Bad Credit Is Not A Condition That Is Out Of Your Control

It is becoming popular for people to declare that they have bad credit much in the same way people mention that they have a terrible disease or another medical condition. I hear people saying things like, “I would like to a house, but I have bad credit.”  The tone in which they say it is kind of like someone saying “I would love to join you on the ski trip, but I have bad knees.” I have sympathy for the medically challenged, but my heart goes out a lot less so to who cite “bad credit” as if it is some affliction they have no control over.

How Do You Get Bad Credit

There are lots of super complicated formulas that go into your credit score, but one thing has always remained true; People who pay their bills on time have good credit. It is really hard to ruin your credit by paying all of your bills on time. When you take out a loan, you are making an obligation to pay it back. Failing to do so marks you as someone who fails to meet his or her obligations. While I do not believe that credit scores should be used for other purposes they were not intended for, that still doesn’t mean your credit score may not say something about you and your inclination to meeting your commitments.

Some Exceptions

Credit Scores are important, but they are not sacred. I have said before that I would certainly max out my credit and declare bankruptcy, as a last resort, in order to finance lifesaving a medical procedure for myself or a loved one. There are other unusual situations that can involve illness, disaster, or a death in the family where your credit score can suffer though little fault of your own.

Who Has Bad Credit

The people I am talking about who casually volunteer that they have bad credit are not victims of these circumstances, merely people who got in over their heads ing things they couldn’t afford to pay for. They are the people who new cars while they are carrying a balance on their credit cards. They are the people who invite you to expensive concerts or sporting events who don’t like to hear no for an answer when you tell them that you can’t afford it. They are people who do not take the time to figure out who is billing them for what and just decide to ignore some bills. They are the people who go on vacation or even move, without notifying all of their credit cards.

What Can They Do About It

There is so much written about how to get out of debt and improve your credit score, that it might be second only to sex as a search term on the Internet. Again, it all comes down to paying your bills on time, the rest is commentary. Some learn to control their credit card spending, while others may have to go to the extreme of cutting up their credit cards and using cash or debit cards.

In Conclusion

Unless you have been the victim of a tragedy, spare me your sob stories about “having bad credit”.  Your bad credit is a symptom of your bad habits and possibly a spending addiction. Like any bad habit or addiction, you need to take action to fix your problems and fix your credit. Acting as if it is a condition that is out of your control insults us both.