Category: Blog

Filing for bankruptcy can take a real toll, but it is actually possible to rebuild your credit if you take certain steps and proceed wisely.   You’ll have to wait until you receive your “bankruptcy discharge”, the document that officially clears you from your bankrupt status, as this is the document most potential lenders will want to see before they agree to give you a loan.  Once you have your discharge, you can then begin on the road to healthy credit.

Here are 5 ways to rebuild credit after bankruptcy:

Step 1:  Acquire Secured Credit Cards.   It may be easier for individuals who have filed for bankruptcy to qualify for a secured credit card.  To get a secured card you simply deposit a set amount into a savings account and the loan is drawn against that account, for the same exact amount.  That way the bank or credit union is guaranteed that you have the money to pay it off.   The minimum and maximum deposit amounts will vary from one bank to another but you can often start out on one level and be upgraded to another after severa [...]

Buying a car ought to be an exciting experience. However, while purchasing used cars, it may take a while before realizing that your ride is more lemon than road-trip bliss and luxury. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to evaluate a car’s ratings before diving deep into your pockets. Used cars for sale can be rated by assessing their reliability, road-test performance, safety, and owner satisfaction rating. In pursuance of that, Consumer Reports has carried out a survey to see which model caused buyers the most remorse. The following are the most prominent stinkers from the survey: Acura ILX Of all the cars out there, consumers hated driving Acura ILX on a daily basis. The car has been criticized from the start as a pricey model. It has made numerous updates for the 2016 and yet the ratings on these new sedans are no different from older ones. The low satisfaction comes from paint quality, sluggish acceleration, and high levels of road noises, which is hard to believe, considering who Acura's parent company is - Honda. Hondas are nearly always on the top of lists for high quality cars and trucks. Jeep Compass While owners cite the new model as a significantly bet [...]

Spoiler alert: it makes it more expensive. Nothing like beating up on those who are already down. Unfortunately, that’s the way of the world. It’s a lot like loans. The people who most need to keep their payments down – because of financial problems – are the same people who get socked with the highest interest rates. Seems unfair, but it also makes sense. From a lender’s (or in this case, insurance companies) perspective if you haven’t been able to manage your finances to the point that you pay all your bills on time, statistics show that you’re less likely to do it in the future – as compared with those who always meet their financial obligations. Read the article below to get the full scoop: If you have bad credit, you might be wondering what options you have for car insurance. So how does bad credit affect car insurance rates? Find out here.

Although they're one of the easiest ways to travel to work, cars are not affordable for everyone. You might want to go in for a good used car, but you would still need a good credit score when looking for a car loan.

Statista reports that, as of the date of this writing, car loan interest rates hover above a good 4.29%. The average amount of car financing, on the other hand, was around $30,261 by the end of 2016 in the United States.

Most third party institutions like banks require you to have a good credit report before they grant a loan - often a FICO score of 620 or above.

Don't worry, if you are among those unfortunate people whose credit score has taken a beating, there is another alternative - buy here pay here (BHPH) car lots.

The Top 7 Ways to Reduce Your Interest Rate and Save Money on Your Car Loan

Both major financial institutions and BHPH car lots provide loans with interest. Nobody likes [...]

Sometimes you just need a car, but credit challenges and limited funds can make it difficult to get a vehicle that is safe and reliable. Although you may think your options are limited, you might be surprised to learn that there are actually decent used cars on the market for under $2000. First of all, you don’t necessarily have to have a lot of cash in your pocket to get into a vehicle. There are options like second chance finance and buy-here-pay-here dealerships that can help you stretch what funds and credit you do have into the best car or truck for your budget. To get started, you need to examine your budget. There are many factors involved in budgeting for a vehicle purchase. Ask yourself the following: How much cash do you have available to contribute to the purchase? As with most things in life, cash talks. Can you afford a monthly payment? If so, how much? How is your credit? Would you be able to get financing with top lenders (banks, credit unions), or do your credit challenges require you to seek financing with sec [...]

When buying a car on a budget, you may think your options are limited. While it may be true that your circumstances do not allow you to buy a brand new vehicle, you might be surprised at the many options that are available, even if you're looking for used cars under $5,000. To get started, you need to examine your budget. There are many factors involved in budgeting for a vehicle purchase. Some questions to ask might include:  How much cash do you have available to contribute to the purchase?  Can you afford a monthly payment? If so, how much?  How is your credit? Would you be able to get financing with top lenders, or would you need to seek financing with secondary lenders, or directly with the dealer (buy-here-pay-here). If you have some cash to contribute, a good job, and great credit history, you will have many options available. But, if you are like many buyers, you are likely lacking in at least one of the 3 questions [...]

Are you concerned about the rising rates of car theft in Colorado? Car theft rose in our state by 22% last year.

Read on to learn 8 easy steps and 3 hardcore (yet still easy) techniques that will make you immune to car theft. The last technique is so simple – yet so effective –  it’ll make your jaw drop.

It’s hard to believe, but over 750,000 cars get stolen every year.

That’s one car every 44 seconds.

In fact, if you live in Colorado, your used car is twice as likely to be stolen as someone who lives in New York City.¹

Don’t let yours be one of them.

You might think that thieves mostly target high end sports cars like Porsche or Lamborghini or luxury cars such as Mercedes or Lexus, but that’s not the case.

Surprise! Here are the ten most stolen used cars in Colorado:

1. 1997 Honda Accord
2. 1998 Honda

I guess Chrysler is counting on a bunch of wealthy soccer moms for this one. Would these ladies really opt for a $50,000 Chrysler minivan, rather than a luxury SUV, like maybe a BMW (starting at 45k), Lexus (35k) , or Mercedes (32k)? Of course, the Pacifica does sport a vacuum cleaner, touch screens and reclining 3rd row seats, but I suspect that if you have enough money for this van, you can probably afford weekly trips to the full-service car wash, and your kids probably already own the latest and greatest hand-held electronics. But we can’t forget about those reclining seats. Being a kid is tough.

To understand why the U.S. auto market isn’t growing, consider a top-of-the-line minivan from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV now costs about $50,000.

With twin second-row touch screens, reclining third-row seats, a vacuum and automated parallel parking, the Chrysler Pacifica packs plenty of features to justify a hefty expense. But

How To Rebuild Your Credit History

No matter how hard you try, there are times when your credit history may just take a huge hit. Whether you're forced to file for bankruptcy, go through a rough divorce, or just make poor judgments when it comes to handling your money, you'll likely see it reflected in your credit score. That is the bad news. The good news is that you don't have to live with that bad score. To paraphrase a famous baseball movie, rebuild it and they will come (the good scores in this case).

Here's how to rebuild your financial history and reclaim your previous high score in just a few quick steps:

Keep a close eye on your credit report.  You can't hope to improve your score if you don't know exactly what it is and why it has fallen. Everyone is entitled to a free report from the [...]