This subject covers volumes. The information is out there for the taking. We think you should consider doing the following:
Go the library or buy a used book from Amazon on how to rebuild your credit. There is one called "Bounce Back after Bankruptcy" that I liked.
Get one credit card, secured or otherwise and use it monthly. DO NOT use it for things that you want. Use it to buy groceries and gas every month and pay it off religiously without fail. This will help you reestablish credit without going back into debt. Every month you use it and pay it off your credit score should go up.
Borrow against your own money. I've been telling people for years to go buy a CD at a bank or credit union. Talk to the personal banker at the bank to get a loan against it. For example, you get a $1000 tax refund. You want to fix your car with that money, and you know the car repair will be $800. Go buy a $1000 CD (or as little as $800) and get the loan against it the same day. Take the loan money and go fix your car. Then pay back the bank each month—try to set it up so the money is taken automatically from your bank account. After the payment term, you will have essentially paid your car repair off over time.
Locally here in St. Louis I have been recommending a program through Southwest Bank called the "Credit Builder CD." They will loan you $1000 to buy the CD (you don't have to have the money up front to buy it!) then you pay them back about $45 a month for 2 years or $85 for one year. At the end of the term you own the CD (so think of it as a savings account that you contribute to) and you will be reestablishing credit with an installment payment that is better for rebuilding credit than revolving credit like credit cards. Pretty sweet, huh? The banker does not check your credit because it is not a credit-based loan. It is based on the collateral that they are holding for you. If you default on the loan, the bank will cash the CD and it will all be over. Southwest Bank also has a program called "Get checking" to help you reestablish a bank account if you have had trouble with bounced checks and overdrafts.
