Credit After Bankruptcy

One of the most common questions debtors ask bankruptcy lawyers is "Will I be able to get credit after filing bankruptcy?".

Most people are suprised to find their mailboxes flooded with new credit offers after filing bankruptcy. Why does this happen? Why would a creditor give more credit to someone who has filed bankruptcy?

Creditors make money by lending money. If creditors dont lend money, they dont make money. Even credit cards for people with the best credit ratings often carry credit card balances that will not be paid off within the next 20 years if the debtor pays the minimum monthly credit card payment.

Creditors lend money based upon a debtors debt to income ratio. Debt to income ratio is the amount of debt a debtor has versus the amount of money the debtor earns. If a debtor has monthly debt that exceeds the debtors monthly income, the debtor is obviously a poor credit risk and it is unlikely that a creditor will risk loaning money to the debtor.

What happens to a debtors debt to income ratio when the debtor files bankruptcy? The bankruptcy will wipe out the debtors debt and leave the debtor with the same income. Filing bankruptcy transforms the debtors debt to income ratio and creates a positive lending prospect for the creditor.

Creditors also know that the debtor who has filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy will not be able to file another chapter 7 bankruptcy for 8 more years under the new bankruptcy law. Creditors know that the debtor who has filed bankruptcy is stuck with whatever new credit is issued and will not be able to discharge the debt as easily in a second bankruptcy.

Filing bankruptcy can actually improve the credit outlook for many debtors. Most bankruptcy lawyers offer free consultations to discuss bankruptcy and credit issues.

BankruptcyHelpOnline.org is the bankruptcy resource solution that makes bankruptcy easy to understand. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 has made filing bankruptcy more complicated than ever before. BankruptcyHelpOnline.org is your source for useful bankruptcy information that is easy to understand.

Credit Repair after Bankruptcy

Declaring bankruptcy will not repair or improve your credit score. According to legal experts, credit repair after bankruptcy is possible. Some companies will offer credit immediately after bankruptcy, at very high interest rates, but buying a home or a car may not be possible for several years. Unless a bankruptcy credit repair expert can help. There are a certain number of law firms that specialize in credit repair, for any reason, credit repair after bankruptcy is just one of many.

Bankruptcy is a last resort for those people who are swimming in debt and cannot pay their bills. Bankruptcy credit repair is an option for those people who have declared bankruptcy and would like to begin to reestablish themselves without paying exorbitant interest rates. Bankruptcy may allow them to keep their house and possibly one car payment. But, anything else of value goes.

Credit repair after bankruptcy may allow those who did not previously own a home, obtain a mortgage with a decent interest rate. A recent law requires that all persons who apply for bankruptcy relief have received credit counseling within the previous year. A Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS) is a good place to start when a person is having trouble paying their bills. While credit counseling may prevent bankruptcy; credit repair counseling is not one of the services provided by the non-profit CCCS. The CCCS is allowed to charge a reasonable fee for their services, but the new bankruptcy law requires that if a person cannot afford credit counseling, it will be provided at no charge.

Credit repair after bankruptcy or after any event which damages ones credit rating, is not free. It can be expensive, but if you have a past bankruptcy, credit repair may save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest each year. The experts recommend that before you make any major purchase (whether or not you have a past bankruptcy) credit repair may be beneficial. If you are considering a major purchase, a house or car, obtain a copy of your credit report and learn your credit score. If your score is below 680, then you can benefit from credit report repair services. If you have a past bankruptcy, credit repair may be beneficial.

Some credit repair companies suggest options which are illegal. The only way to be sure that credit repair after bankruptcy or bad credit repair of any kind is legal is to choose a law firm that specializes in credit repair. They are aware of all laws regarding credit repair issues and they can advise you of your legal rights. For more information about bankruptcy credit repair services, visit the Credit Repair Blog at http://creditfixnow.blogspot.com.

The writers and editors of the Credit Repair Blog are dedicated to providing accurate information about credit repair after bankruptcy or at any time. Visit us at http://creditfixnow.blogspot.com.

Credit Repair After Bankruptcy: Your Options

When it comes to credit repair after bankruptcy you have essentially three options:

1) Hire a credit repair company

2) Buy credit repair software

3) Do it yourself (free!)

Before we go further, for the purpose of this article "credit repair" means the removal of any inaccurate or obsolete negative information from your credit report - not the removal of accurate non-obsolete negative information from your credit report.

Okay, now that weve defined "credit repair", lets look at each of the three credit repair options in more detail:

1) Hire a credit repair agency.

You can hire a credit repair company, which usually costs a few hundred dollars or more. The advantage here is it saves you some time.

The downside to hiring a credit repair company is that it can be expensive as mentioned above, costing a few hundred dollars or more.

If you do decide to hire a credit repair company, choose one very carefully. Stay away from credit repair companies promising to delete accurate non-obsolete negative items from your credit report.

Why? Because even if the credit repair company gets lucky and does manage to remove any accurate non-obsolete negative items from your credit report it may only be temporary - the credit reporting agencies update their files on a regular basis, so any accurate non-obsolete negative item that was removed from your credit report can re-appear again in the future.

While were on the topic of "non-obsolete" versus "obsolete" negative information on your credit report, lets look at how long negative information can remain on your credit report: Most negative items can remain on your credit report for up to seven years from the date they were included in your bankruptcy. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy can remain on your credit report for ten years from the date it was filed, while a Chapter 13 can remain on your report for seven years from the date it was filed.

2) Buy credit repair software

There are a number of credit repair software programs on the market today. This option is typically less expensive than a credit repair company because you are doing the work. It also saves you time from having to compose your own letters.

Heres how most credit repair software works: You load it onto your computer, fill in the blanks with your information, and then print out the customized dispute letters the software creates.

The risk you run here is that the credit reporting agency may not investigate the dispute and respond by saying they believe your dispute is "frivolous and irrelevant". Why? Because when they see any sort of form letter they may think you are using a credit repair company.

3) Do it yourself

This is usually your best option, and its free. You just need to know exactly what to do when it comes to credit repair. You can start by visiting each major credit reporting agencys website and reading their instructions on how to dispute any inaccurate or obsolete negative information on your credit report. The three major credit reporting agencies are: Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union.

In addition, you can also pick up a book on credit repair. One word of warning though: Some books and courses encourage you to do illegal things: For example, creating a "new" identity. Stay away from these! Others are excellent resources when it comes to showing you how to remove inaccurate or obsolete negative items from your credit report.

If you have discharged or dismissed bankruptcy and want to repair your credit, there are some specific steps you need to take. I have seen very few credit repair books that even mention them. In After Bankruptcy Credit Solutions, I go into detail on each one.

For example, if you are applying for a home loan after bankruptcy, any inaccurate or obsolete negative information on your credit report can cost you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in extra interest - if it doesnt prevent you from qualifying for a loan. There is a way that you can get these negative items on your credit report removed or updated in as little as 48 hours!

So now you know what options you have when it comes to credit repair. Bottom line: Doing it yourself is usually the best, and most inexpensive, option when it comes to credit repair after bankruptcy. It just takes an investment of time on your part - but it can be well worth the effort.

Remember, if you have a discharged or dismissed bankruptcy on your credit report there are some specific steps you need to take when it comes to credit repair. Keep this in mind if you choose the "do it yourself" option and plan to shop for a book on credit repair.

Copyright (c) 2006 Innovative Solutions Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

The company and product/service names referenced in this article are the trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. None of the owners have sponsored or endorsed this article.

DISCLAIMER:

This information is designed to provide only a general overview of the subject matter herein.

This information is provided with the understanding that neither the publisher nor author is engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services of a professional should be sought.

Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss or damages, including but not limited to special, consequential, incidental or other damages, caused by the information contained herein.

R. Lawrence Anderson is author of After Bankruptcy Credit Solutions, which shows individuals how to qualify for credit and loans after bankruptcy. For details visit: http://www.bankruptcy-credit-solutions.com