Tag: bad credit rating

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News Short Term Loans

Afterpay and the rise of Buy Now, Pay Later Services

Afterpay and the rise of Buy Now, Pay Later Services

Whenever you’re in a store and you see something that you’d love to buy, but your wallet is empty, you get full of frustration. You would do anything to get the necessary money, only so you can purchase the product before it’s out of stock. You’re not alone. A lot of individuals are experiencing this.

Since buy now, pay later services have been invented, people can get what they want, while not paying the full price from the get-go. Doesn’t that sound awesome?

Such services like Afterpay have risen, and millennials are loving it. While this might seem like a good option, it might not always be the wisest thing to do, especially if you have no plan on how you’ll pay the rest of the money.

Here’s what you need to know about Afterpay, and the growth of buy now, pay later services

Buy Now, Pay Later Services – What Are They?

Buy now, pay later services represent an option you have in stores when you want to buy a product, yet you don’t have enough money for the full price at that moment. Such a service allows you to submit to a plan where you pay part of the price at the beginning, whereas the rest will be paid in instalments over a certain period of time.

Usually, the buyer receives the product before making the full payment, which is something that attracts many individuals. Not to mention that the trend is extremely popular among millennials, as young people have fewer chances to receive a credit card – thus, they have to resort to other solutions. In certain situations, it’s a very convenient option.

The Rise of Buy Now, Pay Later Services

Since not all people meet the requirements for credit cards, the rise of buy now, pay later makes sense. Basically, these services let people buy something without making an upfront payment, or without having upfront interest or fees. For this reason, we are seeing millennials rush to use Afterpay.

With the rise of Afterpay, we are seeing a lot of younger consumers utilising Buy Now, Pay Later services. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has declared that the number of people using this method has gone from 400,000 to 2 million. This boost occurred between the financial years 2015-2016 and 2017-2018.

What Is Afterpay?

Afterpay has become the most popular choice of service for Australians.  As mentioned it is a buy now, pay later service that allows you to pay for something in four instalments. This allows you to buy a product or use a service without having to provide full upfront payment.

One of the major appeals to using these Buy Now, Pay Later services is the fact that there is no interest charged. As a customer, you are required to pay for your purchase in instalments for about 56 days. Whilst no interest is charged, you will have to pay a late fee if you miss payments. Timely payments will grant you access to a free service.

Late payments

Buy Now, Pay Later services such as Afterpay are generating their revenue from customers who are late with their payments and merchant fees. In fact, 17% comes from late fees, and the rest comes from merchant fees.

The service has made a reputation ever since May 2016. It was able to raise $25 million through shares. It’s market capitalisation was of $165 million, after selling more than 15% of their equity. Afterpay makes sure to give the retailer all of their requested amount upfront, to assume the non-payment risk that may come with some customers.

Although Afterpay was launched only 3 years ago, 16,500 Australian retailers offer it as an option. Moreover, 10% of customers in Australia are using the service. Its success is undeniable.

Is it worth it?

Buy now, pay later services can be very convenient. They guarantee that you can purchase a product in time, before it sells out, even if you don’t have the whole amount of the price. As a consumer, this is really appealing.

At the same time, Buy Now, Pay Later services can be detrimental to your personal finances. Many young Australians are overspending and paying for products that they simply cannot afford. If you continue to miss payments, you can also receive a default on your credit file. Unless you clean your credit, you may struggle to secure a loan in the long run. Whilst alternative lenders offer support for people with bad debt, it is better to prevent this from happening early on.

The key to using Buy Now, Pay Later Services such as Afterpay is to come up with a plan, budget and make sure that you’ll be able to pay off all instalments in time. Not doing so will end up costing you more than you want to, and you’ll only deal with debt afterwards.

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Financial Fitness

How Do I Fix My Credit Score?

fix my credit score

A bad credit report can cost you thousands of dollars in interests, penalties and fees and many people have asked us “how do I fix my credit score?”. It may also block you from getting a promotion or possibly from getting a promotion or the best deals for a dream car. Here are tips to answer your question.

Request for free copies of your credit file 

…from the major credit reporting bureaus in the country. It is important to check your file if you want to start repairing your credit score.

Examine your files to know exactly the areas that you need to work on. For example, if you have a terrible credit history, it will be helpful if you can check which accounts you have missed paying, and when you started doing so. If you have done poorly because you always maxed out your credit cards, it may be time to refer to those accounts so you will know which card to stop using for the moment. At the same time, it would also help you check whether you have defaults on old accounts so you can settle them as soon as you can.

Dispute credit errors

It is your right as a consumer to get correct credit report. The law allows you to dispute errors by sending a dispute letter to the credit bureau that listed inaccurate entries.

Remember that errors are costly. They can seriously hurt your credit score and bring it down by over a hundred points. What’s worst, you may not qualify for low interest loans simply because of data entry errors or failure on the part of the creditor to update your credit information. It is also a good opportunity for you to correct wrong information that indicates identity theft or credit card fraud.

Minimise your credit card balances

Don’t go beyond 30 percent of your credit limit. Pay all your balances for the month, and when you use a card, make sure that you keep those card balances low to boost your score. If you are having a hard time in paying multiple credit card balances, you can get a personal loan to consolidate them—not only to boost your score but to save money on interests. It is also easier to remember repayment schedule because you only have one lender to think of, so your chances of missing payment is very low.

Lower your utilisation rate

It is not enough that you pay balances in full each month. If you have a higher utilization ratio than 30%, they will still add weight to your monthly balances. One of the best ways to deal with it is to make sure that you make multiple payments throughout the month, to lower your balance. But, not all credit card providers allow this. So, it is important to stick to your credit limit at all times.

Will paying nuisance credit card balances fix my credit score?

Do you have small balances on a number of credit cards and you haven’t paid them yet?

If you want to boost your score, eliminate all the balances on your cards. Instead of charging $50 on credit card A and another  $50 on credit card B, why don’t you just charge them all in one card with a low interest rate, and pay it all off each month?

Don’t get old accounts off your credit report

True, you want to get rid of negative items because they are bad for your report. But, your score will improve when the oldest paid account remains there. The old debt on your credit report like a mortgage or car loan is not bad, so don’t be in a hurry to get it removed from your file the minute you get your debt paid off.

Most of the negative items are really bad for your credit score. But, they just disappear from your credit file after seven years so don’t argue to get your old paid accounts eliminated from your file. Even if it showed that you missed a lot of payments—just keep them there. At least, you were able to show that you managed to repay after all.

Then of course, there are good debts. A good debt is the account that you’ve handled well and paid on time. When it appears on your file—your score will be better simply because you have a long history of good debt. Lenders will also look at your application favorably knowing that you have been a responsible borrower for a long time.

How do I fix my credit score when I have good and bad debts?

In a nutshell, leave your old debts alone, pay all your balances. Don’t close accounts, especially those where you had solid repayment record—because it will eventually boost your score and increase your chances of getting favorable loans. For a shortcut to fix credit history, contact Clean Credit.

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Bad Credit Loans

No Guarantor Bad Credit Loans Explained

no guarantor bad credit loan

Having bad credit can be stressful. That’s because a bad credit history has immediate consequences on your financial future. It impairs your ability to get a home loan, a personal loan or any other form of credit. If you’ve defaulted on loan repayments, applied for a credit card or entered a debt agreement, all these aspects can significantly affect your finances for years to come. Fortunately, no guarantor bad credit loans are a possibility. Find out your options below.

How can I get approved for bad credit loans?

Obviously, there are some things you can do to maximise the likelihood of getting a suitable loan, such as the following:

Avoid making numerous credit applications simultaneously

This may seem like the guaranteed way to obtain a loan; in fact, the more applications, the higher the odds of getting a loan, right? In fact, that is far from being true. This is a red flag to lenders, even for those who provide bad credit loans. This strategy could deter you from accessing credit in the future. If you already did that, you should at least wait for a while until you make other applications.

Use a personal loan calculator

Personal loan calculators can be genuinely helpful. You can use one to determine if you can afford to make repayments for a certain loan or not. Bear in mind that lenders will accept your application only if you have the financial means to make repayments. This applies to both bad credit loans and conventional loans.

getting-loan

Check your credit score to know where you stand

Let’s say that you already know that your credit rating isn’t the best. However, we advise you to have it checked. This way, you can verify your standing point. Apart from that, your credit rating may contain mistakes and inaccuracies. In this case, you can have them corrected.

What are my loan options if I have bad credit?

If you want to get approved for bad credit loans without a guarantor, this reduces your options. The primary reason why it is recommendable to opt for guarantor loans is that this increases your reliability as a borrower, maximising the likelihood of obtaining the desired financing. However, you can also opt for the following:

Secured personal loans

An option would be getting a secured personal loan, involving collateral such as the equity in your home or another significantly valuable asset. This way, a lender would be more willing to provide you financing, overlooking the negative listing on your credit history.

However, the obvious risks that come with the territory are that if you default on the loan, you’ll end up losing the asset placed as security. Even so, without collateral and guarantor, your chances of getting a loan are minimal, unfortunately.

Short term loans

If you want to borrow a fixed sum, up to $2,000, you could pick a short-term loan from a payday lender. The thing is that these lenders don’t concentrate on your credit history. In fact, they are much more focused on your current financial possibilities and capability of making repayments.

check-options

What Else Should I Consider?

It’s important to note that bad credit loans with no guarantor are high cost. This is a general rule. So, you should know what to expect if you do decide to go for it. Obviously, these loans involve high risks for the lender. Therefore, it makes sense that the lender would charge enormous fees.

And lastly, bear in mind that numerous disputable lenders operate in the realm of bad credit loans. In other words, you should pay attention to scammers that might claim to solve all your financial difficulties, irrespective of their severity.

So, we strongly recommend you to double-check each loan and its specifications noted in the fine print before signing any documents. ASIC has actually warned Australians that they should be doubly wary when it comes to applying for bad credit loans due to the high-interest fees and inflexibility. Apart from that, the repayment period could be shorter than in the case of conventional loans, which would make it even more challenging for you to deal with the situation.

Additionally, make sure you factor in the additional fees, which are added to the costs of the loan, aside from the interest rates.

Conclusion

When you apply for a no guarantor credit loan, you should be wary and attentive to the loan terms. If your financial position allows you, you should wait a while until you may afford to get another type of loan, to avoid paying a significant amount of money in interest fees and other charges.

By all means, choose a reliable lender. On that note, contact us for a free consultation and assessment for your loan enquiries as our experienced specialists are keen on helping people with bad credit and provide them with excellent services. Call us now on 1300 138 188 or enquire here for our bad credit loan option today.

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News Debt Management

Many Australians Are Turning to Debt Agreements

part 9 debt agreements

Debt agreements are an alternative to declaring bankruptcy. Rather than be haunted by the irreversible effects that bankruptcy can have on your credit record, entering into a debt agreement can give you a debt-free fresh start. They’re becoming the popular choice for Australians in need of debt solutions. Debt agreements are overseen by the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA). As a government body, it’s AFSA’s job to regulate debt agreement administrators, in order to ensure they are resolving debt at the highest standard possible. The AFSA has been finding an increasing number of Australians are turning to debt agreements to solve their debt problems.

Why So Many Australians Are Turning to Debt Agreements

Although a debt agreement is technically an act of bankruptcy as it is under the Bankruptcy Act of 1966, it is considered another option to going bankrupt. There are also many differences between the two, making one look like a much better option to thousands of Australians. A formal debt agreement will appear on your credit file for five years and can prevent you from obtaining further finance during that time.

The AFSA has reported that there were 28, 288 personal insolvency cases reported across Australia during the 2014-15 financial year. Additionally, their June report found that there was an increase of 4.3% for people who entered into Debt Agreements compared with the March quarter. That figure rose from 2,568 to 2,678. Of the Australians who entered Debt Agreements, only 7.7% of them were for business-related reasons, which suggest that the rest were personal debts like credit card debt from overspending.

The amount of Australians entering into debt agreements for personal reasons shows that as a nation, we frequently get over our heads in arrears. Whether getting into uncontrollable debt is due to living beyond our means or just poor budgeting remains to be seen. Debt agreements are for unsecured debts; unpaid credit card, telephone and utility bills. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) puts the nation’s credit card debt at nearly $32 billion, which works out to approximately $4,300 per cardholder. That’s quite a lot of unsecured debt. It’s no wonder people are having difficulty making repayments.

Debt agreements are for people without a former bankruptcy on their credit record, who want to pay back their creditors. Going through a practitioner who specialises in agreements, your debt is negotiated with creditors and merged into a big sum that you pay back over time. If you have a debt agreement, the interest is frozen and anyone you owe is no longer able to contact you to request payment. It takes away the multiple burdens of debt collectors sending letters and making phone calls.

If you’re in need of a solution to your financial burdens, fill out our enquiry form and find out how we can help you.

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Financial Planning

Making Sense of Australia’s Comprehensive Credit Reporting

clean credit

Understanding Bad Credit with Australia’s new Comprehensive Credit Reporting

Australia’s new comprehensive credit reporting system came into effect from March 12 this year and has changed the manner in which some lenders look at risks when accepting new clients.

Continue reading “Making Sense of Australia’s Comprehensive Credit Reporting”
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Debt Management

Bad Credit Debt

repair bad credit

Over 1.5 million Australians have notched up black marks on their credit records because of overdue bills and debt.

In particular, hundreds of thousands of Victorians are among those risking finance knock backs for taking too long to pay utility bills or missing loan and credit card repayments. The revelation comes as financial counsellors expect to be swamped with households struggling to pay higher water and power bills this year.

Continue reading “Bad Credit Debt”