Subprime credit is a serious problem for many Americans, keeping them from homeownership and a variety of other life milestones. Many people don’t realize just how prevalent bad credit is in America. Here are some sobering stats about bad credit – and how to bounce back from a subprime credit score.
34.8% of Americans Have Bad Credit
According to Experian, one of the three big credit report bureaus, a whopping 34.8% of American adults have a subprime credit score. A subprime credit score is a score between 300 and 689 on the FICO scoring model, which 90% of lenders prefer to use to judge an applicant’s creditworthiness. This accounts for both “bad” credit scores (300 to 629) and “fair” credit scores (630 to 699).
Another 10% of Americans Have No Credit
Surprisingly, another study shows that 10% of American adults – or 26 million people – have no credit at all. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), these people are known as “credit invisible.”
No credit doesn’t necessarily mean a person has never had credit. No credit score also does not mean no credit history. Rather, a person with no credit history experiences one or more of the following:
- No credit accounts open during the last seven years
- Limited credit history, but not enough to create a credit score
- No credit experience at all
The Dangers of Subprime Credit Scores
Having a subprime credit score can impact many aspects of your day-to-day life. Those with bad credit receive significantly higher interest rates on everything from credit cards to auto loans to mortgages. Throughout a 30-year fixed mortgage, for example, the difference between a bad – and good – credit score can equate to hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest.
Bad credit also impacts things like apartment hunting and even job applications. This is because potential landlords and employers can view your credit report. If they see bad credit and a series of late payments, you might lose that new apartment or dream job.
People in certain socio-economic communities are at greater risk from both subprime credit and credit invisibility. Groups at the greatest risk include Hispanic and African American communities, as well as those in low-income areas.
Subprime Borrowers Don’t Have Much More Debt Than People with Excellent Credit
Despite the dangers that subprime credit presents from a borrowing standpoint, people with bad credit don’t have that much more debt than other Americans with good or excellent credit scores. The average credit card debt amount for a subprime borrower is approximately $6,500. The average credit card debt for a person with good credit is only slightly lower, at roughly $6,200. Subprime borrowers also owe less on installments like mortgages and personal loans, but these may reflect the difficulty in obtaining those loans for people with a poor credit score.
The Good News Is That Subprime Credit Is Reversible
While bad credit is a reality for a considerable percentage of Americans, it can change with patience, persistence, and hard work.
Here are five tips to quickly rebuild your credit score:
Check Your Credit Report
One of the simplest ways to begin improving your credit score is by signing up for a credit monitoring service. Using a monitoring service, like MyFICO or TransUnion, allows you to inspect your report and make sure everything it contains is accurate.
Dispute Negative Remarks and Late Payments
If you see anything incorrect on your report, make sure you dispute it as quickly as possible. Sometimes payments go unreported, leading to accounts ending up in collections. Proving these mistakes were not your fault can boost your credit score fast by removing missed payments and other damaging remarks.
Contact Lenders About Consolidation or Refinancing of Debt
Those struggling with existing debt should also consider applying for a debt consolidation loan to eliminate multiple monthly payments. Alternatively, discussing refinancing options with your existing lenders can be a painless way of reducing your monthly payments – just make sure to be nice!
Get Additional Credit Cards
Adding more credit might seem counter-intuitive, but another credit card can help increase your credit quickly. There are two types of credit cards for people with subprime credit: “fresh start” unsecured cards and secured credit cards.
Secured Cards for Bad Credit
Secured credit cards are an excellent option for those looking to repair their credit score. The reason for this is because they are easier to receive than most unsecured credit cards. A secured card requires a deposit, which acts as the “security” for the account. This security makes lenders more willing to provide credit for those with subprime credit scores – and those with no credit score at all.
Because the security deposit on these cards also acts as the credit line, secured cards make perfect sense for people that want the flexibility to determine their own credit limit. A larger credit limit, for instance, allows you to lower your credit utilization significantly, while also increasing your overall credit limit – both which will increase your credit score. Of course, not everyone can afford a large deposit, so secured cards also make sense for those who plan on making a much smaller deposit – often as low as $200.
Some secured cards, like the First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard®, feature an APR under 10%. This interest rate is exceptional for any credit card – at any credit score – so to find it on a credit builder card is impressive.
Related Article: What are the best secured cards of 2020?
Unsecured Credit Cards for Bad Credit
For those who either prefer not to opt with a secured card or who simply cannot afford the deposit requirement, there are also a variety of unsecured credit cards for people with bad credit scores.
One of the benefits of some unsecured cards is the ability to receive a credit limit increase with responsible use. Two cards that offer this perk, the Reflex Mastercard and the First Access Visa Card, feature modest credit limits of $300, which the bank may increase in time.
Other popular options include the Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® and the Milestone® Gold Mastercard® which offer pre-qualification, saving you the headache of potential rejection.
For those struggling to find a credit card for their damaged credit score, the Group One Platinum Card is a worthwhile option that offers ease of acceptance. This card offers a $750 unsecured line of credit to the Horizon Outlet – an online shopping portal. The shop provides an impressive list of products, meaning the cards provide excellent value.
The beauty of all these cards, however, is that they report to the major credit bureaus every month. This means if you pay your balance and keep your credit utilization low, you can quickly raise your credit score by 10, 20, or even 30 points in as little as six months. That, in turn, can open the door to better credit options, lower interest rates, and reduced debts.
Related Article: 5 Tips to Manage Your Finances After Losing Your Job
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