When I first began applying for credit after my bankruptcy I noticed a trend.

Lenders would ask me the same series of questions over and over again. They all seemed to care about a few key things. Of course, now I realize they were trying to quickly assess if I was creditworthy or not.

You see, after you file bankruptcy, lenders will be very cautious when considering if they should extend you credit (and rightfully so).

Can you blame them?

After bankruptcy your number one mission is to prove to lenders you're now a low credit risk.

So what do they want to see from you? The right answers to the following six questions.

Question 1: Are You Discharged?

The first thing a lender will need to confirm is if your bankruptcy is discharged. Or, in other words, if your bankruptcy is complete.

The reason lenders want to know that you're discharged is because if your bankruptcy is still "open," then you could technically still add accounts to your bankruptcy (including the lender you're applying with). Not many lenders are going to grant you credit when you still have the ability to include them in your bankruptcy.

Make sure you don't confuse the term "discharge" with the term "filing."

Hopefully you're not one of the poor saps who've had a bankruptcy dismissed.

Having a dismissed bankruptcy is bad, bad, bad. You basically receive all the negative effects of filing bankruptcy-but none of the benefits-since your bankruptcy was not completed.

It's like paying off one of your collection accounts...then realizing the collection account remains on your credit reports. So your FICO credit scores don't increase at all. They stay the same.

But there's hope even if you've been dismissed. So don't throw in the towel just yet. Life's a garden-dig it ...plant some seeds of hope...and watch as you prosper...You can still start the process of increasing your credit scores.

Question 2: When was your bankruptcy discharged?

This is very simple.

The more time that has passed since your discharge-the better.

You see, each lender has different credit guidelines. A lender's credit guidelines are essentially their minimum requirements that you have to meet in order for them to approve your application.

For instance, you won't be able to finance a new car through a low interest lender until you're discharged. Being discharged is a basic credit guideline when financing a car after bankruptcy.

Getting approved for a secured Visa® or MasterCard® is relatively easy. Just being discharged and sending in your deposit are the two most important criteria.

Unsecured credit card lenders' credit guidelines vary. Some lenders won't touch you until the bankruptcy no longer shows up on your credit reports. If you discharge debt with some lenders, you'll never get another card with them until that debt is paid back (e.g., American Express®). There are lenders that will give you a second chance-but it won't be soon after your discharge (so don't hold your breath).

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