Are you afraid to admit it, but know deep down in your heart of hearts that you are one of the many currently on the hunt for those objects referred to as being credit cards for people with bad credit? Do not be taken aback, in this world, you are sure to find much company to share your woes with. Having one or two bad accounts or late payments on your credit report can be disastrous, especially now that access to your credit history is easy for others to obtain.

During the past decade, credit report scores have become increasingly important. Credit scores figure in in areas as diverse as your ability to perform a job, if you’re even worthy of being employed, and, of course, if you’re worthy of being extended credit to. If your credit is not exactly up to standards, could use some much-needed brushing up, or, in fact, some overdue correcting entirely on the part of the reporting agency, the time to take action is now.

The first thing to do is to get a copy of your credit report. It’s available online, and by government decree, you have the right to one report from each of the big credit reporting agencies each year; these annual reports are free and the providing bureaus are Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Use these reports to keep tabs on your credit progress and to witness how you work your way out of bad credit, one on-time payment at a time.

When you have bad credit, auto loans can seem to be almost completely out of the question, but there are financial maneuverings to be done even for people with the worst credit. Something to remember is that credit is not constant. Slowly, it’s possible for people like you to rebuild their credit histories and not find an auto loan to be entirely out of reach. By making your payments on time and regularly, you’ll soon stop clicking on the “credit cards for people with bad credit” links and instead carefully consider offers for unsecured credit cards. The credit score you have now is not your final score.

Sam Walters is a writer living in Los Angeles. Her writing appears in print and online.