Tell me if this sounds familiar — you’re sitting at home at night, trying to figure out how to get rid of bad credit, and worrying and feeling bad about all of the things in life that you’re missing out because of your poor credit score and history, and all the credit card debt you are in. That’s not a fun situation to be in. In fact, it’s actually pretty depressing. But the worst thing you can do in that situation is giving to despair and simply give up!

No, because it’s such a long and arduous task to figure out how to get rid of bad credit in most situations, the number one thing you are going to need is tenacity. You need to fix your eye on the prize — which in this case is a good credit score — and you need to not give up until that goal becomes a reality.

Here are some simple, effective, realistic, and actionable tips that you can use for how to get rid of bad credit and begin reaching that goal starting today.

How to Get Rid of Bad Credit – Pay Down Balances

one of the things that you need to do in order to improve your credit score is to pay down the balances on your credit cards and loan accounts. The way that a credit score is figured largely has to do with the difference between the total amount that you owe when compared to the total amount that you could possibly owe, or rather, your available credit. A simple way to go about how to get rid of bad credit is to simply increase that amount of available credit is paying down your balance is on loan accounts and credit cards.

How to Get Rid of Bad Credit – Don’t Close Accounts

For the same reason — keeping a high amount of available credit — you will definitely not want to simply close your credit accounts once you have paid the balance is down to zero. This has absolutely nothing to help in that mathematical equation of subtracting the amount that you owe from the amount that you could borrow if needed. Rather, keep the credit accountOpen, so that it adds to that total of credit available to you, but simply do not charge anything to it so that you keep the balance in the money that you owe column low.

How to Get Rid of Bad Credit – Get Credit When Possible

Another way that you can increase that difference between what you can borrow and what you actually owe it to open a brand-new credit accounts when you have the opportunity, and do not charge anything to them. Or if you do charge to those accounts, pay it off the same month that you charge it. You will want to wait to start applying for these accounts until your credit score has risen to the minimal level that you are relatively sure you will be accepted for them.

In this way, you can open up the new accounts without getting the dings  on your credit report that show up when you have your credit run and do not get accepted for the credit you are applying for.

How to Get Rid of Bad Credit – Dispute Bad Items

Another way that you can go about the process of how to get rid of bad credit is to actually disputes items on your credit report that you disagree with or you think are inaccurate. After all, the worst they can say is no. If there are items on your credit report that you feel are wrong, and therefore will not hold up to scrutiny, you definitely need to take the time and trouble to see if you can get them taken off your credit report. Removal of negative items is a great way to raise that score.

How to Get Rid of Bad Credit – Pay Bills On Time

Lastly, is the best way to raise your credit score. Simply by doing what you should do to maintain a good credit score all along, you can also get rid of bad credit and raise your credit score once it is already poor. Of course, what I’m talking about is paying your obligations on time each and every month. If you consider each on-time payment as a gold star in the column of responsibility, it becomes very satisfying to make each of those payments, and you can picture your credit score going up and up, point by point.

This last tip is really the best and only way to maintain a long-term solid and decent credit score.

How to Get Rid of Bad Credit – Final Tips

do not despair. It is absolutely possible to have a great credit score or even after it has been low. By using the tips outlined here, you can resume traveling on the road to responsibility and solid financial living. The process of how to get rid of bad credit is by no means an easy one, and it is absolutely not something that is going to be fun or simple, but it is more than worth it and you will be so happy and proud of yourself once your credit once again reflects the decent and responsible person that you are!