If you have a bad credit rating, then you might find that your ability to get financing, loans, and even some jobs is greatly diminished.

Once you have a bad credit rating, it might seem like there's nothing that you can do about it but you don't have to believe that. It's not as difficult as you might think to get by with a bad credit rating; with a little work and time you can even repair it! Of course, before you do that it's important to realize exactly what a credit rating is.

What your credit rating says about you

Every time a lender or other creditor makes a report concerning your payment history to them, this report affects your credit score.

Your credit score is a numerical indication of the positive and negative reports that you've received from creditors and lenders; if the number is high then you have a good credit rating, and if it's low then you have a bad credit rating.

Since many creditors and lenders report either monthly or quarterly, the overall score is very fluid and can change over time a fluidity that allows you to change and improve your bad credit rating as time goes by.

Basic credit repair

If you're looking to repair your bad credit rating, the first thing that you need to do is obtain a copy of your credit report.

Once you have your credit report, you'll be able to see the creditors and lenders that have made the negative reports for late payment and non-payment that caused you to have a bad credit rating.

Contact the lenders who have reported you for non-payment to arrange a repayment schedule, all the while making sure to keep current accounts up to date and not falling behind on your current payments.

As you gradually repay your old debts, they will be reported as being paid satisfactorily and at the same time your current accounts will continue to report positively as long as you make on time payments.

Within six months to a year a definite change should begin to show in your credit score as the positive reports begin to outnumber and encompass the old negative reports.

It may still take a while longer for your bad credit rating to disappear entirely, but as long as you work to maintain your credit and make your payments on time you'll find that the day will come when having a bad credit rating is nothing more than a memory.

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