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People with great credit scores are getting turned down for credit cards and loans for homes and cars. What do they need besides a good score? What are lenders looking for now that they are extremely risk-averse? Repairing broken or damaged credit is one thing, but having to meet today's much stiffer credit standards requiring that consumers consistently manage their credit is another thing all together. Credit Management Kit For Dummies gives you answers to these questions and insight into these concerns, and also walks you down the correct path to credit application approval.
You'll discover major changes with the Credit CARD (Credit Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure) Act provisions and the new Consumer Financial Protection Legislation Agency; the effect of tightened credit markets on those with good, marginal, or bad credit; new rules and programs including Hope and Government options via the Obama Administration; the best ways to recover from mortgage related credit score hits; tips for minimizing damage after walking away from a home; credit score examples with new ranges; and much more.
Not just for those who have bad credit and need to repair it, Credit Management Kit For Dummies also serves as an invaluable resource for those with average credit who want, or need, to manage it to get a job, reduce insurance costs, qualify for banking products, and more.
Introduction 1
Part I: Credit Management: An Essential 21st-Century Skill for Financial Success 7
Chapter 1: Introducing Credit Management Essentials in a Tightened Credit Market 9
Chapter 2: Gaining Control of Your Credit 25
Chapter 3: Taking a Sustainable Approach to Your Financial Environment 33
Chapter 4: Creating a Spending (And Savings) Plan for Your Future 45
Chapter 5: Protecting Your Credit in the Post–Financial Meltdown World 69
Part II: Writing on Your Personal Credit Wall: Credit Reporting and Scoring in the Facebook Age 85
Chapter 6: Discovering How Credit Reporting Works 87
Chapter 7: Understanding Credit Reports and Scores 99
Chapter 8: Monitoring Your Credit Reports and Scores 123
Part III: Creating Solid Credit Strategies for Every Stage in Life 135
Chapter 9: Building Credit: Getting Started (or Restarted) in Life 137
Chapter 10: Accounting for the Effect of Life’s Necessities 161
Chapter 11: Keeping Your Credit Great When Faced with Major Life Events 173
Chapter 12: Controlling Access to Your Identity 203
Part IV: Navigating Negative Credit 215
Chapter 13: Turning Your Credit Around 217
Chapter 14: Polishing Your Credit Reports 233
Chapter 15: Getting the Best Help for Bad Credit for Free 247
Chapter 16: Coping with Bad Credit and Debts 259
Chapter 17: Managing Credit in a Mortgage Crisis 281
Chapter 18: Working with Collectors, Lawyers, and the Courts to Manage Debt Obligations 293
Chapter 19: Minimizing Credit Damage in a Bankruptcy 309
Chapter 20: Repairing Identity Theft Credit Damage 329
Part V: The Part of Tens 337
Chapter 21: Ten Consumer Protections Everyone Needs to Know 339
Chapter 22: Ten Tips to Achieving Stellar Credit 347
Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Successfully Manage Financial Emergencies 353
Appendix: About the CD 359
Index 369
Overview
People with great credit scores are getting turned down for credit cards and loans for homes and cars. What do they need besides a good score? What are lenders looking for now that they are extremely risk-averse? Repairing broken or damaged credit is one thing, but having to meet today's much stiffer credit standards requiring that consumers consistently manage their credit is another thing all together. Credit ...