 TITLE: What Are the Requirements for Bankruptcy? CONTENT: How to Start Rebuilding Your Credit After a Bankruptcy\n------------------------------------------------------\nOne of the most important things to remember about a bankruptcy is that it won't linger on your credit reports forever. More good news: You can do a lot to start rebuilding your credit before the bankruptcy disappears from your credit reports. Here are six steps to take.\n1.  Always make on-time payments. When your credit scores are calculated, your payment history plays a major role in the most commonly used credit scoring models. On-time credit card and loan payments demonstrate that you're a responsible borrower, and can help bump up your credit scores.\n2.  Handle past-due accounts. If you miss payments on household bills, such as those for your utilities and cellphone service, accounts can be charged off and turned over to bill collectors. When an account goes to collections, it can harm your credit. Getting current on past-due accounts can prevent them from dragging down your scores.\n3.  Boost your credit scores. On-time bill payments can also help lift your credit scores if you take advantage of Experian Boost™† . This free service counts your on-time monthly payments on your credit report, potentially leading to an instant rise in your Experian credit scores.\n4.  Keep credit card balances low. Did you know that you don't need to maintain a balance on a credit card to preserve good credit overall? Actually, paying off your full credit card balances and consistently doing so every month can be one of the fastest routes to better credit.\n5.  Start an emergency fund. Putting aside some money for emergencies, such as unexpected car repairs or medical bills, can keep you from missing bill payments or running up credit card debt. Even stashing enough money to cover just one monthly rent payment might help keep you out of financial trouble.\n6.  Consider a secured credit card. Unlike unsecured credit cards, secured cards require a security deposit. This allows companies to issue credit cards to those who don't necessarily have excellent scores. If you miss payments on a secured credit card the issuer can keep your deposit. The amount of the security deposit usually dictates your credit limit. Be sure the issuer of a secured card will report your payment activity to all three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax). Using a secured card responsibility could help improve your credit scores, but missing payments and defaulting could leave you worse off than before. END