Improving Credit & how to pay credit cards

hsnyldz

Currently have two credit cards, a barclaycard initial and a capital one. I was mainly just paying of here and there on both accounts and not managing them properly, always making the minimum as theyre all direct debits on both accounts for the past year or so.

However my credit is still quite bad i have a CCJ nearly 5 years old for 900 which was settled, a few missed payments and late payments here and there but all from 1 year ago, nothing since. And have a car loan which is 1/3 paid and all payments are on time and have been for over a year now.

Both credit cards limits have been increased around 4 months ago from 500 to 1000 each.

Now my main query is i want to manage them better in essence, i have just cleared the balance on both cards to 0 last month, spent 200 on one and when the statement came i paid in full the 200, but there was still 70 pounds outstanding which was spent after, should i wait for the next statement to pay that off?

same goes for the other card currently 700 in the red, but yet to get the statement for that which will be paid in full also. So is this the right way to go?

When i check for credit cards on a eligability checker i only get a eligability for subprime cards, nothing near the 0% cards or even less and more competative rates, when will these come into my radar? Thanks

molerat

Use the credit cards and pay the statement balance in full each month. If carrying a balance it may be worth paying it off before statement date (providing there is sufficient time before the statement is produced to show on that statement) as it will be attracting interest daily, the sooner paid the less interest. Avoid spending any more on the cards until you have cleared them though as anything you spend will attract interest from the date you spend it.

Better cards will come your way when you have a proven history of good card management and those missed payments have got to around 2 years.