Paying off any debt requires self-control. Generally true in the case of the debt snowball method. The main approach is to have courage to tackle debt as quickly as possible, even if it means you end up paying more in the long run due to interest.

· Start paying off your smallest debt. The goal is making the highest payments you can afford and cutting your lifestyle if necessary to pay it off as quickly as possible, still make the minimum payments on other debts.

· As soon as the smallest debt is paid off, take the amount you were paying on that debt and put it towards paying off the next-largest debt.

· When that debt gets paid off, take on even bigger monthly payment and use it towards the next largest debt.

· Repeat the process until your debt free!

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Pros of the Debt Snowball Method

The primary advantage of the debt-snowball method is the positive. The debt snowball method will give you the motivation working hard to tackle your debts.

Cons of the Debt Snowball Method

The debt snowball method is often more expensive because more interest increases on loans.

The debt snowball method is a method worked out in achieving paying off your smallest debts first, working your way up to the biggest debt.

The debt snowball method, you start small—paying off your smallest debt as quickly as possible, then moving on to the large debts—pinpoint each debt one at a time.

How much will a secured credit card raise my score?

Can’t say for sure how much your score might improve, using a secured card can boost your credit score under six months focusing on the five factors that make up your credit score.

· Payment history

· Credit utilization

· Length of credit history

· Credit mix

· New credit

If you want to start building credit with a secured card, make your payments on time every month. Maintain a good credit utilization ratio by keeping your debts low and paying off your balances. Prevent hard credit inquiries that can lower your credit score. The time your credit improves, so will your length of credit history—when you become eligible for more lines of credit, you’ll be able to build the credit mix that might help you earn a perfect credit score.

· Delinquencies: 30-180 days. A delinquency remains on your credit file for seven years, from the original date of the missed payment.

· Collections Accounts: Remain seven years from the date of the missed payment led to the collection (the original delinquency date). When the collection account is paid in full, it will be marked as a “paid collection” on the credit report.

· Charge-off Accounts: When a delinquent account is sent to a collection agency. It will remain for seven years from the date of the initial missed payment the led to the charge-off (the original delinquency date), even if payments are later made on the charge-off account.

· Closed Account: Closed accounts are no longer available for furthers use and may of may not have a zero balance. Closed accounts with delinquencies remain for seven years from the date reported closed, whether closed by the creditor or by the consumer. The delinquency notation will be removed seven years after the delinquency occurred when pertaining to late payments.

· Positive closed accounts continue to be reported for ten years from the closing date.

Your credit report summary of your payment history. Credit reports are managed by three national consumer credit bureaus (Experian®, TransUnion® and Equifax®), of which debt is collected, and payment data reported voluntarily by lenders.

This includes the following:

The amount of debt you have today

Credit accounts you opened previous in the past

Payment history of repaying debts (on time, late or missed)

Occasionally, credit reports may also include your history of rent or utility payments, but the number of landlords and utilities that report payment information to the credit bureaus is very slim.

Issues on your credit report may occur such as:

Loan defaults

Car repossession

Home foreclosure

Bankruptcy filings

Collections

Tip: What is not in a credit report Race, Ethnicity, Marital Status, Income, Medical History Criminal Records, and Level of education.

A good credit score is a score of 670 or higher. A score of 740 to 799 is considered very good, and a score of 800 or higher is considered excellent. Credit scores range from 300 to 850. Each credit bureau has its own credit scores, and those may vary. For example, you may have a score of 745 with two bureaus and 735 with another.

The credit score you need to rent an apartment is the landlord decision. Some landlords expect good credit, while others are okay with fair or even poor credit if you have sufficient income. Landlords may also be worried about red flags such as evictions, collections, and foreclosures than with your credit.

Credit utilization is the ratio of your outstanding credit card balances to your credit card limits. It measures the amount of available credit you are using.

To calculate your credit utilization ratio, simply divide your credit card balance by your credit limit, then multiply by 100. The lower your credit utilization percentage, the better.

Low credit utilization shows that you're only using a small amount of the credit that's been extended to you.

Five major factors have an influence on your FICO credit score, the most used credit scoring model:

• Payment history (35%)
• Level of debt/credit utilization (30%)
• The age of credit (15%)
• Mix of credit (10%)
• New Credit (10%)2

Your credit score—including your credit utilization ratio—is calculated based on the most recent information posted on your credit report. Because credit card information is updated on your credit report based on billing cycles and not in real time, your credit score may not reflect the most recent changes to your credit card balance and credit limit.

The balance and credit limit as of your credit card account statement closing date is what's used to calculate your credit score.