Simply obtaining a bail bond to help a friend or loved one will not have an impact on your credit score. However, there are circumstances in which a bail bond will affect your credit score that you should be aware of. For more information on bail bonds in Arizona, visit: www.alliancebailbondsaz.com

1. How Bail Bonds Can Affect Your Credit Score
In most situations where a bail is set for a crime, the accused and their friends/family do not have
enough money readily available to post bail themselves. Most people decide to get a bail bond to
cover bail until they go to court. One of the last things most people think about when they need a
bail bond is how it may affect their credit score. Although securing a bail bond will not affect your
credit outright, there is the possibility of extenuating circumstances that may result in credit
effects due to posting bail. It is important to be aware of these situations to avoid creating
additional financial problems once your legal troubles subside.
Some of these situations where your credit may be affected are:
- Putting Your Entire Bail on a Credit Card
When you put bail on your credit card and you cannot pay it off in full immediately, your
credit score can suffer. This is not a common scenario as most people do not have a high
enough available credit balance to pay their bail in full and as a result secure a bail bond.
- Paying the Bail Bond Agency’s Fee on a Credit Card
Paying the bail bond agency’s fee using your credit card can affect your credit score,
especially if the fee is enough to significantly raise your balance. A bail bond is considered a
cash advance by credit card companies. Many credit card companies may charge a fee
and/or require a higher interest rate associated with cash advances.
- Taking Out a Personal Loan
Taking a personal installment loan to pay bail or a bail bond agency’s fee could impact your
credit score. In some cases, a personal loan will either lower your credit score; however, if
the loan results in more kinds of credit, it could in fact boost your score.
- Failure to Pay
If you fail to pay a bail bond agency fee, and the debt has to go to collections, your credit
will be severely lowered.
The best way to leave your credit intact is to get a bail bond, appear in court, and pay the bond
agency fee in full with cash or check. This will ensure that no outstanding debt goes on your credit
report. Another common concern is whether or not appearing in court or going to jail will affect
credit. The answer is no, jail and court do not negatively affect your credit score, unless of course
you fail to pay court ordered fines or legal fees.
Handling your bail bond responsibly and appearing in court when you are supposed to is the best
way to ensure your credit will remain intact. If you need a bail bond in the greater Phoenix area, or
know someone who does, contact Alliance Bail Bonds today.