A bankruptcy may clear your debts and give you a clean slate, but in doing so, it also puts a black mark on your credit. Your credit score will take a hit.
Your next step after the bankruptcy discharge is to begin rebuilding your credit. Boosting your credit score can help to offset the bankruptcy. Nerdwallet explains you need to start from the bottom by establishing credit in your name.
Get credit
You will need to start out small with some type of loan or credit card. There are some lenders who offer options specifically for people who have filed for bankruptcy. You also can look into a secured option. A secured credit card requires paying a deposit upfront. The deposit becomes your credit line. With many cards, after you have a good payment history for a while, the company will return your deposit and provide you with a line of credit instead.
You could also get a secured loan, such as an auto loan. If you cannot find credit on your own, you may want to find someone to co-sign for you.
Stay on top
The next step once you get a line of credit is to stay on top of paying your bills. Ideally, if you have a credit card, you will pay it off each month or almost pay it off each month so that you do not waste money on interest. It is also important that you only charge what you can afford to pay on your credit card. Do not use it as extra money because that will get you into trouble with debt again.
Smart use of credit is the only way you can rebuild your credit score after a bankruptcy. It will take time, but eventually, you can do it.