Hi everyone you're listening to the money girl podcast

I'm Laura Adams the author of Money Girl Smart Moves to Grow Rich, a fun and practical

guide to personal finance. Order the paperback or e-book from your favorite bookseller.

I received this question from Sam. I had excellent credit until

2003 when I was in a car accident. I couldn't pay some of my medical bills and they

went into collections.

My credit report shows debt that's already been settled, paid off, and some that doesn't even

belong to me.

In the decade before the accident, I had four car loans that I paid off early,

but none of that good history seems to help.

What's the best way to get credit when I have bad credit?

No matter why you may have bad credit, there are fundamental rules you must follow

to turn the corner and approve your scores.

In this show, we'll cover smart ways to build credit when you're recovering from a financial hardship.

Improving your credit is a lot like getting in shape. It doesn't happen overnight because there simply isn't a quick fix.

Building your physical or financial health takes time,

especially if you're already overweight or are recovering from overdue debt or a bankruptcy.

But the good news is that there are ways you can improve your credit sooner rather than later.

Use the following three rules to jumpstart your credit recovery

and improve your financial health.

Rule number one, correct credit errors. There are many different types of credit

scores that creditors and merchants used to evaluate you. In fact, a

...