reality check......

[macomb7]

well i dont know when or how it even started but since I have graduated i have just been in a downward tailspin ever since. After high school i completed 2 years of community college and graduated with an associates degree. thats when it really started to happen. I know this site is mostly about girlfriend/boyfriends etc. but i am 22 years old. I am going back to school in the fall and i'm trying to start my life. There is only one problem. I have terrible terrible terrible credit. i am probably about $5000 in debt. now being 22 i am looking into the future, i wanna get a house, start my life. but i know i wouldnt even come close to getting any kind of loan. hell i cant even get a credit card! i am seeking help from anyone who knows of anybody that can help. or someone who went through the same thing. PLEASE HELP!!!

[darkblue]

First of all - This site is about helping people with problems and letting you know you are not alone.

 

There are people your age with worse credit out there, believe me.

 

It's not the end of the world, it's just an obsticle.

 

What kind of debt is it? can it be paid of monthly?

 

Could you get a job and slowly work it off? it's the slower method, but it gets there in the end.

[Tigris]

In England we have an organisation that's free called the Citizen's Advice Bureau. They stopped the companies from charging me interest to give me a chance to pay it all back. Is there anything in your country that can help you?

 

I hope you get help soon.

 

Good luck.

[armchairshrink]

(I'm assuming you live in the U.S.) The August 2005 issue of Consumer Reports has an article called Your Credit Score. I picked it up in a grocery store a few weeks ago, so it should still be available. Get this and follow their advice on getting your credit report. I suggest this so you'll know just how terrible the corporate world thinks your credit is -- it may not be as bad as you think. You can also check your report for errors and fix them. The article also has a few tips on how to raise your credit score. (if you can't get the magazine then let me know and I'll post the websites they mention).

 

And by the way: If you're going back to college this fall, I doubt that now is the time to be buying houses. You'll have time for that later. And you will have had time to pay off some of that debt by the time you do buy a house, so don't panic about a mortgage now.

 

If you're worried about getting a student loan for school, then your debt might be a problem. Getting a job and paying it back sounds old-fashioned, but it's the only way I know of to get rid of debt (I do not recommend bankruptcy at such a young age and for that small a debt). If you can negotiate with your creditors to reduce or eliminate the interest you owe, that might help. Try it -- the worst they can do is say no.

 

I hope this helps a little. Good luck!