Your credit score affects more of your life than you might realize. While most people think about credit when applying for a credit card or a mortgage, your credit can cause problems in many other situations. In fact, your credit score can impact everything from where you live to how you deal with utility companies. Here are just four of the consequences of bad credit—and how to get around them.
Tough Apartment Approvals
Apartment rentals are increasingly contingent on your credit score. It’s expensive to evict a tenant after all, and most apartment owners don’t want to deal with non-payment. If you’ve got bad credit, there are still a few options. You can rent from a private owner who is less likely to worry about a credit score. Some apartment complexes can also be convinced to rent to you if you have a steady job and a good rental history. You might have to put down a bigger deposit, but you’ll get a roof over your head in return.
Difficulty Getting a Car Loan
It’s tough to get a car loan with bad credit. While you get dozens of pre-approved offers in the mail, most companies will reject you if you’ve got a bad credit score. Fortunately, you can work with a car dealer, like AutoStart, who has either low credit requirements or who doesn’t look at credit when making lending decisions. While you might have to make a higher down payment, these services are usually great for getting you on the road and helping you rebuild your credit score.
Problems with Traditional Loans
Getting a loan can be difficult if you’ve got a bad credit score. In fact, many lenders will outright deny your application if they see a score below a certain threshold. This isn’t the end of the road for lending, though. There are many non-traditional lenders who will help you if you’ve got a steady income stream. The interest rate might be a bit higher, but paying off these loans can actually help you in the long run.
Paying Security Deposits
Another major issue with bad credit is the need for security deposits. If you’ve got a low score, many businesses might assume that you will default on your payments and will require some money down. The best way out of this particular problem is to either seek out services with no security deposits or to find a service that will pay you back quickly. Many utility companies, for example, will give you back your security deposit after six months of on-time payments.
You can typically get around bad credit if you have enough cash-on-hand. It’s not the best way to become successful financially, but bigger down payments do offer you the chance to move on with your life. With luck, moving past these roadblocks will help you to rebuild your credit. If you’re willing to put in the work, even these issues can become nothing more than reminders of the financial mistakes you’ve made in the past.