Rebuilding Your Credit After Bankruptcy
Many people who are considering bankruptcy are in dire financial situations. You might have late payments, defaults, collection accounts, and more, most of which will be reported to your credit. While your bankruptcy case can help immensely, it will also be reported to your credit that you filed for bankruptcy. This, however, does not mean you can never obtain credit again, as there are several ways that people can rebuild credit following a bankruptcy case. A California bankruptcy attorney from Miranda, Magden & Miranda, LLP, can guide you through your case and provide information about how to proceed afterward.
Miranda, Magden & Miranda
Steps of the
Bankruptcy Process
Stay Current on Payments
You will still have bills and other accounts after bankruptcy, and it is critical that you stay on top of them. A bankruptcy stays on your credit for seven to ten years, but every current payment helps to improve your credit, as does preventing late payment reports.
Keep Stable Employment When Possible
If you can, it can help to avoid jumping from one job to another and keep stable employment as much as possible. While this will not affect your credit score, lenders might be more likely to extend credit to people with a reliable income.
Apply for the Right Type of Credit
You should not expect to get credit cards and a mortgage right out of the gate after a bankruptcy. However, this does not mean you cannot get any credit at all. Having the right type of credit line can improve your credit faster, so it is important to know the right type of applications to submit. These might include:
- Secured credit card
- Credit building loans
- Gas or retail cards with low limits, or
- Small installment loan
If you need to get a different type of credit, you can try to find a cosigner with strong credit who might sign with you.
You should not submit too many applications for new credit, though, as each application will result in a hard inquiry on your credit report. Too many inquiries will lower your score instead of helping it.
If You Receive a New Credit Account
Make sure you keep your balances low on any new credit cars or revolving accounts. Having a high utilization of your available credit will quickly lower your score. For example, if you receive a retail card with a $500 limit, and you have a $300 balance, it can lower your score because you are over 50 percent of utilization, even though your balance is relatively low.
Also, not all creditors will report secured credit cards or other on-time payments to the credit bureaus. You can request that the company report your payments to all three credit bureaus, and this can include rent, cell phone bills, and more.
Learn How a California Bankruptcy Lawyer Can Help
At Miranda, Magden & Miranda, LLP, we are dedicated to helping clients before, during, and after the bankruptcy process. If you need assistance, please Contact us to speak with a California bankruptcy attorney.
What Our Clients Have To Say
Read the reviews from our happy clients.
Jessie L.
Patricia has been so helpful and provided excellent service. My husband and I are so grateful for all the help she has provided to help me immigrate to the United States. We really could not have gotten through it without her help. A big thank you to Patricia\'s assistant, Ingrid as well for always being prompt with responses and helping us get all the paperwork ready at each stage. I highly recommend Patricia for anyone who needs immigration help.
Jeaneth S.
Thank you Miranda and team for the excellent service provided. Miranda is a compassionate, understating, extremely knowledgeable and professional attorney. Her team was always on top of everything making my legal process less stressful. I could never thank Miranda and her assistant Ingrid for holding my hand throughout this difficult process (literally). Miranda is one of the BEST immigration lawyers ever! I would definitely recommend her.
Prasad S.
They represented my custody case and handled it like it is their own case and they are best in Monterey County.
Bryan B.
The entire team at MMM are superstars! I appreciate all the time and prep that went into my original case many years ago. And now recently, I asked for some help on a follow-up custody matter that I felt I could handle myself but just needed their expertise to properly represent all the important details. They are knowledgeable, extremely thorough, and prepared me for every possible scenario. I can't thank them enough!
Michael J.
My partner and I sought legal advice on bringing my fiance' to the United States with this office after having called a few immigration attorney offices around Monterey County. Having never sought legal advice before it was a refreshing experience in which we both really felt that Patricia listened intently to our goals and needs, and then not only gave us thorough advice, but also she really showed a lot of empathy with our situation and all the challenges we faced in what we trying to do. I would definitely recommend this office for anyone who is unclear about what..
Coleen and Max B.
Working with Patricia was a professional encounter unlike any other, an absolute 5-star experience. From the first moment, we walked into our consultation until the moment our case was closed and my husband walked away with his permanent resident card Patricia was communicative, professional, and thorough. Her team contacted us every step of the way providing valuable process and law changes we would not have been able to catch if we tried to navigate this endeavor alone. Patricia answered our endless question stream with thoughtfulness and care, calling us countless times to ensure we were clear on every piece of..