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$$$ Till Debt Do Us Part $$$
“For richer, for poorer, for better, for worse…” It may sound romantic but couples should vow to stay out of debt while planning their wedding. Many couples use their personal credit cards to pay for their dream wedding. After the elaborate event is over, what’s left - DEBT! Most marriages that start out in debt end up in divorce.
Marriage bonds two people together along with everything they own, including their credit reports. Couples should discuss their credit reports BEFORE getting married to avoid any possible issues or surprises. Erroneous information can be disputed, and usually resolved with proper investigation. In Georgia you can get two free copies of your credit report from each of the three main bureaus each year - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
There are five main factors that make up your score:
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Your payment performance history (35%)
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Indebtedness - how much you owe (30%)
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The age of your credit history (15%)
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Your pursuit of new credit (10%)
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Your credit mix - the type of accounts in your credit report (10%)
 How do you raise your score and keep it high?
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Always pay your bills on time.
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Keep balances low on credit cards, and pay them off every month.
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Don’t open new credit cards or accept higher credit limits.
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Don’t open a lot of accounts rapidly, but keep cards for a long time.
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Do all your rate shopping for loans within a two week period.
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Re-establish your credit history if you have had problems.
If you don’t have time to do-it-yourself, you can contact a credit repair company. They can file investigations and help negotiate lower monthly payments and lump sum settlement agreements with creditors.
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