As anyone who has bad credit will already know, being in this situation can be a real pain, and can have a profound effect on your financial future. In fact, in the current financial climate many of those with damaged credit are finding out just what a nightmare having bad credit can be. For many years consumers in the UK – even those with tarnished credit – have enjoyed easy credit and a great choice of financial products. However, since last summer, when the global credit crunch winged its way to the UK from the United States, this has all changed, and credit conditions have become far more difficult.
This said, whilst credit conditions have certainly become much tougher for those with bad credit there is still available of finance for those with damaged credit, and in fact taking up finance can actually help you to repair your credit. Your credit rating is affected by your repayment habits on debts and other financial commitments, and the more responsible and sensible you are about making these payments the more your credit rating will improve.
There are a number of finance options available for those with bad credit depending on what you are looking for. You can get credit cards that cater specifically for those with damaged credit, and whilst the interest rates on the cards may be higher than the norm what you should aim to do is clear the balance in full each month so that you are not charged any interest at all, yet you can still enjoy the convenience of the credit card and make a start in improving your credit by using and repaying the card responsibly.
There are also loans available for those with damaged credit. In many cases you may find that the only type of loan that you can get is a secured loan, which is a loan that is secured against the house and is therefore only available to homeowners. However, there are some unsecured lenders that will offer finance to those with damaged credit, although this depends on the extent of the damage and the lender’s own eligibility criteria – interest rates on these loans are likely to be quite high, but you can compare to see whether you can find a more competitive deal.
For those planning to buy a property there are also bad credit mortgages available, although the mortgage crisis that has stemmed from the global credit crunch has reduced the choice and availability of mortgage products dramatically. Again, you should compare different mortgages to see if you can find a competitive deal, but remember that borrowing costs in the mortgage sector are still quite high at present.
If you are looking to purchase a car there are two options. You could opt for a loan for those with bad credit and use this to purchase the vehicle, which means that you will have more choice over which vehicle you buy. Alternatively you could opt for dealership finance from one of the number of car dealerships that offer their own finance and cater for those that have damaged credit, but the interest rates are likely to be very high and you will be restricted with regards to the vehicle that you purchase.
By: Brendan Flushing
Posts Tagged ‘Credit Cards’
Choosing an Unsecured Credit Card
December 25th, 2009
In most cases, if you’re looking for a credit card then what you most likely want is an unsecured credit card. An unsecured credit card is one that doesn’t require you to pay any security deposit or open a specific savings account at the issuer’s bank just to receive the card.
Finding an unsecured credit card that meets your financial need while keeping interest rates low isn’t always easy, but with a little bit of patience and the knowledge of exactly what you’re looking for in a card you should be able to find the right one for you even if you’ve had credit problems in the past.
Interest Rates
The interest rate that you’ll pay will vary depending upon the card issuer, your personal credit history, how much money you make each year, and what incentives or perks are associated with the card in question. Ideally, you’re going to want to find the credit card that has the lowest interest rate that you can get. Look at the annual percentage rate, also known as the APR, and compare it to the APR that is offered on other cards that you’re considering. The lower your APR is, the less you’ll have to pay in interest each payment period.
Incentive Programs
It seems as though you can’t begin looking for an unsecured credit card without hearing about a number of different incentive programs that are offered by various card issuers in order to attract people to the cards that they feature. The incentive might be cash back on your purchases, discounts at certain retailers, airline miles, or a number of other items that relate to how much you use your card. Credit cards that feature incentives such as these are often referred to as Rewards Cards, and while they are nice you should remember that they aren’t essential to your credit card experience. Many of these cards require high credit scores to qualify for, and may also have additional fees that are charged for the privilege of using the card. Make sure that you understand everything that’s involved in a particular incentive program before choosing that card.
Fees and Other Costs
Ideally, the card that you choose will only charge you interest based upon a low APR. If you’ve had credit problems in the past or are shopping for a specific type of incentive program, however, you may have to pay additional costs or fees in order to receive the card that you want. These charges may be in the form of annual fees, application fees, or a number of other one-time or recurring charges. Make sure that you don’t have a better option available before agreeing to any extra costs on the card that you apply for.
Comparing Card Offers
In order to find the right credit card for you, take the time to shop around and compare a number of different cards that have the features that you want. Look at the APR that each card offers, any grace period that is allowed on your payments, and whether there are additional costs associated with getting or using the card. You’re going to want to find a card that will cost you the least amount to have and use, so that you don’t end up spending all of your money trying to pay off the interest and the annual fees that another card might not have charged.
By: Paul Rogers
Poor Credit Loans – Way To Finance To Make You Decent
December 23rd, 2009
There are several ways you can find yourself with what is known as bad credit. You can be late with your payments on a loan, get into arrears with your secured loan, may have missed payments on your credit cards, have a CCJ registered against you, missed some payments on your mortgage, or perhaps you have previously been declared bankrupt. Millions of Brits are suffering from some or other sorts of financial problems these days. After taking account such scenario into consideration, poor credit loans have been schemed out for the people with bad credit.
Previously, it was the loan officer that would do the majority of the work; today it is pretty much simpler on internet. You use a system based on credit score to make a decision regarding your loan application. There a loan officer compiles the information that he receives from your credit record. This report will give the loan officer the information he needs to find out about your credit history.
Usually, interest rates for poor credit loans are very high as lenders take a huge risk by offering you the loan. Although there are some factors which determine your amount availing and repayment charges. These factors can be mode of your loan selection whether you are taking out secured or unsecured forms. Secured forms of borrowing are based on your capacity of security placing. Your security can be anything from your home to your important business papers. On the contrary unsecured loan availing which is obtained without any sort of pledging placing. Though accessibility of unsecured loans is quite meager to people with bad credit, but viable. There are many lenders available online and offline to complete this cause. In between both, online accessing has precedence since it operates fast and saves time and energy of the borrowers.
Online applications rule the roost, with majority of the customers choosing the online method. You obtain such loans for a number of purposes. The most common uses of such loans are making home improvements, buying car or any other vehicle, consolidating debts, and repaying holiday bills.
By: Tom Dikkin