Good Credit Is a Necessity for Everyday Living
Most of us want a good credit report to obtain vehicle financing, credit cards for emergencies and luxuries, and to finance a home mortgage. However, beyond these consumer loans, a great credit report makes your life easier.
Having a credit card means that you can order tickets, rent a car, and reserve hotel rooms. Your strong credit score makes it easy for you to arrange cell phone service and necessary utility services, without large deposits.
Besides these conveniences, your credit report can mean that you must pay higher deposits and rates for everyday services. Did you know that poor credit history can keep you from getting utility connections, good telephone rates, the best auto insurance, high-quality home owner's insurance, or even prevent you from getting hired?
Some utility companies set minimum standards for service connections. If your report shows collection accounts for prior utility bills, you may not be eligible for service at all. And if they do agree to connect your service, you'll need to pay a higher deposit than another customer with good credit, who may not need to make any deposit. The same requirements exist for telephone services. People with high credit scores don't need to pay deposits for home telephone or cell phone services.
What many people don't realize is that good credit enables them to get better insurance rates. High-quality, low-cost home owner's insurance, auto, and life insurance companies set minimum credit standards for their policy holders. This means that consumers with poor credit have to pay more for less coverage. Many automobile insurance companies now base monthly premiums on credit scores. These companies offer a 17% discount if your score is over 625 and a 25% discount if your score is over 725. Why? Because according to consumer surveys, people who care about their credit also take care of their property and drive with caution.
Terrible credit can cost you a job. More and more employers look at a candidate's credit report and hire the person with better credit, assuming that better credit equals better integrity and character.
What you don't know about your credit could be hurting you. Don't wait until you need your credit to work on any problems. Strong credit translates to personal reputation.
(c) Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.
Jeanette Fisher, author of "Credit Help! Get the Credit You Need to Buy Real Estate," helps people buy their dream home or finance multiple investment properties. Jeanette teaches real estate investing and Design Psychology. For help with your credit or answers to your questions, visit the Real Estate Help Credit Center at http://www.recredithelp.com - Get the credit you need to buy one house or twenty!
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MORE RESOURCES:
Fallout From TJX Credit Card ... InternetNews.com - By Andy Patrizio: More stories by this author: The indictment of 11 criminals involved in the TJX credit card theft incident shows that cybercrime is indeed ... Video: Feds Charge 11 in Massive Retail Hacking Case Credit card thieves ran a polite, professional help desk Biggest Ever Credit Card Scam In US |
 Earthtimes (press release) | US Consumer Credit Increases $14.3 Billion in June (Update2) Bloomberg - Consumer credit rose by $14.3 billion, the most since November, to $2.59 trillion, the Federal Reserve said today in Washington. In May, credit rose by $8.1 ... Consumer credit rose $14.33 bln in June US consumer credit rose at double the pace forecast in June Consumers release their credit cards from musty wallets |
Credit Crunch Videos Sky News, UK - Equity, bond, and money markets were reluctant to accept that this was going to be a global banking problem, leading to a massive credit crisis. ... Credit crunch and banks: from the Rock to a hard place The credit crunch The year of living dangerously Many happy returns, credit crunch |
 Washington Post | Here comes the credit crackdown Independent, UK - One year into the credit crisis, regulators are hard at work on new laws they hope will prevent history repeating itself. Leading investment banks fear a ... Panel Calls for New Risk Standards Banking Group Proposes Wide Range of Reforms UPDATE 2-US bank group says new products helped fuel crisis |
The End of Credit Card Consumerism U.S. News & World Report, DC - For more than four decades, our shopaholic nation has shown an insatiable desire to spend until our credit cards melt. And throughout this era, ... |
 Reuters | Credit Suisse auction-rate debt suit may start frenzy Reuters - ST Micro alleges in the August 6 complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, that by late 2006 Credit Suisse knew that collateralized debt ... Fannie Mae expects smaller credit losses in 2009 Credit crunch cripples European insurers' profits UPDATE 1-CS reinitiates IT hardware sector with "market weight" |
Credit Suisse Sued Over Auction-Rate Securities (Update3) Bloomberg - 7 (Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group, Switzerland's second-biggest bank, was sued by Swiss semiconductor company STMicroelectronics NV for allegedly placing ... STMicro sues Credit Suisse over auction-rate debt Credit Suisse sued by semiconductor firm Credit Suisse sued over 'auction' debt |
 Sydney Morning Herald | Barclays' Profits Hit by Credit Crunch BusinessWeek - by Kerry Capell The credit crunch continues to take its toll on British banks. On Aug. 7, Barclays (BCS) revealed its first-half pretax profits fell by ... Barclays: credit and credibility Barclays sees light at the end of the tunnel Barclays Profit Falls 34% on Securities Writedowns (Update2) |
 CNET News | Credit cards: US authorities charge 11 in global identity theft racket guardian.co.uk, UK - American authorities have uncovered a global computer hacking and credit card fraud ring spanning the US, eastern Europe and Asia, officials said. ... Gang charged for theft of 41 million credit card numbers 11 charged in connection with credit card fraud SD agents help bust massive ID-theft ring |
Settling the credit score CNNMoney.com - Having a good credit rating is more important now than ever, but determining exactly what yours is gets complicated. By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff ... Back-to-school shopping tips |
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