Are you thinking about doing credit repair on your own? Well, as the saying goes, there is no such thing as easy money. In fact, in the case of credit repair, there is a lot of work involved. Your credit score is made up of a lot of factors. There are several that contribute to your credit score. There are even a lot of factors out of your control. How much you own, whether you pay your bills “before they come due,” how long you have lived in your current apartment, whether or not you have been gap-busting, and much more. With so much at stake, you should strive to get a high credit score. Always put yourself in a good situation. Never let yourself be in a bad situation.

Do: Go to your bank and open a savings account with a large initial deposit. You can probably open one that pays a decent rate and has no application fee.

Do: Apply for a secured credit card. With this card, you deposit a certain amount in a savings account that is held as security for your line of credit. Usually these cards will charge a small amount of interest, but if you miss any payments you will usually not have to pay any fees. These cards also have many benefits and must meet the same standards as a regular card.

Do: Research different lenders. Carefully compare loan amounts, interest rates, and repayment plans. You might be able to get a better loan amount if they offer a lower APR. However, if you plan to only pay when the required minimum is due you probably won’t get a very big loan. But, if you meet the guidelines of the size of loan, interest, and payments, then you can usually get a loan with a fairly decent rate. It may not be what you were hoping, but in the case that you extend a loan that you can’t make, it is still a less expensive way of borrowing.

Do: Research the internet. The web is full of lenders willing to give you a loan. Research loans “on-line” and in the telephone book and you will usually find rates that meet your credit score and repayment schedule. Ask the online lender any questions you might have about a loan, because a lot of them will do that without you asking. Those web sites should include very clear terms of how to pay back the loan, along with the terms for payment from the date you are approved until the entire loan is paid back in full and you are finished paying on the set amount.

Do: Don’t believe everything you see at first to believe that everything will be great. Chances are thatergesomeone who is trying to sell you something down the line will tell you that you don’t need to apply. In fact, sometimes by the time you need a loan for something important, the lender will not only constantly refuse to give you a loan, they will also try to sell you a product that does not fit you very well. Make sure you get all the information before you sign up for a loan.

Do: Know what kind of credit you have and whether it is considered good, fair, or bad. There are some credit cards that are labeled “bad” credit. These often have very high interest rates and life very unfriendly. If you have one of these, avoid applying for a loan or consolidating your bills with this card. If you have good credit, the lender will want to know what you are planning on doing with any loan or consolidation and very often, honest lenders will not even go as far as to decline an application for a loan because of your good credit. You will probably still get a decent rate, but you may not if your credit score is to bad.

Do: Take your time in reading up any loan application. Take the application, read the small print, and ask questions if you have any doubts. Carefully compare all of the offers you have, and determine which is the best deal. Check to see if the rate will go up if you pay any of your payments are late.

Do: Get a copy of your credit report before you apply for the loan. Sometimes, over- Identity theft can cause many problems with credit applications. If you have been recently profiled as a victim of identity theft, you may not even have your credit report with you when you apply for a loan and the lender may deny you for this reason.

Do: Make sure your lender is Insured. Make sure that the lender insures themselves. An easy way to tell if they are insured is that they have the United States postal service logo on their loan applications, or provide certificates on their website that they are insured.

Lastly and Most Importantly: I mentioned it once and I shall mention it again because its very important, that you must read all of your loan documents, including the fine print.