit used 10%
5. Debt to income ratio 30%

As you can see items 1,2&5 are the most important as far as score is concerned. So you are going to want at least 3-revolving accounts (credit cards) with long good pay history’s and at least 2-installment loans (cars, boats, homes or personal loans) also with good long pay historys to achieve the maximum score and profile.

You always want to make your payments on time or before they are due. Pay as much as you can every month and try not to exceed 30% of your credit limit in any given month.

If you can achieve this, you will never have to worry about your credit. Good credit takes years to establish and only about 3-months to destroy.

I would suggest that you go to the web site I put in the source list and get your free copy of the Consumer Action Handbook. It has a lot of really good information about credit.

I need to clean my credit reports, all 3 bureaus, I have been late in 2 mortgage payments this year, bringing my score to about 530. I need to have it to 620 or more. I have written dispute letters, did not work to clear entries in reports.

you can’t dispute your credit report if your late with payments
report will only show what has happened

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You Don’t Have To Live With Bad Credit Once You Understand How The System Works. Being Denied Credit Can Be Frustrating & Embarrasing. Learn More Step-By-Step Instructions On How To Fix Your Credit By Going To http://www.CrushingTheCreditBureaus.com

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Students are increasingly worried about credit and credit scores – and for good reason. Student debts are rising and the numbers of students who leave school with ruined credit scores is rising as well. Many experts blame larger credit card debts and rising tuition costs (that lead to larger student loans). Despite the pressures, it is possible to leave school financially sound and in fact, to develop good financial habits that can lead to a lifetime of financial success. Here are a few tips that can make the college years a credit-booster instead of a credit disaster:

If you are a student, you have a great secret weapon for credit repair and free credit repair advice – your school’s financial aid office. If you are a college student, your school’s financial aid office should be one of your first stops at the campus. Few students visit this office regularly while they are in school, and this is a mistake. The financial aid office at most universities and colleges can offer students free credit repair advice to help you keep your credit score in tip-top shape.

Additionally, the financial aid office offers one-on-one financial counseling, information about scholarships, tips on budgeting, books on money, and many more resources. The officers at your university or college financial aid office can offer you help on almost any aspect of financial help – including helping you figure out a financial plan that can keep you out of debt.

Plus, many financial aid offices have workshops that can teach you about dealing with money and credit, and even offer free tax filing services – services that are extremely useful. In fact, the financial aid offices at most colleges and universities are so useful that you may want to call the school you attended in the past to ask whether alumni are eligible for any services at the financial aid office. The free Credit Repair Advice and other resources that you a get from these offices, are simply too good to miss.

Another thing that students can do to protect their credit is to try to pay for education through means other than loans. Student loans are becoming a problem for more and more students. Many parents and students are now waking up to the fact that huge student loans can be a terrible financial burden after graduation. While it is true that most college and student loans do not have to be repaid until after graduation, the time after graduation usually carries some large financial responsibilities.

Many college graduates want or need a car, a good job, and possibly their own home or apartment. Each of these things requires a good credit standing, but too large student loans not only require larger monthly repayments but also may affect credit scores by overextending credit. As tuition fees rise, larger student loans are becoming the norm, leading to financial hardship – and in many cases disaster. To avoid this, you should try to live within your means and rely on such resources as jobs, savings, scholarships, bursaries, and other forms of financial aid to pay for your tuition and living expenses.

Another thing that students can do is save money by taking advantage of student discounts on student life. One of the advantages of student life is that it is inexpensive. Student housing or rooms rented with roommates create inexpensive living, on-campus facilities offer great services at discount rates, and many businesses offer student-only deals.Try to take advantage of these offers to make your student money stretch further.

Look around to find the best student-deal offers, ranging from travel deals to free tax filing services, available from your campus and from surrounding businesses. Make use of the free services on campus – such as renting movies for free from the film department or working out in the school gym – rather than paying for these same services outside the campus.

Many students fall in love with their credit cards. Credit card companies know this, too, and routinely heavily advertise on college campuses, even offering students free food or gifts to fill out a credit application. While the convenience of credit cards is tempting, it is a good idea to stay away from credit cards altogether. This is because studies have repeatedly shown that those who pay cash for items routinely spend less than those charging or using credit cards to pay.

An alternative to using a credit card is a prepaid debit card. Prepaid debit cards are a great asset to students because it can teach students great financial management skills. Using a prepaid debit card for entertainment and other small needs ensures you won’t spend more than you have to and also ensures that you won’t end up paying for months for something that is long gone.

Following the free credit repair advice give in this article can help you with credit repair before it becomes a necessity. More importantly, this information can help you to establish good credit habits early and will help ensure that you have a long (and good) credit history by the time you graduate from college.

Sandra Clair
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/student-credit-repair-free-credit-repair-advice-for-students-to-help-avert-financial-disaster-119595.html

Are you in a hurry to raise your credit score fast? Your credit score is nothing more than a mathematical formula actually. There are a lot of factors which can affect your credit score but there are also some ways to raise your credit score fast.

There are several credit reporting firms and they can come up with a variety of credit scores depending on your creditworthiness. Therefore, don’t fret if you chance upon these varying rates. Here are a few important things to keep in mind on how to raise your credit score fast.

Secure a copy of your credit report. It is usually given for free. Most online credit companies do offer a free credit report if you ask for it. Check if there are pertinent errors. You see, the assessment of your creditworthiness may contain errors too and they can terribly affect your credit score. Figure out if some late payments are recorded when in fact you haven’t incurred any.

Settle any existing debt. The fast improvement of your credit score can be done by paying off your current debts. Don’t close your present credit cards but make sure that you have paid for your debts. The longer span of time that you have your credit card, the more chances of raising your credit score.

Be in control of your shopping for credit cards or loans. In every application that you make, the credit score gets affected. I would not advise you to take out more than 1 credit card or loan unless you are sure you can repay on time.

Getting sub prime merchandise card is another good way to increase your credit score fast. These merchandise cards are usually keep track by credit bureau. It is important to do some research and find out which ones are reported to the credit bureau and have the lowest interest rates.

Don’t close old accounts. Old banking accounts actually have more creditability than new accounts since they have a history which credit bureaus go by. New accounts take time to increase your credit score and in my opinion are not worth it unless absolutely necessary.

Ricky Lim
http://www.articlesbase.com/credit-articles/how-to-raise-your-credit-score-fast-730022.html