Writing a bad check can really be a tough predicament. It can happen to anyone, even those who that make an effort of taking care of their money. Poor budgeting and impulsive thinking are the most common root of this financial problem. If you happen to blunder into this situation, acting quickly to resolve this problem is critical because this mistake can be costly.

While a single bad check may not be too much of a problem, a number of them can cause havoc on your budget. You have to pay a bank fee which can range from twenty to thirty dollars or more. You may also have to pay the same price to the person or store for the inconvenience you have caused.

If your bad checks pile up, your bank account will quickly go into negative numbers and your bank may ultimately decide that you are a huge risk and close your account completely. Opening a new account will not be possible unless you repay the balance of your previous account and your bouncing check will recorded on ChexSystems alerting other banks of your infractions

Your problems can also worsen if establishments resort to legal action to retrieve their money. You may receive a call from companies that specialize in recovering bad checks, reminding you to resolve the problems with their clients as soon as possible. Bad checks will not affect only your finical situation; your reputation can also be destroyed as well. Banks will be reluctant to do any business with you and it will also diminish of job opportunities that will be available to you.

Try to avoid writing bad checks as much as you can. The problems that plague you after writing one can plague you for a long time. If an accident does happen, try to work out the problem as quickly as you can. Your future and reputation are at stake so always keep an eye out to keep your financial situation healthy.

There are few more stressful things than dealing with dinged credit. Millions of Americans have experience with it, so there is a large pool of experience and options to draw from. The important thing to realize is that if you are determined to repair your credit, the right tools are available to help you. One option is The Orchard Bank MasterCard.

What to Expect in General

There is no “one-size-fits-all” explanation for choosing credit cards to fix up your FICO score. There are, however, a few general expectations across the category. Whether it is true or not, credit vendors consider lower FICO scores as higher risk. That pretty much means two things: higher interest rates and lower credit limits.

You can expect to see that for at least the first year of the rebuilding process. Initial credit limits will be anywhere from $250 to $1000, most likely somewhere toward the middle or lower end. The third feature to expect from this category, including Orchard’s cards, is an annual fee in addition to precessing fees. These fees are one of a few ways that banks mitigates the risk of default.

What to Expect from Orchard

Orchard Bank, a branch of credit giant HSBC, has an industry-wide reputation as a “go-to” card for those seeking to repair their credit. Orchard Bank offers a few features across its credit card products. Firstly, they promise an offer after the application process. While that may not mean an unsecured card, they do have relaxed approval restrictions to get almost everybody started. They offer an array of cards with different levels of obligations and credit requirements. Here are their primary offerings:

The Orchard Bank Platinum MasterCard – As the “Platinum” moniker might suggest, this is the top of the line option from Orchard. The Platinum MasterCard comes with every feature somebody recovering from bad credit could hope for. The Platinum MasterCard will offer a slightly higher credit limit and lower interest rate for its users, and nice features like hotel reservation and car rental service. The Platinum MasterCard has a $39-$59 annual fee based on credit worthiness. The Platinum card has the most (relatively) stringent credit history requirements of these four cards.

The Orchard Bank Gold MasterCard - The Orchard Bank Gold MasterCard extremely similar to it’s Platinum cousin. With a maximum initial credit line of $1000, the Gold MasterCard has the same features, but a slightly higher annual fee of $79, and a processing fee of $19. As far as relative strictness goes, the credit guidelines for the Gold card fall in the middle of Orchard’s lineup.

The Orchard Bank Silver MasterCard – You guessed it: Silver. It’s the logical next step. And just like the Gold and Platinum MasterCard, the Silver offers all of the same features, albeit with a $49 annual fee in addition to a $49 process fee. We expect to see more approvals on the Silver, but probably with higher interest rates and lower limits.

The Orchard Bank Secured MasterCard – The Secured card is the bedrock of rebuilding bad credit. If you have trouble getting approved for the other offers, the this is the way to go. Secured cards, as the name implies, require a security deposit prior to usage. Typically companies, including Orchard Bank, will ask for 100%-200% of the desired credit limit upon approval. The Orchard Bank Secured cards look and act just like a regular credit card, and with time, can lead to unsecured cards with increased limits.

In general, all Orchard Bank cards share some common features. If you stay on top of your payments and refuse to let yourself get behind, then these cards will help you rebuild your credit; they do so by reporting to the three major credit bureaus every thirty days. This gives you an opportunity to show that you can handle credit card debt. These cards are accepted at over 22 million locations, and can get you a cash advance on over 770 thousand ATMs. Since it’s inception, HSBC has helped over 2 million Americans take the first step toward rebuilding their credit.

Recently, the media has given a lot of attention to how important your credit rating is. The system of FICO, which stands for (Fair Isaac and Co.), was developed to help creditors determine how much of a credit risk you may be. These scores are determined by factoring in such things as amount of credit owed, length of time the credit was established and if any late payments were made.

Even just inquiring about a loan can count negatively on a score. For people who have always managed to pay their debts on time, but suddenly find themselves in a position where they are no longer able to do so, this is devastating. Your credit rating determines if you will be able to buy a house, secure a credit card or even a job. Employers have taken to running credit reports on prospective employees, because they feel that it will indicate how responsible a person is. Even some insurer's have started to run reports, and may base your acceptance on how high your credit rating is.

If you are suddenly unable to repay your debts and have suffered from lowered FICO scores, it is imperative to begin to repair your credit. Before you can start the repair process, you must seek a solution to being unable to pay your debts. Aside from trying to lower your expenses by trimming away unnecessary things such eating out or other forms of entertainment, you may also be able to get another job to make additional income to help you to pay off your debts. This isn't possible for everyone, particularly if they have been out of work due to an illness, or lost their jobs and went for a prolonged period of time before finding another one. Now their debts have gotten so out of hand that a second job will not be enough to cover the growing balances.

Bankruptcy is an option that some people consider to help them out of their situation. The problem with bankruptcy is that it will appear on your credit report for 7 to 10 years, making it very difficult to restore your credit rating. There are also income limits and credit counseling classes that have to be taken, as well as costly attorney fees. In addition the government has recently taken steps to restrict the bankruptcy process.

There are many credit card companies today just waiting to approve your credit card application. Likewise, there are a huge variety of credit cards which supposedly offering the best schemes. Each individual has unique needs so all programs and schemes would not be satisfactory to all. Investigate about the scheme that best suits you to use that card for a long period of time.

Low Interest Credit Cards

The low interest credit cards are one of the latest additions into the already wide range of credit cards available today. If you are a US resident, you must have heard about these kinds of cards. They come with a low interest rate and allow you to transfer the balance from a higher interest card to low interest one. Moreover, your transferred balance will be held at 0% interest for a prescribed period or if not, then a very low interest rate. This can certainly save you a significant amount. Go for this option if you hope and are sure to pay it off.

Airline-Sponsored Credit Cards

Credit cards have become such a big business these days that even airlines offer credit cards to their customers. These credit cards offer a fixed amount of flyer miles depending upon the balance and transactions. If you happen to be a frequent flyer, this is a great scheme for you.

Reward Credit Cards

Reward credit cards are also becoming increasingly popular. The competition is high and each company is coming out with attractive incentives and gifts, rewards to lure you to use their card. After your points accumulate to a certain level, you will start receiving gifts. The rewards range from travel insurance to small appliances and many other kind of things. If you are among those who use the card very often, a card with a reward program is really beneficial to you.

Instant Approval Credit Cards

Instant approval cards are another kind of cards that are popular today. You apply for this card and get an immediate approval without much time to wait in between. Once you submit the application, the company does a quick verification of your background and approves your application quickly. Other normal cards usually take about two weeks to process and approve your application. Although you get instant approval, you may not be able to avail immediate credit. You might be given a temporary credit card and allowed to make purchases. However, not all companies will do this because of the risk of credit card fraud.

Don't you ever feel that's the only thing you can think of? While driving, at work, talking to people, anywhere you go your mind just fixates into "fix bad credit repair bad credit bankruptcy do it". Wouldn't you like that to stop? I know more than a couple of million people who do.

Having bad credit is terrible; it's like having a leash around your neck every time you go to a mall, look at a commercial or read an ad. There are ways to get out of a bad credit situation but they tend to be difficult, so you should be prepared.

Important Facts

Did you know that three out of ten credit reports have erroneous data on them? Yes sir. But then again, with all the amount of information that floods the three credit bureaus - TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian - one, two, or three mistakes isn't that uncommon. Plus they don't get anything for maintaining correct records. They are just being paid to maintain the necessary data, whether it's accurate or not.

Having said that, you are free to call them, review your credit reports, locate your problem, and solve them. Did you know that if you have had credit denied you are entitled for a free credit report? Aren't things starting to look better? The phone numbers are listed in any phone book or you can just ask your bank for them as well.

Act

Having bad credit isn't like having just a bad taste in your mouth; it's the real deal. Banks and any other financial institutions will look at you as a risk, making them think many times before they grant you credit, resulting in denied credit most of the times. For this matter you must begin fixing your bad credit as soon as possible.

Over 30 million Americans have less than perfect credit report ratings. There are a lot of consumers out there looking to increase their credit scores.

You can tell this simply by observing how many advertisements there are out there for quick and easy credit repair. These companies are hoping that you are looking for a quick fix to your problems.

But there is no quick way to change your credit report. If it is accurate, then you can't remove the negative. No company can repair your credit rating simply by you paying them.

The rules are the same for everyone. You simply have to understand what makes up your credit rating.

Your credit score is a number between 300 and 850 that shows your credit worthiness. If you have a low score, you are at high risk for defaulting on a loan. If you have a high score, chances are you won't default. Your lenders, landlords, insurance companies and others use your credit score to determine whether or not to do business with you.

You should start by looking at your credit report. Many people have much better credit than they assume. You can receive a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion -- once a year. You can go to annualcreditreport.com for more information.

Contrary to popular belief, each credit reporting agency does not have the same information about you. You must look at all three reports. Each agency gets information from different lenders and different lenders report to different agencies. There are often mistakes that show up one one report, but not the other two. You need to look at all three to make sure they are accurate.

Once you have your credit reports, make sure all the information is accurate. If something is wrong, you need to take the time to correct the information. Once everything is correct, you can start improving your rating.

The number one thing that will improve your credit score is paying all your bills on time. This accounts for up to 35% of your credit score. Your recent payment history can have more effect on your score than your past history. This means that if you pay all your payments on time, you can improve your score in as little as a year. This is the easiest way to get a higher credit score.

It goes both ways. If you miss a couple of payments, your score will go down. Even those with perfect records can see their score drastically drop if they miss a few payments. Many credit card companies will use what is on your report to raise your interest rate. So you don't have to miss a payment to them, just to anyone who reports to the credit reporting agencies. You have to make your payments on time.

The second thing you can do is to start reducing the debt you have. The less debt, the better your score. For those of you who use credit cards for the rewards, but pay off the balance each month, you could still be hurting your credit report. The card company may be reporting your outstanding balance before you bill is paid. This shows you have debt, even though you don't. This will lower your score. So if you use your card, you should stop for a few months before you apply for a loan.

Ask any financial advisor and they will tell you that credit cards, in general, are not a good idea. But they aren't all completely bad. The problem isn't necessarily the card, it is the way the card is used.

The average American family has approximately $7,000 to $10,000 (or higher, by some reports) of credit card debt. For most people, credit cards are a major obstacle between them and financial security. They are just too tempting. Too easy to use. And it is too hard to get out from under them.

But if you are one of the few people who have the self control to pay off your credit card bill each month -- every month -- then credit cards could have some advantages.

If you pay off your bill each month, you are basically receiving an interest free loan from the time you make your purchase until your credit card bill arrives. But the key is that you have to keep a close eye on how much you are spending, you must have the money to pay it off in full. Or you will pay interest on what you can't pay.

Many credit cards offer protection for your purchases for a certain amount of time after the purchase is made. Airline tickets purchased with credit cards often offer free life and baggage insurance during your vacation. Some provide rental car insurance. A number of cards let you earn points for every $1 you charge. Others offer you cash back on your purchases. Many of these "reward" cards can be found with little to no annual fee.

The most popular of the rewards cards are the airline credit cards. These allow you to earn points toward free tickets or other upgrades with each dollar you spend. Almost all airline cards have annual fees, but these are sometimes waived for top customers. If you have used your card a lot during the year, you can request to have your fees waived.

There are many other card programs out there -- all intended to draw customers in. There are cards that pay towards your home mortgage loan. Some will donate to your favorite charity. You can find a card linked to almost anything nowadays.

The reason that credit cards take the risk that you will take an interest free loan and pay off your bill in full is simple. First of all, anytime you make a purchase with a credit card, the store you do business with must pay the credit card company anywhere between three and seven percent of the amount charged.

The other way they stay in business is by charging credit card holders who don't pay their balance each month high interest rates. These rates are even higher for those who miss a payment.

Credit cards are banking on you not paying your balance in full. The majority of their card holders don't. They encourage you to charge by offering money transfers, convenience checks and other incentives. They want you to be surprised when you receive your bill each month at how much you owe them.

But the fact is that credit cards are only a good deal if you pay off your balance in full each month and you only buy things that you have the money for at the time you buy them.

So that leaves many advisors to ask: why not just use your money and forgo all of the trouble? The benefits to the rewards cards are so minimal, they often aren't worth the risk.

A bad credit score can really affect your ability to create the life you want. You will be turned down for loans, or given very high interest rates. Buying a house, a car, or even finding investors for your business becomes next to impossible. There are even some employers who look at credit score as an indication of your character and sense of responsibility.

So how do you improve your credit score? Ironically, one of the steps you should take is to get a credit card. It’s true: misusing credit cards can really lower your credit score…but with enough credit card savvy, it can also help you repair it. Each time you successfully pay your bill, or accumulate months or years of “clean” credit card use, then your score improves.

Of course, it may be difficult to get approved for a credit card with a bad credit score. One option is to get secured credit cards. These require you to put up collateral like a security deposit which are equal or even higher to your credit limit. Some examples of possible security deposits are cars, jewelry or stocks.

Secured credit cards will not really have very high credit lines, but that is okay. Your purpose in getting one is to improve your score, which means you should be paying the balance in full each month anyway. In fact, it is advisable that you leave your credit card at home, at least until you have your spending habits in full control.

If you need a higher credit limit (for example, if you use it to pay all your bills so you only have to worry about making one payment a month, or if you are a businessman who frequently travels) you can ask for a higher limit after you have developed a consistent record of regular payments. However, bear in mind that too high a credit limit may encourage you to rack up those charges.

Another alternative to secured credit cards are prepaid cards. Here, you determine your credit line: how much you transfer will define how much you have to spend. This is an excellent way of rebuilding your credit history and sticking to your budget. They also do not charge finance fees, but they may require an application fee. If you go over your limit, you may also be charged a fine. Always read the fine print before signing up for a prepaid card.

If you have a great credit rating and no debt, then you could be in line to make some money. And you can do it using the tools that credit card tarts have been using for years.

The Credit Card Tart System

Credit card tarts have used the incentives offered by lenders to their advantage for quite a long time. These incentives often consist of 0% interest on balance transfers for a fixed period of up to 12 months. Borrowers who have a debt apply for a new 0% credit card and transfer that debt to the new card. They make repayments as they normally would, but the balance owed is reduced since no interest is being charged.

When the incentive period is due to end, credit card tarts look around for a new 0% deal. They apply for the new card at least six weeks before the expiry of the old 0% deal, so they have plenty of time to transfer the outstanding balance onto their new 0% card.

This serial card switching allows borrowers to clear debt without paying any interest. Lenders have begun to fight back as they are losing hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of interest. Many of them now charge a balance transfer fee of about 2%. However, there are still some fee free balance transfers available, which is good news fro debt-free consumers looking to use the system to make some money.

How To Earn Money On A 0% Card

To make money from a 0% balance transfer card, it is necessary to have a good credit rating and to get two new credit cards. One credit card has a 0% balance transfer rate. This must be a card that does not charge a balance transfer fee. The second allows credit card cheques at no additional charge.

The borrower can use the balance transfer card to transfer a sum of money onto the card that allows credit card cheques. The borrower can then write a cheque for that amount and pay it into a high interest savings account. This strategy only works if the interest earned is more than the amount being paid. Borrowers can use the same technique to get a low interest loan. Long term balance transfer rates are lower than standard interest rates on loans.

It always is exciting to begin looking at homes for sale in your area, bigger and perhaps nicer than the property you currently own. Before you let the excitement carry you away and make an offer for homes for sale, first check your FICO score to ensure you can purchase homes for sale at the best rate.

If your score is below 600 for any reason, you need to take corrective action. Better to put off looking for homes for sale, until you can purchase one at a good rate. Otherwise, you will be paying thousands more than necessary for your homes for sale over the life of the mortgage. A score below 600 puts you at a disadvantage with homes for sale lenders; but with dedication and lots of effort on your part, you can improve your FICO score and get the better mortgage rate and terms for your homes for sale. This article gives you ways to improve your FICO score and your credit report.

Payment History

Your payment history accounts for 35 percent of your FICO score and has the biggest impact on purchasing homes for sale. It covers your timeliness of payments, bankruptcy, liens, wage garnishments, collections, delinquent accounts, and the severity of the delinquencies — all very important data to the homes for sale lender. Do the following to improve your payment history:

• Catch up any delinquent bills and make them current. Begin with the revolving credit accounts and then the smallest to the largest account balances. Then, stay current.

• Begin paying all bills on time.

• If you find yourself having financial problems, contact your creditors immediately — before you are late on payments. They can help you with temporary remedies that may not impact your credit rating. If you are truly in debt and do not know what to do, contact a reputable credit counselor, generally a nonprofit firm, to help you learn to manage your finances responsibly.

Even after you pay off collection accounts, they may impact your ability to purchase homes for sale. They will remain on your credit report for seven years.

Total Amount Owed This accounts for 30 percent of your FICO score, a big factor when buying homes for sale. It covers how much you owe and how many of your credit lines are being used. Improve this area by:

• Keeping your debt-to-credit ratio low. Otherwise, if you have a total credit availability of $20,000, for instance, and total owed of $10,000, then your ratio is 50 percent. High ratio percentages are negatives to homes for sale lenders. At the most, 75 percent is barely acceptable to the homes for sale lender; 35 to 25 percent is best. So, pay down your total debt to improve this ratio, lowering your credit card debt first.

• Pay off your debt. Do not just move it around. The debt-to-credit ratio makes it useless to move what you owe from one credit to another.

• Leave unused credit card accounts open, especially when they show a good credit history in the past. Close them and you do two things — (1) raise your debt-to-credit ratio by lowering your credit availability, and (2) it wipes out the history for the cancelled accounts, if no balance.

• Do not open new credit card accounts just to increase your credit availability level, especially if you do not plan to use them. Too much credit capacity is as high a risk to homes for sale lenders as a high ratio.

Length of Credit History

How long you have been establishing credit accounts for 15 percent of your FICO score, as well as how active your accounts have been. Do the following to improve this section before buying homes for sale:

• Do not open a lot of accounts too rapidly. It will lower your average account age, especially if you have established credit in only the past few years. It also makes you look risky to homes for sale lenders.

• If you have older accounts that you do not use, consider making small purchases and paying them off within six months to continue building a positive credit rating.