By Evan Vitale

Bad credit can happen to anyone. Loss of a job, medical bills and other circumstances can make it difficult to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, as we all know, bad credit follows us for the rest of our life. It will make it difficult to buy a home, a car or rent an apartment. Bad credit can also mean higher auto insurance premiums or higher interest rates and other problems.

Never fear. You can work to rebuild your credit score by following some simple steps along the way:

– Apply for a secured credit card. While it’s “secured” by a deposit equal to the card’s credit limit, it’s a good way to get started in rebuilding your credit as your payments here will be reflected on your personal credit report.

– Consider applying for another credit card. Don’t go crazy and apply for many; just one. You may find a financial institution will give you a credit card with a small limit ($300 for example) and a high interest rate and annual fee. Only use the card one or two times per month to make small purchases. These would be for things you would normal need to purchase such as groceries or gasoline. Make your payments on time and pay off the balance due each month. After a while, the card will increase your spending limit, but continue to follow the plan.

– Check your credit report and dispute any outstanding debts you are unsure of on your report. Try to get older negative credit information removed from your report. Anything you can get removed from your report will help boost your credit score.

The process may seem slow at times, but you will steady start to improve your credit score and get back on the road to good credit.