Many people who have a history of irresponsible borrowing, spending or repayment are now stuck with a poor credit rating. This can seriously impair your ability to borrow in the future, enter into financial contracts with companies or even find a place to live.

However there are a number of ways in which you can begin to try and repair your credit rating, ensuring that there is credit available in the future when you need it most.

The key to this process is to establish a pattern of behaviour that is financially responsible and will be recognised by important institutions as being so.

Find suitable credit cards for bad credit

The first thing those with poor credit ratings should do is explore the option of credit cards for bad credit. These will help you on the road to recovery by ensuring you have a sensible credit limit, manageable rates and a number of benefits that will reward financial responsibility.

A bad credit rating may not be the only reason you are turned down for credit. Those who are self-employed, working part time, not on the electoral roll or at a new address all suffer from difficulties and may benefit from using bad credit credit cards.

Pay off more than the minimum

The next step is ensuring that you attempt to pay off more than the minimum amount on your monthly credit statement. By doing this, you show your lender that you are genuinely interested in paying back the money leant – and all within a reasonable period of time.

This gives lenders a greater trust in you in the future and will help your credit rating.

If this isn’t possible, it is often a good idea to approach the lender to express exactly why you are having difficulties with payments. This may give you the opportunity to work out some sort of payment plan, making payments easier and reducing the risk of damaging your credit rating any further.

Don’t stop improving

Finally, it is important not to expect miracles immediately. It may take a long time and mean some sacrifice, but working with companies like aqua will benefit you enormously in the long run.

As long as you maintain a responsible level of borrowing and ensure you repay on time, you will be safe on the road to a better credit score. Just remember the work doesn’t stop and it is a bad idea to revert to the behaviour that caused the issues in the first place.