What Is A Credit Score And Tips On Raising It
August 13th, 2010
Definition of a credit score
A credit score is a numerical rating based on relevant factors measuring a borrower’s willingness to repay a loan. Your credit score is calculated from the information in your credit profile which is a record of your credit activities over time. This score predicts your credit performance. The higher the score, the better credit risk you are.
The FICO score is the most frequently used credit scoring system that has been developed. You may obtain your score from any or all three reporting agencies or by Clicking Here. It is better to monitor all three to make sure your credit score is accurate. Equifax (800) 685-1111 Experian (888) 397-3742) Trans Union (800) 916-8800
Since your credit score is from your credit history, there must be minimum history to get an accurate score. Before the credit report can be obtained, you must have at least one account that has been open for six months and has current activity within those six months.
You would have to develop a credit history to be eligible to apply for a mortgage. If your score is too low, there are ways to raise your credit score . However, it is almost impossible to improve it in a short time period. It is important to employ credit habits that will ensure a high credit score at the time you most need it. What are the relevant factors considered in a credit score?
The credit score is only interested in a borrower’s willingness to pay back the loan. It predicts the likelihood that the loan will get repaid based on the accumulation of the borrower’s past performance and current standing. Such information as savings, income or demographic data like nationality, race, religion, marital status, and gender are specifically left out of the credit profile. It is not meant to measure the borrower’s ability to repay the loan. For that, the lender looks at your debt-to-income ratio .
Credit reports track both positive and negative activity in your credit history. It tracks when you make your payments, your balances, the length of the history and the type of credit you have. The number of inquiries and and legal action will also show up, such as bankruptcy or a lawsuit. Late payments can reduce your score, but current payments can increase it.
Different weights are assigned to the various factors considered. For instance, FICO assigns thirty-five percent of your score to your payment history, thirty percent to your debt level, fifteen percent to the length of time span of your credit history, also fifteen percent to the type of loans such as installment versus revolving, and five percent to your credit score requests, which measure your level of pursuit after new credit.
Your credit score is used to consider you in most applications for credit, loans and mortgages, even insurance or employment. It is very important to maintain a high score and ensure your report is accurate.
How can I raise my credit score? Raising your credit score is a task that must be accomplished over time. The credit score is an assessment of credit history factors. Therefore, it is generally impossible to change your score during the short period of time you are applying for a loan. As such, it is important to be aware of the positive and negative variables that affect your rating so that you can improve your credit score before you need to use it as a tool to obtain a loan. You can improve your credit score a little each year (by as much as 50 points) by careful management of your credit obligations. Develop habits that promote good credit history (make payments on time, pay down cards leaving available balances, etc) Monitor all three credit reporting bureaus (to ensure accurate reports ) Obtain credit reports annually and request corrections in writing. Click Here to get yours. Negative Habits Don’t request a series of credit checks in a short period of time lenders presume unstable credit conditions. Don’t take on more credit than you can consistently manage. Don’t max out your credit cards Don’t spend beyond your ability to pay Don’t quit building credit because of a setback such as a bankruptcy, go to work re-establishing credit (even a small consumer loan allows you to rebuild a good payment history) Many lenders are more concerned with what you have done since a derogatory incident than what happened before, say, a bankruptcy. Don’t leave errors undisputed; request corrections in writing
To download your credit reports Click Here.
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