Credit Repair After Bankruptcy

Many consumers believe that after filing bankruptcy their financial lives are ruined. One of the biggest myths about bankruptcy is that you can’t get credit for 10 years. The truth is the bankruptcy will generally stay on your credit report for 10 years (unless you are able to get it removed) but you will still be able to start rebuilding your credit immediately.

You can dispute a bankruptcy on your credit report the same way you can any other listing. If you are fortunate enough to get the bankruptcy removed, you will be able to start repairing your credit much easier. However, if you don’t change your spending habits and make some lifestyle changes, removing your bankruptcy will only delay your financial misery and you will be back where you started.

Learning from your mistakes and living below your means is the only way you will ever attain financial peace. Learn how to make a budget and stick with it. You should probably only get a couple credit cards strictly to rebuild credit. Discipline yourself to use them for nothing but credit rebuilding.

When you are ready to start rebuilding your credit (which should be immediately) you will need to start small. Don’t expect lenders to give your high credit limits right away. You may have to start off with unsecured credit cards with high interest rates. That’s why I suggest keeping a balance of only $50-$100 and ONLY using these credit cards to rebuild your credit.

While you are adding positive trade lines, it is important to also try to remove bad credit from your credit report. If you use both methods correctly, you should have respectable credit scores within 6 months to a year. At that time, you will be able to get better interest rates and should consider transferring any balances from the high interest cards to the new lower interest cards. Just remember, the best thing you can do for your financial future is learn how and why you got yourself into this situation and how you’re going to avoid it from happening again.