Living Well with Bad Credit: Buy a House, Start a Business, and Even Take a Vacation--No Matter How Low Your Credit Score

I really appreciated this book so much. The authors -- one of whom went through his own bad credit saga and ultimately a bankruptcy -- are down to earth and write in a highly accessible manner. I had always been pretty good with my credit and money, until a serious medical event (brain tumor). Then the proverbial you-know-what hit the fan. I had medical insurance, I had savings, and still ended up with a pile of debt that was crushing me. The authors helped me see the errors of my ways -- in hindsight, my reserves were insufficient -- and also to see that even the best of us can mismanage our budgets, make bad forecasts, or just pull the short straw. My own debt crisis began just as the Wall Street crisis unfolded. I had always just assumed it was a good thing to have credit cards, and before my medical saga, I generally kept my balances low or at zero. AND paid on time. But when the recession hit, some of my cards were cancelled, some lowered the limits, and the rates were jacked way up. Watching the melt-down from a hospital bed, I had some time to reflect on the whole set of assumptions we've been living with as a culture about money, credit, debt and risk. And self-employed (as the authors are), I saw my income plummet by two thirds. I found myself in a virtual 21st century debtors prison of the body, mind and soul. What was so helpful about this book, for me, were the tales about how I'm not alone, and how you really can live, and live well -- I dare say, live better! -- without a great credit score. My credit score will eventually recover, but perhaps even more important, I no longer care so much about it. The whole "your credit score is your life you have to have a good one to do anything" conversation, I'm beginning to suspect, is part of a whole way we have been trained, like lab rats, to relate to our money. I've made payment plans for some of my debt, and have offered settlements to the credit card companies (20 cents on the dollar, which they were happy to take, since my only alternative was bankruptcy). I don't really see the need to have a bunch of credit cards ever again in my life, and I no longer define my value as a human being by my credit score. I use a debit card for things that require a card (ex. hotel when traveling), and keep one credit card for dire emergencies. I'm replenishing my financial cushion. I'm rebuilding my business. But I'm relating differently to money, and to the whole machine that is the financial industry. I don't hate them, but I don't really need a lot of what they have to offer, either. A mortgage? Yes. Buying anything at 25% interest? No thanks! Life is simpler, and more importantly, easier to live. I have this book to thank for it.

I bought this book thinking I wanted to buy a house. This book really puts viewing your financial "life" as your life into perspective. I definitely have done many of the tips in this book (by default of having no other choice). They give great advice how to get around credit checks and how to handle having bad credit in different situations. Its written thoughtfully and with wit and humor. I would definitely recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book. There were alot of things I did not know that I learned through this book. I've not really had a credit problem before until the market turned and I lost my job. It helped me to make a few decisions that were needed.

A low credit rating isn't the end of the world. "Living Well with bad Credit: Buy a House, Start a Business, and Even Take a Vacation No Matter How Low Your Credit Score" is a guide to overcoming the dilemma of a poor credit score. With plenty of tips and tricks for conquering one's poor credit and still getting what you want and need done in spite of it, "Living Well with Bad Credit" is a strong pick for readers who have bad credit but still want to live life.

The biggest problem with nearly all of the books about credit that are on the market is this: They're all about how to improve your credit, as though that's somehow the key to financial success. Guess what? It isn't. Good credit is what gets people into debt trouble in the first place. The only good thing you can do with a high credit score is buy a house. Everything else -- consumer goods, new cars, private student loans, boats, luxury vacations, etc. -- is bad. What Geoff Williams and Chris Balish show in this book that is actually quite groundbreaking is this: YOU DON'T NEED GOOD CREDIT TO HAVE A GOOD FINANCIAL LIFE! I would rather be rich than have good credit and, contrary to popular belief, the two are not really that related. Most people use a high credit score to destroy their financial lives, not improve them. Major props to Chris Balish and Geoff Williams for putting together a book whose time has come. Wake up, America! Your credit score is not some token of your moral value! Get over your credit score and live your life -- and this is just the book you need to get started. 5 STARS. Zac Bissonnette AOL Money & Finance