When people think of credit and debt, their minds immediately go to the worse case scenarios of them. We’ve all heard ghost stories of how bad credit can drag you down and limit your options and how debt can become a spiral that can truly be very hard to climb out of. But the problem is that a lot of people focus on the negative consequences of these stories that they fail to consider just how helpful credit and debt can be. Here, we’re going to challenge the phobia and help you use credit and debt better.
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The sooner you come face-to-face with it, the better
There’s a significant portion of adults who have never once checked their credit report. Some of these people might not know to, others have chosen not to because they’re staying well away from credit as much as possible. However, even if your record is immaculate, your report might not be. You might have to repair your credit score by no fault of your own but because there are erroneous accounts on them. For instance, you might be getting bad reports based on accounts that are mistakenly tied to your name but aren’t yours. Or you might be up-to-date with all your payments but your creditors made a mistake in reporting that you missed a payment.
It’s the next step in a better financial life
When used responsibly, credit and debt are the steps you take to make some of the biggest financial decisions in your life. When you get a car, when you buy a house, when you start a business, the chances are you take out a loan for them. With better credit, which is built by taking debts responsibly, you have the chance to get the best discount auto loans and the best mortgages. Having no history of credit isn’t going to help you get better deals. You have no history of being a responsible debtor, after all. Only by building a healthy credit history can you get the best deals.
Credit cards aren’t the devil
Those pieces of plastic might be considered the single most dangerous aspect of credit. Yes, people get themselves into credit card debt they can’t handle by using it to make lifestyle purchases they otherwise couldn’t. But that debt can be used positively to build up your credit so long as you have pre-planned a budget to always keep on top of it. Debt management turns debt from a danger into a simple part of life. You can get rewards cards that turn credit card use into extra purchasing power, whether it’s through air miles or through grocery vouchers.
Wise use of credit and responsibility for debts can be one of the most effective financial tools at your disposal. It can improve your purchasing power and it can help you make some of the biggest financial decisions in your life. In any account, it’s important to come face-to-face with it so you make sure that it’s not marred by errors that could come back to haunt you.
