Improving ones Credit Score

Broompilot

Veteran Expediter
I just heard this on the Radio. I believe the web site was Radio City Credit.com.

This might help some of you out I will explaine it best I can and how it came about to being on the Radio.

Now understand this the Banks have figured out that people with good credit scores are no longer profitable. We have all paid that price before and know the cost and dangers of using credit card $ to support our purchases or luxuries we other words could not afford. Maturity has a way of teaching most of us that lesson, you aint got it you cant afford it.

The Banking Industry is lobbying to block this little known secret as to keep those with poor credit right where they are struggling to raise that limit. Now this is not for say those who cannot control ones spending but one who just cannot seem to squeeze by the eight ball, making a honest effort to pay ones bills on time. Been there done that? We all probably have at one time.

So now for the info and enough said on my personal view or expierences. We all know a friend or relative with good credit.
You piggy back on them, in otherwords you request a two signers on a credit card. After just two months, the persons good credit helps raise yours. And you do not have to spend a dime, just your name on the account is enough to raise it as long as there is activity on the account. So they continue to use it, and in two months if your in the 600s it will raise you to the 700s. Now after your score improves in two to three months you have them take you back off the account.

This is not co-signing its two people on one account. The banks hate this. Now if you are not a Honest person and you know if you are or not this is not for you. You do not use any of there credit or I just had to have that puppy and it had to be fixed, and it needed shots, dog food, doggy bed, dog house, fence, you know what I mean. Forget the purcahse and pay cash for the Puppy.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I have to second Dave Ramsey. The other system may somehow work however I would never let anyone be a joint account holder with me. That has way too much potential for disaster and lost relationships.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
 

Kevin_Sue

Seasoned Expediter
I dont know how much good a credit card will really do you to inprove your score. Best approach is to pay on time or early and if possible dont get to deep. I say this With a credit score between 790 and 800. What seems strange to me is do to the economy in MIchigan I robbed from Peter to pay Paul in order to maintain my credit and I consider myself at my maximum debt load. I co-signed for childrens student loans so I show up with around 50k there. Home loans count that when you apply. My wife and I both lost our jobs hers in October and mine in February. her unemployeement was due to run out. We had been researching expediting and decided to take the plunge. Looked at used trucks and did not see what I liked. Decided on a new one told John at FYDA Freightliner what we wanted and that I did not have any cash to work with due to Both unemployeed and what was left needed to go to business start up. he asked for social security numbers and full name and address. thats it called the next day and said the bank approved us on a new $100,000.00 and the interest was 1% lower then was normally expected. I have never spent so much while unemployed. Also we did not have a great deal of trucking experience but our payment history must show us as committed and a good risk.
After all this I guess my best advice is keep on top your bills, when possible eliminate as much of your debt as you can (my next move). let you good name work for you.
Banks do know of the tricks and if you have a co signer on loans you may establish some credit but actually the one taking the risk is the co signer not you. their credit show late payments etc and it does more to alter their score then yours.
Also banks are probably aware of people piggybacking on others to build score. and in most cases if 2 names are on a credit card if there is a balance my bet is the cosigner must remain until payed off. Same goes for loand.

Just my take
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I'm a Dave Ramsey guy, too. I have one credit card, but hardly ever use it. I run on a debit card for the truck account, as well as one for my personal account. Other than the truck payment, I don't even write checks anymore. I have written one check all year on my personal account. Everything else is debit card or cash.

But, the piggyback thing actually has little risk, Leo. For example, you have excellent credit. Me, not so much. Out of the kindness of your heart, because you're a kind person and a good friend, you add my name as a user on one of your credit cards. There is no risk in doing this. The bank, of course, will issue a card on the account in my name for me to use, but you do not actually give me the card, as that would be a little (a lot) risky. You just keep that card to yourself, or cut it up if you like - risk eliminated.

You then just continue to use your card like normal, and pay it off like normal, meanwhile your good credit seeps over into mine, thereby raising my credit score. The only risk is to me, if for some reason your financial situation took a nose dive and you quit paying on your credit card, it would affect my credit, too.

Down the line, 6 months, a year, more, once I regained an acceptable credit score and I, on my own, obtain something on credit, hopefully I will have learned to be responsible with it and pay it off on time. However, even if I didn't and my credit takes another nose dive, because you didn't co-sign on any of those loans, you will remain unaffected.

The reason the banks don't like piggybanking is because human nature is what it is. Those with bad credit generally have bad credit for a reason, and they aren't likely to change their nature. When their credit score is artificially raised by piggybanking, the banks are making loans to people with much higher risk than the credit score indicates. More often than not these people will get credit and then promptly get right back into credit trouble again. But, again, since you're name wouldn't be on any future loans of mine, whether I'm still irresponsible or I've changed my spots, you remain out of the loop.
 

Tennesseahawk

Veteran Expediter
Kevin_Sue... I trully hope you do well in this. Keep on asking the questions, and we'll do our best to help you in your journey.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!
 

Broompilot

Veteran Expediter
Paying ones debts on time is I agree the best way to keep a strong credit rating.

Obvious by the remaining post here YOU ALL MISSED THE POINT. Banks (Leo) no longer find me or you profitable we pay our credit cards off every month and thus incure no finance, late, or other snake in the grass fees that they PREY OFF to keep you from ever paying down your bill. Paying on time to the other poster I agree with. But things happen to people who post here. Like an owner who does not pay his drivers on time or other circumstances that one depends on pay for ones efforts and than comes up with 0 but has obligations which wrecks one efforts for paying on time, no income=no bills paid let alone on time.

Dave Ramseys advice is GREAT. But unfortunalty does not work well while trying to SUPPORT A BUSINESS. I agree it can be done, go ahead use all of his advice start with a 10K truck with 10K in reserves and see how long it lasts. His advice does not work unless one is Super Rich such as the Poster who would never let a Relative, piggy back off of a credit card.

The person with the risk, should keep the cards and use the account him/herself not the person improving their situation. Banks hate this forumula but must right now obide until they get there dirty fingers into what they want a LAW TO SCREW THE LITTLE GUY.

As if anyone has never noticed, I am an advocate for the little guy, the one who is trying to improve ones lot in life. I pony up a intresting suggestion, and the ones who respond with negativity are the ones who would not even benefit in the first place. Minus the person and his unemployment story, and thats a little of my example. People are loosing jobs no fault of there own, some do not even see it comming. And WHAM ones life is upside down, such as a car accident or any accident. Not all people can afford the luxury of every insurance in the market place to secure ones future. As Dave suggests. One might be helping grown parents, children, etc... if everything kept going as it had than it all works, but than comes along Mr. Bad luck..... We have all had this happen to us once. Just some have had the luxury of being smart, or having a winfall.

Dave offers GREAT ADVICE, but not everything he states will work for every situation. He claims Truck Drivers make a GREAT LIVING. I have yet to see that backed up, maybee 2 out 10? Most are in the 30K range hardley what I would consider a wage to ever pay off a mortage, raise a family, and secure a high fica score. Math just does not add up, unless you like a trailer with tires on the roof than that budget might work. So for most truck drivers, luxuries that a middle class family takes for granted is just not possible. The worry about tires, brakes, and batteries, are a fact of life for this kinda income. Luxuries that people with strong credit, and decent income just do not worry about. To some, its not a choice. They were promised high earnings with a school loan, than a company told them great miles X $, never panned out and now they are stuck in the above script I just gave, some are young inexpierenced, some just have never had a good opporunity come along that they tied themselves to. Some deserve everything they get.

This is not just about Truck Drivers.

Co Signing, puts you first in default on a loan. If one ever co-signs you are a fool. Your credit will be destroyed if one does not pay the bill, and you do not pay it. But once this happens you will be behind and the wrecking ball will have slamed into your financial house. If its a car, your only choice is to make the payments, while the dead beat gets to drive it for free. You cannot even reposses the car, its not in your name just the fact that you told the bank you will make the payment if XYZ does not. The system I spoke about keeps you in control, not the person improving ones score, one could put a $500.00 limit on that card, or just keep it in the dresser drawer. Does not matter the person needing improvement will reap the benefit from the person who has the ability to pay ones debt on time. My suggestion would be get a deposite from this friend, keep the limit to $500.00 and after three months cancel the improvers card, that is long enough to raise the score. Strangers, no but a good friend making an effort yes, a good friend going down hill no. My daughter yes. Co Sign for any of the above NEVER....

Stay Positive:,.
 

lanier1

Seasoned Expediter
You are right Broom, you never know when life is going to rear up and take a big bite out of your unsuspecting @$$. It can happen to most anyone at anytime with devastating results. It is easy to sit atop Mount 800 Beacon (not directed at you Kevin_Sue) and dole out advice on how to protect yourself from financial ruin. Personally I don't need any help at the moment but for someone who is trying to make a start toward recovery your advice is solid and useful.
 

dieseldiva

Veteran Expediter
As long as the person seeking to improve their credit does not have access to the cards then I see the "no risk".

As far as Dave's plan not working for businesses, I disagree. Newcomers seeking advice on this forum are always told to have back-up money, three to six months of expenses in the bank before they even TRY to expedite. That matches Dave's advice to a T. Perhaps the entire plan would be difficult to execute for a business but it could be done. I don't think it would hurt for any of us to use at least SOME of his plan, there's always places to cut the spending and change habits, the later being the most important here.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I don't follow Dave Ramsey's plan exactly. For one thing I have a Mastercard that gets me 3% rebate on Conoco fuel. Some of the J's happen to be Conoco. I could follow his advice and pay cash and get 5 cents a gallon back. I use my card and get 3% of the credit price back. At $2.50 a gallon that's 7.5 cents per gallon. I pay it off at the end of the month so there's no interest or other charges. I do believe in his system overall and believe it would help 9 out of 10 drivers.

I don't have hard numbers but I suspect most drivers could save at least $10 a day if they changed their habits about fast food and game machines etc. and for many they could save a lot more than that. There are a lot of other things that many could do to get into a better financial position. It's all a matter of choices and sacrifices and long term versus short term. It isn't easy and it isn't fun in the short term.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
 

Broompilot

Veteran Expediter
We are speculating MOST, if they would stay out of fast food joints. Those are the drivers with few brains, to much credit, who could care less about tommorow, only today. This Post is not about those types of people, my suggestion was ON PEOPLE WHO WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR LOT IN LIFE. Not the loosers, who dont want that load, or do not want to drive at night, or what ever excuse they can come up with like ripping the pages out of their Atlas cause its to hard to drive their. This is about poeple who are willing to sacrafice amd DO WHAT EVER IT TAKES, to get ahead. Including finding ways to improve their credit scores and stop paying fees, cause the intrest rates they are being charged are ripping their budgets up.

I have been running into more and more drivers who only eat two meals a week while out for five days (no kidding). Some do not have TVs, or Microwaves, and some are spending a small fortune on Ice for Coolers.

When one has money, one can seperate oneself from what the poor do to get by on.

Start more conversations, with Swift, JB, Werner drivers. You will learn the hard facts of getting screwed over, and over plus insights on how to live for a week on $10.00, showers being a LUXURY for one.
Some companies will not allow fuel to be purchased on the road and than do not have showers that work inside their terminals.
Big business cares less about the human aspect, only about its pockets. Need more proof, look no further than the golden employment opporunities just South of us that they have their eyes on, and the banks like Nations, allowing people to open up credit cards with no SS. More debt the better the banks love ya.

Daves back up plan, I painted that picture with 10K in reserves did I not? It still could put you out of business after spending X on fuel, A on one unexpected expense, B on two bad weeks, and THAN C on a Transmission, or Engine replacement. Now your out of business, out of luck, and out of $ and Credit. If ONLY LIFE WOULD GO AS PLANNED, I would have been rich long long long ago. But I am living life as it is, not, as it was planned. At least not by my plans, but I have an EDUCATION for all of my miss plans.

Glad for all of you whos plans always work out, you obviously know something that a large % of the rest of do not know. How to plan properly.

When one has a large amount of $, than business is not so much of a GAMBLE. Its a GAME. Until than, hope you have better plans, or WONDERFULL LUCK.

I have much to learn, but have learned alot, or vs-vs.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Broom is right on several issues. I do advocate a reserve of $10,000 per truck. Many agree, and many look at me with a deer in the headlights look. I use that as a benchmark for new or newer vehicles. Depending on ones truck age and personal financial situation, that number could very well go up. I have seen people purchase a truck and a week later, get into a wreck. Well, you can imagine the rest.
Very ugly to say the least.
Preparation is key to everything.
It is preparing for the worst possible situation, and being relieved when it doesn't happen. Simple as that.
As Broom knows, we carry ample cash reserves and that takes the sting out of alot of potential disasters. Not everyone has that same situation, so one must prepare accordingly to their situation.
Keep in mind that everything changes if the truck stops rolling for any length of time.








Davekc
owner
23 years
PantherII
EO moderator
 

nobb4u

Expert Expediter
Just to let you know the credit reporting agencies and the banks are closing the door that Broom spoke of:

Fair Isaac to End Credit Piggybacking Practice
Published June 11th, 2007 in Credit Help and Tips.
Fair Isaac, the company behind the widely-used Fico score, has revealed that come September, people who are added as authorized users on existing credit cards will not benefit from past credit history associated with those cards.

The move comes after research revealed that credit repair companies were exploiting the loophole, allowing borrowers with bad credit to become authorized users on credit cards with a solid payment history to raise their credit score.
 
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