Poor Credit Warning Signs

Credit and debt can be effective tools for helping people buy a home, or a car, send their kids to college, and even act as leverage for future purchases. However, if one takes on too much debt, it could seriously impact their financial situation. 

However, there are signals that indicate a person has poor credit, that if discovered early enough, can save a person from massive debt problems. 

One challenge is making the loan payments on time. Even if one can fit these payments into the budget, one can still strain their finances more.

Additionally, a person should not use the money spent to reduce debt for other purposes. This means that if a person spends money each month on a credit card or other unneeded debt, they are depleting their budget's resources that could be utilized to increase their wealth.

People should be on the lookout for poor credit warning signals, especially those who are having financial difficulties. 

A person's credit report will record the occurrences if you have been behind on your payments for a month or more. Unfortunately, most people are hesitant to frequently check their credit reports, especially if they believe they are taking on too much debt.

A person can have negative credit if a debt collection agency has been contacting them or if their credit card company has shut down their account. As a result, people must examine their credit reports and take quick action to fix their credit.

Budgeting is a very practical skill that ought to be taught in schools. In people's adult years, developing good budgeting habits would save them a lot of time and money.

It's never too late to learn how to manage money effectively, even if one has no idea where to start. However, it is advised to avoid getting caught in the trap of having adverse credit by being good at managing one's finances. There are routes out, but they might not always be simple.

Avoiding negative credit development is one of the best strategies to handle it. However, because life is unpredictable, some things are unfortunately out of a person's control. 

These life events could have an impact on one's money and push a person into debt. In addition, not paying a loan off when it's due will eventually have an impact on a person's credit score.

The best thing to do is make an effort to repair one's credit as soon as possible before it gets out of hand. 

It's simpler to climb out of the terrible credit category than it is to return from one with an acceptable credit score. Being aware of symptoms of poor credit can also aid in this process. 

Types of poor credit warning signs

The following list is composed of signs an individual may come across that indicate they have poor credit:

1. Declined loan application 

Lenders frequently consider the applicant's credit history and credit score when approving loan applications. They often decline to offer credit to consumers who have a track record of missing payments or defaulting on debts. 

If the lender turned down a person's loan application, they might have discovered negative information on their credit report.

Borrowers have a right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to a free copy of the credit report that the lender utilized as well as an explanation of why their loan application was denied. 

The report will detail the factors that are impacting your prospects of getting a loan. It also gives the person a chance to address the problems that are harming their credit score.

2. Defaulting on several loan payments

It is possible that if one has made a few loan payments late, it will appear on their credit record. On the other hand, there is a chance that one can make a payment before the information is recorded in the report if the wait is only a few days longer.

The creditor may have engaged a debt collection agency to help enforce the payment when it comes to payments that have been past due for more than a month.

3. A credit card is rejected or canceled by the issuer.

Having a high salary but having one's credit card application denied by the credit card company could be a symptom of weak credit. 

The customer must get an adverse action notification from the credit card company explaining why their application was denied, as required by law. In addition, the consumer is entitled to a free copy of the credit report if the information in the report was the primary factor in the denial.

Credit card providers routinely analyze current accounts to check if there has been a change in creditworthiness. As a result, some of the terms and conditions of your account may change if a person has repeatedly missed credit payments.

The credit card issuer has three options:

• lower your credit limit
• raise the interest rate
• cancel the card entirely. 

Nevertheless, the credit card company must give reasons for canceling the card. Once the terms and conditions have been satisfied, the credit card holder has a chance to correct the mistakes and reapply.

4. An agency that collects debts calls 

It indicates that some creditors have given up trying to get you to pay back one's payments if debt collection agencies are already threatening to auction or seize the lender's possessions.

Creditors may use debt collectors to make sure the person pays their utility bills, medical bills, loan repayments, credit union dues, etc. if a person has fallen behind on payments. 

One's credit report will be harmed if the creditors don't additionally disclose the non-payment to the three major credit bureaus.

A person should confirm that the collection accounts belong to them if a debt collection service contacts them. If the accounts are legitimate and reflect on one's credit record, one should settle the collection accounts right away to prevent them from being put up for auction.

5. Difficulty finding work

Employers consult a candidate's credit record when making hiring and promotion choices to obtain a sense of how they manage their finances. 

A potential employer's choice to hire you may be impacted by the existence of negative information and black marks on a person's credit report.

Some top roles, such as financial, executive, and other positions dealing with money, may require companies to check a candidate's credit report, even if not all businesses do so.

One could call one of the major credit agencies to obtain your credit report if they are experiencing problems finding employment. If there is bad information on a person's credit record, they should attempt to fix it to improve their chances of landing a job.

6. Having trouble renting an apartment

There's a possibility that the landlord will check the credit report if a person is looking to rent an apartment to see if they'll be a reliable renter. 

According to the tenant-landlord agreement, a landlord is interested in renting out his or her unit to a tenant who promises to pay the rent on time each month or periodically.

A landlord will be reluctant to rent their property to such renters if the credit report reveals major delinquencies such as several late payments and failures to pay bills. 

In this case, it is crucial to improve one's credit score before starting to look for a rental apartment to prevent being turned down.

Additional signs of poor credit 

Apart from the previously mentioned signs, there are some additional warnings a person may face if their credit score is poor, such as the following: 

1. Having zero savings 

If a person doesn't have any money set aside for emergencies, their debt may be preventing them from doing so. 

Furthermore, not having funds can increase a person's debt if they have to use a credit card to pay for unforeseen expenses.

2. Only putting the bare minimum on the credit cards each month.  

Too much debt could make finances tight and only allow a person to make minimum monthly payments on their credit cards. 

Not only might it keep them trapped in credit card debt indefinitely, but paying high-interest rates each month can also increase the cost of their loan.

3. Making new purchases while attempting to pay off outstanding credit card debt

While an individual is trying to pay off their existing debt, using their credit card to pile up new debt is a fantastic way to get nowhere quickly. 

When the person adds new items to the balance while simply making the minimum payments, they won't be able to make any progress.

4. At least one of the credit cards is close to, at, or beyond its credit limit.

One or more of an individual's credit cards being maxed out is a warning sign that they might be struggling to manage their debt, as credit cards have limits. Even worse, having several cards with their credit limits reached will hurt their credit score.

5. Occasionally paying bills, credit cards, and other debts after the due date.

Paying late indicates that the lender doesn't have enough money in their budget to cover all of the expenses since credit card payments consume an excessive amount of their revenue. 

Furthermore, making late payments can significantly negatively impact a person's credit score.

Taking action against poor credit 

Even if a person is aware that they have a debt problem, it can often be simpler to ignore it than to deal with it. People who belong in this category are often in denial, but they probably still worry about it. 

People with poor credit need to accept their predicament and deal with their debt problems. The sooner that person realizes that they are in over their head, the sooner they can start to make beneficial adjustments. 

This can be painful and involve some hard effort. However, delaying adjustments to their spending and debt-paying habits will only prolong and exacerbate the issue.

Some people find it difficult to solve this problem on their own. However, there are others ready to assist. Speaking with a financial advisor or credit counselor could be beneficial. 

They can provide advice on how to manage to spend, get caught up if the person is getting behind, and develop a strategy for repaying debt in the future.

Researched and authored by Anja Corbolokovic | Linkedin 

Free Resources

To continue learning and advancing your career, check out these additional helpful WSO resources:

• Bank Credit Analyst
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• Credit Analysis
• Credit Utilization Ratio
• Loan Analysis