Hello, I have had bad credit for some time, but have no debt

Todd, First I would suggest going over your credit report and looking to see if there are any errors you could clear up or even any you could get resolved. This could help raise your score and get you better interest rate. There are credit cards you can get that you actually put down a certain amount, say like, $250 and that is the amount that is available for you to use. These cards are out there to help build credit. I do not know any off hand but maybe someone else does.

Hi Todd,

Well, I think you can do it yourself only. Check your credit report thoroughly. Terms such as "satisfied" or "settled" should appear on your report. See carefully if you have any late payment record. It there are late payments recorded, then you can negotiate with your creditor and ask them to remove it.

You can apply for gas/store cards, as these will help to boost your credit score. I would also suggest you to keep some credit accounts open. This will help to retain the credibility among the creditors.

The best thing you can do is get a secured credit card. You have to deposit some amount of money against which you will get the card. Just use it properly paying the bills on time. You might also join a credit union. If you become a member of credit union, it will be easy for you to qualify for a loan or a credit.

Payday loans (from my personal 'nightmare' experiences with them) are not a good idea!!!! Most of them are illegal an don't help you at all! Actually, you get into MORE debt if you get a loan from them.