Improving Your Credit Score

There are many things that you need to know on how to improve your credit score. This is especially useful and valuable if you wish to get the best deals on the various credit options that can be offered to you. A high credit score can ensure you that at least your credit applications have higher chances of getting approved.

A credit score can help lenders decide if you are good enough to extend credit to in terms in your ability to pay it off on time. Credit institutions are involved in a business where they aim to earn from the money that they lend as credit to borrowers. Providing the credit to people who are responsible enough to pay them on time would serve their best interests. And for them to determine who these people are, there is the individual's credit score to tell them.

A credit score is a calculated score based on a designed formula that would help lenders determine your credit risk. Your credit score would tell them if you have a good record when it comes to managing or handling your previous debts. Through your credit score, they can have a good assessment on how their decisions when it comes to approving or rejecting credit application would be made.

You would need to maintain a high credit score if you wish to be considered an attractive prospect the next time that you apply for credit. Lenders look for borrowers who they think would be able to pay back the money that they lend and so look into the credit score for determining your credit risk. The higher your credit score, the lower the risk and the better the chances that your credit applications would be approved.

There are many things that you can do in order to improve your credit score. One of the first things that you can do is to check your own credit report. The calculation of credit scores is usually based on entries that can be found on your own credit report. Your credit report is a record of your past credit history as well as other pertinent information associated with it.

Credit reporting agencies look into your credit report and, based on the different factors that they can get from it, would then calculate for your credit score. This means that you have to make sure that every entry made on your credit reports is accurate as possible. An error or wrong entry can have an effect on your credit score later on.

One of the best ways for you to improve your credit score is by trying to keep your credit payments on time. Missed payments can greatly affect your credit score. Just being able to promptly pay your debt installments when they're due would help keep your credit score up. If possible, you can also try to pay off balances completely as early as you can. Keeping your balances low can also greatly affect your credit score in a positive way.

If you are trying to avail of short term credit try to make sure that you don't try to open several of them at almost the same time. Having a lot of new accounts on a relatively short period would most likely lower your credit score. The same way goes with availing of several credit cards.

You may want to have a wide variety of credit cards handy so that you may have a better mix of available credit when you need it. But be also aware that doing so may also greatly affect your credit score. That would not work well in your mission on how to improve your credit score.

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Understanding Your Credit Score Information

Credit score information allows lenders to gauge a credit applicant if he or she is worth the risk of availing credit. After all, credit institutions are into a business and would want to profit from their investments in terms of lending their money resources. It is just fair that they try to lend it to people who are responsible enough to pay them back later on.

Lenders and credit institutions try to assess each credit application by looking at the applicant's credit score information. Through it, these institutions will be able to determine if an applicant is worth the risk. The credit score is obtained from information that is based on past credit activities of the applicant as well as other related information. All these can be found on the applicant's credit report.

A credit score is calculated base don the various information contained in the credit report. Different factors come into play when a credit score is calculated. A designed formula is used by credit reporting agencies to come up with the credit score. The formula takes into account the information from the credit report, both the good and the bad entries to come up with the appropriate score.

In order for this score to be calculated, the credit report must at least have one account for at least six months as well as one that has been updated for the same period. This will ensure that there is enough recent information in the credit report from which to base their calculations.

Payment history accounts for about 35 percent of the credit score. This includes on time payments as well as delinquent one which is considered when calculating the credit score. Public records that find its way into the credit report such as delinquency payments, bankruptcies, lawsuits, etc. may also be considered when computing for your credit score.

The amount of credit that you have availed in the past accounts for about 30 percent of the credit score. Not only is the total amount looked upon but also the amount borrowed from different accounts. The balances on certain accounts may also affect the credit score. Maintaining a small balance for example, will have a positive effect on the credit report and may help keep your credit score up.

The length of your credit history accounts for 15 percent of your credit score. Your oldest account and the average age of your other accounts are taken into consideration when computing for your credit score. Also being considered is the length of time that has passed since you have used certain accounts.

The number of new credits availed account for about 10 percent of your credit score. This includes the length of time that has passed since you have opened a new account. Also considered for this is the number of credit requests that you have made in a one year period. Credit report inquiries from lenders are also taken into account when computing for your credit score.

The types of credit that you have availed accounts for 10 percent of the credit score information that goes into the calculation of the credit reporting agencies. Revolving credit in terms of credit card debts as well as installment credit in terms of personal loans and mortgages are taken into account when calculating for your credit score.

The formulas used are proprietary tools used by the different credit reporting agencies in calculating for your credit score. But more or less, this is how the information in the credit report is used to come up with a viable credit score to assess your credit risk.

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A Good Credit Score

What is credit score? It is a three digit number that tells creditor whether you can avail of a loan at a high or low interest rate. If your credit score is very low, there is also a possibility that your application will be disapprove. Naturally, you don’t want that to happen and this can only be achieved if you have a good credit score.

A good credit score as experts have put it should be 700 or higher. It is not unrealistic to achieve as 60% of the population is able to do it. The only thing you have to do is pay your bills on time which includes credits cards and other loans that you have had in the past. Doing so will avoid incurring any penalties that will be reflected in your credit report.

But how come some people are not able to get a good credit score? It is perhaps because they are unable to pay the money back and many of them continue to accumulate this amount. This happens due to their uncontrollable urge to shop and the interest that grows.

Some people are able to pay for it but it is now considered as a late payment. Those who ignore calls or mails from the bank will be dubbed as “unpaid.” This information is posted on your credit report so that lenders which you might approach in the future will already be careful.

To obtain a good credit score, you have to pay your debts. Cutting down on your expenses, working overtime, getting a second job and selling some stuff can help but it is not enough. This is why people are encouraged to talk with their creditors so an arrangement can be made that will hopefully prevent this from ever being reported.

Another solution will be to borrowing money from friends and relatives. Some people will help while others won’t. The only benefit from this is that they won’t charge you any interest. You will still have to pay them otherwise you will lose the only people you can turn to if you have a problem.

You could have gotten a good credit score only if you were able to monitor your expenses. One advice that a lot of experts say is that if you have a credit card, you should only use up about 25% of the limit. To avoid interest, make sure that you pay the whole amount and not just the minimum.

If you have done well and the bank wants to increase your credit, let them just be sure to stick to the strategy.

Errors on the part of the creditor may have also prevented you from getting a good credit score. So, review your credit report and see if everything there is accurate. If there are mistakes, report it and show proof with the proper documents. Your credit score should improve afterwards should the investigation work out in your favor.

A good credit score should be at least 700 and above so you can avail loans at a low interest. You may have done well this year but things could change over the next 12 months so if you want it to stay that way, monitor where money is going because when it comes to overspending, there is no one to blame except yourself.

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Facts About Credit Scores

To people who are not familiar with the term credit score, they often assume that this is the score that we get in our credit cards for the number of purchases that we have made every year. But nothing is further from the truth. Credit scores are actually the grade that you get depending on how reliable a person is in paying their debts and credits.

Credit scores are determined by a lot of factors, how much your outstanding debts is, how regular do you pay for it, how much you spend and how much you earn. It will also be determined by your past credits and how were you as a borrower. These are all being gathered and recorded by credit bureaus and credit reference agencies like Equifax, TRansUnion and Experian.

So if you think, you are the only one who knows that you owe a credit card company a big amount, think again because they do keep records and what is more, all the credit transactions that we get are being filed for future reference of every credit and financial institution in the country.

Credit scores is important because it can mean being accepted or rejected for a loan. With a really bad credit score, you may not be able to get a house loan, a car loan, a school loan and even a credit card. In short, with a bad credit history, your days of borrowing money is history. As an added salt to the injury, it is not only credit card companies, lending companies and banks that do get information from the credit scores.

Even private companies and government agencies use this to background check a current employee or a potential employee. You see, a credit score will determine a person’s financial savvy and sense of responsibility. This will also show just how much a person is willing to face up to a problem instead of running away from it.

This is especially true with employees that are being hired or were hired to assume posts that deal with really sensitive financial issues or those who are directly in contact with money. A credit history and a credit score is important in determining if they will be able to handle the finances well.

Mobile phone companies and credit card companies also use credit scores to determine the clients that they should target. People who have good credit scores are often those who have the spending power. Thus, they are good people to offer mobile phone packages and credit card services.  

In securing a loan, credit scores are also used in determining the kind of loan that will fit your credit profile. People who have high credit score are given higher amounts in loan, lower interest and longer time frame in which to pay the loan.

In contrast, people who do not have a good credit score may be refused a loan or at the very least be given a small amount in loan, much higher interest and shorter time frame to pay the loan. This is because credit card companies and lender also want to protect their interest. Low credit scores are more riskier and therefore warrant higher interest rates.

Credit scores can be purchased through the internet via Equifax. They will send you your FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) score for a fee, $12.95.

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Credit Score Repair

If you happen to be one of those with a low credit score, don’t worry because help is on the way. Reading this article will give you an idea of how to repair your credit score so you get to see positive results the next time you get a copy from a credit agency.

Credit score repair starts by getting a copy of this document from a credit agency. There are three to choose from namely Expedia, Equifax and Transunion. The basis of this figure lies on your credit history, outstanding debts and length of credit.

The next thing for you to do is to examine it. Most people have at least one or two errors that can be corrected if you have supporting documents to refute those claims. These should be mailed to the credit agency who handed the credit report so they can conduct an investigation and make the necessary corrections if what you say happens to be true.

However, if the negative information is true, the only thing you can do is pay those debts. You have to remember that late payments and charged off accounts will remain in your record for the next 7 years. If ever you filed for bankruptcy, this will be kept on file for 10 years.

The challenge of paying for debt is that you don’t have to pay the amount in a lump sum. The only way to do this is to pay these slowly and to prevent it from being reported, you have to talk with the creditors regarding your situation and work out a payment plan.

If you are successful in making a deal, then you have to make it happen by coming up with the money. This can be achieved by cutting down on your expenses and using this to pay off the debt that has the highest interest rate. Once you have passed that hurdle, it is time to work on the rest.

The objective here is for you to be able to close unneeded or unused accounts so you end up carrying only 2 credit cards left in your wallet.

It is advisable to end the newer ones rather than the old ones and if there are many, do this over a period of several months. You should verify that they were closed so this will also be reflected in your report.

You can use the same strategy for fixed loan payments but remember that this is just a short term because you will be paying more due to interest but at least it allows you to stay current and aids in credit score repair.

Surely, you want to keep some money to be able to buy necessities like food, clothes and gas. In order to earn interest, you should open a savings account at your back. This gesture also shows creditors that although you have credit problems, you are determined to get yourself out of the hole.

Repairing your credit score will not be accomplished overnight. You will have to change your lifestyle for awhile until things get better and when that happens, you should make sure that this stays that way. If you need help, get a financial adviser who will help you every step of the way so you won’t be in debt again.

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Credit Score Scale

The credit score scale is an indicator used by lending institutions to find out if you are credit worthy. This could be from 340 to 850 and the higher the score, the better off you are. You can get a copy of your credit score scale by getting a copy from an accredited credit agency by giving them a call or requesting for one through their website.

These three credit agencies are namely Expedia, Equifax or Transunion and you can get a copy from one or from all three at the same time or after a few months.

Majority of Americans get a score 700 or higher on their credit score scale. Sadly, there are a few who score lower. How this is determined is based on 5 factors.

The first is your credit history. This includes the number of loans that were approved or disapproved, your credit card transactions and other financing which you may have acquired over the past 2 years.

The creditors will also review if you have had any late payments in the past. If you have always paid this one time, then that is great.

Another indicator will be the length of your credit. If you have had this for years, then you have an advantage compared to someone who is just building up their credit. New credit is also a factor together with a few other things that could make the scale go up or down.

If you happen to be delinquent in any of them, you must do whatever it takes to correct it so there will be an improvement in your credit score scale.

You can start by cutting down on your expenses and using the money saved to pay off the debt.

For those who have a lot of credit cards, you should pay off first the one that has the highest interest rate then work on the rest. The objective is to be debt free and only have 2 credit cards left in your wallet.

Worse case scenario if you don’t have the money is to sell some valuables so you pay it off without worrying anymore of the growing amount due to interest.

If you can’t handle the situation, get help from a financial advisor. This person ma help you negotiate with creditors as to how this problem can be solved.

Only when you are debt free can your credit score scale ever improve. You should know that this is not going to be easy and this could take months before things look better but if you put in time and effort, there is no doubt that you will be able to apply for a loan once again.

There are some who say getting a new credit card will help just make sure that this one offers low interest rates and that you only use up to 30% of the maximum limit at times that is just about right.

The credit score scale changes so it is best to get one annually. It can go up or down depending on your behavior so if you keep your nose clean, there won’t be any red flags on your record. You should also remember that sometimes, it is not your fault if it goes down which is why you should check if there are any errors so this can be corrected.

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Credit Score Ratings

When you apply for a job, the employer will do a background check before hiring you. Banks and other lending institutions do something similar to make sure you can pay for the loan by looking at your credit score ratings.

The credit score rating is used not only in United States but other countries as well. How they call it and the figures they use may be different but it is designed to do the same thing.

How this is computed depends on different factors such as the amount of your outstanding loans, the length of your credit history, the types of credit you have used and any new credit.

Each of these factors has a certain percentage so your credit score rating could be from 350 to 750.

People who have a good credit score rating will be able to apply for a loan at a low interest rate. Those who are in the red will have to pay at a higher interest rate or have to face the fact that their request has been disapproved.

You can get a copy of your credit score rating by asking for a copy from an accredited agency. These are namely Expedia, Equifax or Transunion. If you browse through their website, you can already see it after you fill up the fields on the screen.

But what if I have a poor credit score rating? The good news is that you can change this but you will have to cut down on your expenses so the money saved can be used to pay off your debt.

Sacrifice on your part may mean only going shopping to buy the essentials such as food, clothes and gas.

You will have to forget about buying any luxury items or going to the spa for a while since these are just unnecessary expenses.

If you have more than 2 credit cards, pay them off and then cancel them. A good idea will also be to go around with only one card in your wallet and the other at home that will only be used for emergencies.

People who are in deep financial debt will probably have to sell some valuables to prevent the debt from getting bigger due to interest.

If all else fails, you should get the help of a financial advisor to come up with a plan.

There are also a few companies out there that can help improve your credit score rating to what is known as debt relief or consolidation. This looks good in the short term but it does not make things any better.

When the debts have been paid, this is the only time that you can breathe easy. You can give your credit score rating a boost by applying for a new credit card by getting one offered by supermarkets and groceries since they offer low interest rates to card holders.

By paying debts on time, you will be able to see a significant improvement in the credit score rating this year compared to the year before which just goes to show that with a little sacrifice and work, this problem can be overcome.

As for those with good credit score ratings, keep up the good work because paying for what you purchase and borrow will allow you to do this again in the future without any problems.

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