Bad credit can happen to anybody and for a variety of reasons.
Debt sneaks up on you.
One credit card is good, so two will be better, you think, until it comes time to pay them.
When you have a problem making the payments on the first two credit cards, the first (but worst) answer might be a third credit card.
The next thing you know, you are sinking into an ocean of debt with no dry land in sight.
Sometimes, uncontrollable factors like the loss of a job or an illness or an accident can push people into deep debt and eventually bad credit.
For whatever reason, you find yourself with a less than desirable credit rating, there are things that you can do to repair it.
The repair process will require two things: time and communication - when creditors, and with credit reporting agencies.
The first step to repairing is to get your report from all three reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion).
You can't fix what you don't know is broken.
The second step is to correct any errors on your reports.
It's easy for them to make mistakes.
They DO make mistakes, and "fixing" your credit might just be as simple as correcting some false information.
You can find out how to get your credit reports and how to contact the credit reporting agencies very easily online.
When you are corresponding with the credit reporting agencies, it is better to use good old-fashioned snail mail and keep copies of all of the correspondence.
They use all kinds of information to determine a credit score.
Your available credit-to-debt ratio is a big one.
If your credit cards are close to maxed out, your score will be low.
You can pay down your credit card balances and improve your score.