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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. When you file for bankruptcy, your credit score takes a major hit. This can make obtaining competitive rates on loans and credit cards challenging for quite some time. But while it may take some time to rebuild your credit score, it is possible. Here are some steps to take to get your credit score back on track. How to rebuild your credit after bankruptcy
If you are currently going through or have recently gone through a bankruptcy, there are a few things to keep in mind when rebuilding your credit. Here are a few rules of thumb to build credit after bankruptcy: Focus on making on-time payments. Stick to a budget. Beyond these, other strategies can help. Keep up with payments on existing loans and credit cards
Instead of trying to get funds right away, focus on making timely payments on existing loans or credit cards every month to help reestablish your credit. Payment history makes up 35 percent of your FICO score, so making on-time payments is one of the best ways to build your credit and show that you can be financially responsible. Why this matters: Taking the proper steps to rebuild your credit after filing bankruptcy will improve your financial behaviors and show future lenders your creditworthiness. How to get started: Work on making timely payments by signing up for autopay. At the least make the minimum payments. If possible, make extra payments. To help make sure you’re paying on time, set up reminders. Some credit cards can have a reminder sent to your phone or email before the due date. Monitor your spending. You can set alerts if you use your credit card to pay for something over email, phone, or online or if you’ve spent over a certain amount. Apply for a new line of credit
Adding a new line of credit can demonstrate that you can responsibly make on-time payments. In turn, it’ll help your credit score. However, when you apply for new lines of credit, the lender will do a hard pull on your credit. “Every time you apply for new credit, your prospective lender accesses your credit report,” says April Parks-Lewis, director of education and corporate communications at Consolidated Credit. “Those inquiries can drag down your credit score.” As too many hard inquiries will ding your credit score, try to apply for credit lines you know you can qualify for. You can also apply to get prequalified, which results in a soft pull of your credit. When you’re trying to build your credit after bankruptcy, here are some types of credit for you to consider: Credit builder loans. With a credit builder loan, you deposit money into an account. The lender keeps that money while you pay the principal and interest on the loan. These payments are reported to the consumer credit bureaus. After you pay back the loan, the money is released to you. Credit builder loans are typically offered by regional banks and community banks, and the loan amounts are small. Secured credit cards. A secured credit card requires you to dole out a security deposit before it’s issued. This deposit is usually the same amount as your credit limit, starting at $200 and going up to $2,500. Should you miss a payment or are late, the credit card issuer will use your deposit to cover your bill. If you showcase financial responsibility and make on-time payments, you’ll get your money back over time. Because secured credit cards are considered low risk, it’s a good option to rebuild credit. Being an authorized user on a credit card. You have permission to use when you’re added as an authorized user on someone else’s credit card. As you’re not the primary account holder, you’re not responsible for making payments on the card. The advantage of being an authorized user is that the primary account holder’s financial behaviors, such as making payments on the card, could help build your credit. However, if they miss or are late on payments, it could harm your credit file. Why this matters: A new line of credit can help you build your creditworthiness. How to get started: Choose one of the options from above that fits your situation best and work on keeping that line of credit in good condition. Apply for a loan with a co-signer
Should you apply for a loan on your own, lenders might deem you risky because of your credit past. Getting a co-signer on a loan can help boost your chances of getting approved. That’s because lenders will consider the co-signer’s credit score, which would up your creditworthiness. When someone cosigns a loan, they don’t have access to the money. However, they are on the hook for repayment should you be unable to keep up with your payments. Why this matters: Rebuilding credit after you’ve filed bankruptcy can help you reestablish your credit profile. By understanding the different options, you’ll learn how these different forms of credit might help you boost your credit after it’s been on shaky ground. How to get started: Explore the different options for establishing a new line of credit and see which ones you think might benefit you. You’ll want to consider whether a hard pull or soft pull on your credit is required, what you would use that line of credit for, setting limits on a line of credit, and having a repayment plan intact so you don’t fall into a deeper debt hole. Be cautious about job-hopping
As lenders often factor in your job history when approving a loan, holding down a stable job and having consistent income can boost your chances of getting a loan. That’s because stable employment can make lenders look more favorably on your ability to pay your loans. While switching jobs might be okay, having gaps in income might make you seem more like a risk to lenders. Why this matters: When you’re trying to land financing after bankruptcy because your credit is shaky, you’ll want to make sure your finances are stable. Having consistent income and not job-hopping too much can help you look more favorable to lenders. How to get started: When researching lenders, see if employment history plays a part in decision-making. If you’re self-employed or side hustle, be prepared to provide additional income verification. The more documentation you can provide that shows your income is consistent. Keep a close eye on your credit reports and credit scores
Every year, you are entitled to one free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit-reporting institutions: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Take advantage of this and regularly examine your reports for errors or missing information. If you find any inaccuracies, such as a delinquent account that doesn’t belong to you, you can report it to the appropriate credit-reporting agency. When the negative mark is removed, your credit score will likely rise. Why this matters: Inaccurate information on your credit reports can cause a low credit score. How to get started: Use to access your credit reports for free. Through April 2021, you can access each of your reports weekly. Many credit card companies also provide regular updates on your credit score. Think twice about working with credit repair agencies
Instead of paying a credit repair agency, consider using that money to increase your emergency fund and savings. Focus your efforts on the habits and circumstances that led to your bankruptcy and how you can change them. “There are many unscrupulous agencies out there that will claim they can remove a bankruptcy or fix a credit report,” says Samah Haggag, a senior marketing manager for Experian. “There is nothing a credit repair organization can do that you cannot do yourself.” Why this matters: Credit repair agencies take the heavy lifting out of credit-building but charge fees. If you’re willing to check your credit reports and disputing errors, you can save that money and use it to continue paying down existing debt. How to get started: Take a look at and request copies of your credit report before looking into credit repair agencies. Improving your finances after bankruptcy
Build an emergency fund
Because much of your debt will likely be eliminated following a bankruptcy, it’s an ideal time to start building up your savings. By putting a portion of your income into a savings account or cutting back on nonessential subscription services or memberships, you avoid applying for loans — which could put you back into debt if you’re unable to keep up with the high interest rates that come along with bad credit. Why this matters: Without an emergency reserve, it can be easy to fall into the same debt pitfalls that caused the bankruptcy. How to get started: After your debt payments are removed as part of the bankruptcy process, make sure to create a budget based on your income and remaining expenses. Include building an as part of your new budget. Stick to a budget
Chances are you dug a deep debt hole and found yourself in financial straits partly because you weren’t managing your money properly. By keeping close watch on your spending habits, you can make sure you stay within your means and don’t overspend. You might rack up more debt than you can reasonably handle when you overspend. Why this matters: Within the realm of what you can control financially, money management is probably 90 percent of financial well-being, whereas other factors such as income are 10 percent. Sticking to a budget and seeing where your money is going versus how much is coming in can help you stay under budget. In turn, you can avoid accruing too much debt. How to get started: Explore money management apps that can make it easy to see where your money is going. Many banks also offer auto-saving options, which can help you save for a rainy day. If you’re old school, you can track your spending by jotting down your purchases in a journal. Make a point to check your bank balance daily, and check in at least once a month on your budget. During your monthly budget check-ins, you can make tweaks accordingly. Be mindful of your credit habits
A good rule of thumb when rebuilding your credit is that whatever you did to ding your credit, you must do the reserve to rebuild your credit. For instance, if you hurt your credit score by having too high a debt-to-income ratio, then make a point to keep your DTI low. You’ll want to keep your credit usage to 30 percent or under. If you fell into the habit of missing payments, do whatever it takes to stay on top of your credit card payments. Remember: your payment history makes up 35 of your credit score. If you tend to rack up a huge credit card bill over the holidays, and experience holiday debt hangover, avoid it at all costs this holiday season. Why this matters: Your credit habits play a big part of keeping your credit score in tip-top shape. And when you’re rebuilding your credit after bankruptcy, it is particularly important to show to lenders that you’re financially responsible. How to get started: Start making on-time payments and monitoring your financial habits around using credit. It might also help you to sign up for a free credit monitoring service, which can show you how much progress you’ve made on building your credit back up. Can you get credit after bankruptcy
Although finding a lender willing to offer you a competitive product may be harder, there are still ways to get credit after bankruptcy. Some types of credit you could receive include: Car financing. Chern says that a Chapter 7 debtor can finance a car the day after filing. Additionally, “a Chapter 13 debtor may be able to finance a car while the repayment plan is still in effect, although the trustee’s permission is required after showing that the car is necessary to complete the debt repayment.” Conventional mortgage. Most experts say it will take 18 to 24 months before a consumer with re-established good credit can secure a mortgage loan after discharge from personal bankruptcy. Credit-impaired borrowers should prepare to pay interest rates that are two to three points over conventional rates. FHA-insured mortgage. Chapter 13 filers can get an FHA-insured mortgage if they’ve made timely payments for one year and the debtor has received the court’s permission. Debtors with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge must wait at least two years after discharge and establish a history of good credit. Bottom line
Filing bankruptcy can be the reset your finances need when you’re feeling overwhelmed or unable to keep up with debt payments. When you resort to bankruptcy, however, your credit score will be impacted. The good news is that concrete actions help you rebuild your credit. Consistently making on-time payments on existing loans and credit cards is one of the easiest and most effective ways to get started. Being cautious about job hopping, keeping a close eye on your credit report and disputing any errors will also help get your credit score back in shape. Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to rebuild credit after Chapter 7
A bankruptcy stays on your credit report for 10 years. However, when a person files Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy, the debtor immediately and dramatically reduces their debt-to-income ratio, which could set the stage for a rising credit score in a year or two.You also eliminate your ability to qualify for Chapter 7 for another eight years, so in the eyes of potential lenders, you may appear to be at a better risk immediately.
How long does it take to rebuild credit after Chapter 13
Most Chapter 13 petitioners will see a reduction in debt-to-income ratio, but this won’t occur as quickly.After three to five years of living on a strict budget, Chapter 13 debtors should be more equipped to manage their money efficiently. In many cases, after 18 months of regular Chapter 13 payments, debtors can typically refinance out of a Chapter 13, especially if you have any equity in a home. SHARE: Mia Taylor is a contributor to Bankrate and an award-winning journalist who has two decades of experience and worked as a staff reporter or contributor for some of the nation's leading newspapers and websites including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the San Diego Union-Tribune, TheStreet, MSN and Credit.com. Aylea Wilkins is an editor specializing in personal and home equity loans. She has previously worked for Bankrate editing content about auto, home and life insurance. She has been editing professionally for nearly a decade in a variety of fields with a primary focus on helping people make financial and purchasing decisions with confidence by providing clear and unbiased information. Related Articles