Dear Olga,
When my husband separated from the military we suffered from eviction and a car reposition. How can we fix our credit so we can live and rent in a more suitable environment.
Thank you
BadCreditBarbie
Dear BadCreditBarbie,
It sounds like you've had some difficult events hit you all at once in a short span of time. It's never easy to go through one difficult situation, let alone several situations at once.
To move forward from any situation, it's important to understand where you are today. This way you'll be able to set realistic goals and expectations to get to a comfortable money position. My favorite tool to recommend to people with credit score concerns is Credit Karma.
Unlike other credit reporting companies, Credit Karma allows you to monitor your credit score for free and they also suggest ways you can improve your score based on what impacts your score today. Maybe you are utilizing too much of your total credit available or you have a number of missed payment in your history. All of these scenarios have a solution and a way to move forward.
Don't be afraid to look, you may be better off than you thought! We have a way of building up our fears to be monsters in our minds. Once we face our fears, we often realize most of it was in our minds.
If you're not using a budget to manage your income and expenses every month, start a budget today. A budget will make sure you're staying on track with your bills and responsibilities every month. By having a visualization of your money situation, you will begin to make more mindful money choices. With time, this will begin to improve your credit history and credit score.
If you currently have debt, I suggest coming up with a debt repayment plan. My personal favorite debt repayment plan to recommend is Dave Ramsey's Debt Snowball Plan. It focuses on the smallest debts first, which allows you to gain momentum to get you excited about reaching your debt goals. Once the first debt is paid off, the payments you were making are passed on to the next debt and make the most of your debt repayment strategy.
As you consider your financial goals, keep in mind that you can't prevent all financial setbacks in your future. What you can do is prepare for the future, good and bad. This way if an unexpected event rocks your world again, you'll have plans to help you get through it.
I hope this helps you on your credit repair journey. Know that with patience and dedication to repairing your credit score, you will be able to achieve your goal.
Best of luck,
Olga