Just because you have a poor credit report doesn't mean you won't be able to get credit. Creditors set their own credit-granting standards and not all of them look at your credit history the same way. Some may look only at recent years to evaluate you for credit and may grant credit if your bill-paying history has improved. It may be worthwhile to contact creditors informally to discuss their credit standards.
If you can't resolve your credit problems yourself or you need additional help, you may want to contact a credit counseling service. There are non-profit organizations in every state that counsel consumers in debt. Counselors try to arrange repayment plans that are acceptable to you and your creditors. They also can help you set up a realistic budget. These counseling services are offered at little or no cost to consumers. You can find the office nearest you by checking the White Pages of your telephone directory.
In addition, non-profit counseling programs are sometimes operated by universities, military bases, credit unions, and housing authorities. They're also likely to charge little or nothing for their services.
You can also check with your local bank or consumer protection office to see if it has a list of reputable, low-cost financial counseling services available. Here are some more suggestions:
Neighborhood Housing Services offers financial counseling at no fee. It does not offer debt consolidation loans, and has offices in every city in the country. Refer to their website at: http://www.nw.org.
http://www.HUD.gov lists approved counseling agencies that help homeowners in financial trouble.
