Book Description

Society relies heavily on credit for most financial decisions. Today, good credit is not just important for getting a loan or a credit card. Many businesses have to check your credit before deciding whether or not they will extend their products and services to you. Mortgage lenders need to be sure that you will pay your mortgage responsibly before they can finance you. Without good credit, the mortgage lender concludes that giving you a loan is risky for them. If they still approve, regardless of your poor credit, they will charge you a very high interest rate. Bad credit will see you pay a higher mortgage amount or worse, your mortgage application will be declined. Just because you are not currently interested in buying a house does not mean that your credit does not matter. Landlords will, in most cases, consult your credit before renting you a house or apartment. Your lease is considered a loan. You require a loan to purchase a car unless you have the full amount at hand. Your credit score affects the loan amount and interest rate and whether or not you will be given the loan in the first place. With excellent credit, you will qualify for a higher loan amount and the interest rate will be lower. A poor credit score translates to limited options. Not many lenders will be ready to finance you and the few that will be willing might charge a very high interest rate. Table of Contents Preface Introduction Ch. 1 – Credit Reports Ch. 2 - How to Build Credit Ch. 3 – Details Matter Ch. 4 - FICO Credit Score Ch. 5 - What Is A Good Credit Score? Ch. 6 - How to Raise Your Credit Scores Ch. 7 - Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian Ch. 8 - Consumer Credit Report Ch. 9 - Free Credit Score or Report Ch. 10 - How Credit Cards Impact Your Credit Score Ch. 11 - Mistakes to Avoid When Disputing Credit Report Errors Ch. 12 - How to Remove A Charge-Off Ch. 13 - How to Remove Late Payments Ch. 14 - How to Remove Collections Ch. 15 - How to Remove A Foreclosure from Your Credit Report Ch. 16 - How to Remove A Bankruptcy Ch. 17 - How to Remove A Repossession from Your Credit Report Ch. 18 - Removing A Judgment Ch. 19 – How to Remove A Tax Lien from Your Credit Report Ch. 20 – How to Remove Credit Inquiries from Your Credit Report Ch. 21 - Sample Credit Dispute Letter Ch. 22 - Cease and Desist Letter for Debt Collectors Ch. 23 - Sample Debt Validation Letter Ch. 24 - How to Deal with Debt Collection Agencies Ch. 25 - ChexSystems Ch. 26 - How to Request Debt Validation from Debt Collectors Ch. 27 - Statute of Limitations on Debt Collection Ch. 28 - The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Ch. 29 - Authorized User Ch. 30 - Credit Card Piggybacking Ch. 31 - Before and After Bankruptcy Conclusion