by: Michael Saunders

Many people who have had serious financial problems misused or overused their credit cards. The following tips will help you when you apply for credit cards or an increased credit limit:

1. Be consistent with the name you use. Use your middle initial always or never. Always use your generation (Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.).

2.Take advantage of pre-approved credit for department store, gasoline, and bank cards. If your credit is shot, you may not have the luxury of shopping around.

3. Be honest, but appear sympathetic. Lenders are especially apt to ignore past credit problems that were out of your control - such as a job layoff or illness.

4. Bolster your credit application. Don't lie, but don't denigrate yourself, either. For example, if you're an administrative assistant, don't put "clerk/typist" for your job title. Also, if you are married and your spouse has excellent credit, apply jointly or at least indicate on the credit application that you are married.

5. Apply for credit when you are most likely to get it. For example, apply when you are working, when you've lived at the same address for at least a year, and when you don't have an unusually high number of inquiries on your credit report.  (continued...)
8 Essential Tips To Keep In Mind When Applying For Credit Cards
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