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Why Is Your Credit Score Important

Types Of Credit Used And New Credit

Why Is Your Credit Score Important

Each accounts for 10 percent of your score. All debts are not created equal. A 30-year fixed mortgage is a good debt. A debt consolidation loan from a finance company, on the other hand, is not. A lot of new debt will lower your score. Lenders like to see a nice balance including a home mortgage, a car payment, and no more than two or three credit cards with no sudden increases in borrowing. Scores calculated for other purposes may add or subtract points for other kinds of debt. When you do obtain new credit for an auto or mortgage loan, or from a lender that provides auto or mortgage loans, shop for it within 30 to 45 days so that the inquiries will count as one inquiry instead of many.

Avoid Security Deposits On Utilities

These deposits are sometimes $100 to $200 and a huge inconvenience when youre relocating. You may not be planning to move soon, but a natural disaster or an unforeseen circumstance could change your plans. A good credit score means you wont have to pay a security deposit when you establish utility service in your name or transfer service to another location.

Why Are Credit Scores So Important For Financing Rates

Why are credit scores so important for financing? Credit score is used by lenders to make decisions on whether you qualify for their services. For instance, if your credit score falls below 600, you might not get the best interest rate or loan term when getting a mortgage deal. Some lenders may give you financing, but theyll adjust the interest rate to compensate for the risk your score poses. A lower credit score usually results in a higher interest rate for you, which means that a bigger portion of your monthly payment is applied to interest rather than the principal. The more interest you end up paying over the long run, the less you pay towards your actual purchase, which means making monthly payments for a longer period of time. Having a high credit score, therefore, means you wont have to make as many monthly payments compared to having a low credit score.

So the sooner you find out what your credit score is, the sooner you can improve it by making on-time payments, and the more money you will save yourself over the long run!

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Good Credit Puts Money In Your Pocket

Good credit management leads to higher credit scores, which in turn lowers your cost to borrow. Living within your means, using debt wisely and paying all billsincluding credit card minimum paymentson time, every time are smart financial moves. They help improve your credit score, reduce the amount you pay for the money you borrow and put more money in your pocket to save and invest.

1 Scores and rates as of January 9, 2015, as reported on myFICO website.

Does Removing Hard Inquiries Improve Your Credit Score

Why Understanding Your Credit Score is Important

Yes, having hard inquiries removed from your report will improve your credit scorebut not drastically so. Recent hard inquiries only account for 10% of your overall score rating. If you have erroneous inquiries, you should try to have them removed, but this step wont make a huge difference by itself.

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How To Build Credit Without Debt

Borrowing money through an installment loan, like a student loan or mortgage, and paying it back over time does help build your credit, but its not your only option. And taking on high-interest credit card debt balances is definitely not the most effective method.

Instead, one of the best ways to build credit is to pay off your credit cards on time and in full each month, and keep a low . Not only will this help you build credit, youll also avoid paying hefty interest rates.

You can also use a service like Experian Boost to report nontraditional recurring payments to the credit bureaus, such as utilities, rent, and even your Netflix payment.

What Is The Importance Of A Good Credit Score

A good credit score is important if you plan to borrow for a big-ticket item like a car or a house or . Your credit score will determine your down payment, interest rate and ultimately your monthly obligation.

But credit has also become a nonfinancial indicator of things like character, integrity and responsibility. So, even if you think credit is evil and you have no intention of going into debt to buy anything or even getting a credit card, credit will still have a major influence on your life.

Whats your definition of a good life? A good job, a safe place to live, a car, financial security, maybe a good education for your kids or even for yourself? Well, the reality of life in the U.S. is that having good credit as expressed by a good credit score is important in accomplishing goals like these and more. Let me explain:

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Does Getting A New Credit Card Hurt Your Credit

Getting a new credit card can hurt or help your credit, depending on your situation. It can help to increase your credit mix and improve your credit utilization percentage, but it will add a new hard inquiry to your account and make your average credit age youngerboth of which could lower your score. For those in the credit-building stage, adding a new credit card will most likely lower your score in the short term but also lead to a stronger credit score in the long term.

You Need Good Credit To Live Comfortably

Credit Score: Why is it important?

Since your by how youve paid your bills in the past, many businesseslandlords, mortgage lenders, utility providers, and even employersuse your credit to predict your future financial responsibility. Anytime you need to borrow money, finance an essential item, or set up services, your history of paying bills is called into question.

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Understanding Your Credit Rating

Your credit score can effect a lot. We are told that its important to have a high credit score and there are dozens of companies out there that offer help to raise it if it is low. But why is it so important? Well, a credit score is basically a way for lenders to tell if you are responsible financially and if it would be in their best interest to loan you a large amount of money. It gives them an idea of the likelihood that you will pay them back. So when it comes to large purchases like cars…

What Is The Difference Between A Fico Score And Other Credit Scores

Only FICO Scores are created by the Fair Isaac Corporation and are used by over 90% of top lenders when making lending decisions.

Why? Because FICO Scores are the industry standard for making accurate and fair decisions about creditworthiness. They help millions of people get the credit they need for a home, a new car, or a special purchase.

You may have seen ads for other credit scores, or likely even purchased them in the past. These other credit scores calculate your scores differently than FICO Scores. So while the other credit scores may seem similar to the FICO Score, they aren’t. Only FICO Scores are used by 90% of the top lenders.

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Does Voting Increase Credit Score

While voting in elections doesnt necessarily improve your credit score, being on the electoral register will.

The electoral roll is a list of names and addresses of people who are registered to vote. Being on this register makes it easier for you to borrow money because it helps credit companies confirm your identity.

Lenders can also check that the details that you have provided are accurate and minimise the risk of fraud.

Access To The Best Credit Cards

Why Understanding Your Credit Score is Important

High credit scores will afford you access to the most rewarding credit cards on the market, including those that offer the lowest interest rates and the best rewards, such as cash back offers, travel points, and other incentives. You are also more likely to qualify for an introductory 0% APR purchase and balance transfer offers, which can translate to significant savings over time.

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Good Credit Vs Bad Credit

Having good credit means that you are making regular payments on time, on each of your accounts, until your balance is paid in full. Alternately, bad credit means you have had a hard time holding up your end of the bargain you may not have paid the full minimum payments or not made payments on time.

Negative information generally stays on your credit report for at least seven years.

Significant Savings On Interest Rates On Big

When you take a large loan to finance a big purchase like a home or car, even a small difference in the interest rate can translate into thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a loan. Borrowers with the highest credit scores are generally able to secure the lowest interest rates available at a given time for a mortgage or auto loan. And that can mean big bucks.

For example, a 30-year fixed mortgage of $250,000 at 5.5% will cost a borrower a total of $511,010 over the lifetime of the loan. If that same borrower can get a 4.5% interest ratejust one percentage point lowershe will pay $456,017 over the life of the loan, a difference of $54,993.

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Build Credit Without Debt

Millions of people dont have credit scores because they havent used credit, or havent used it recently enough to generate scores. Two ways to build credit include:

  • Apply for a , which places the money you borrow into a certificate of deposit or savings account that you can claim after you make 12 monthly payments. Many credit unions and community development financial institutions offer credit-builder loans, as does online lender Self Lender.

  • Apply for a secured credit card, which gives you a line of credit equal to the amount you deposit with the issuing bank, also helps build credit.

Once you have a score, you can use a credit score simulator to see what actions might help and hurt it.

Maintaining And Defending Your Credit Score

Why Credit Scores Are Important

Maintain and defend your credit score by regularly monitoring your credit report for mistakes or potential fraud.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, youre entitled to a copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus annually, which you can access at AnnualCreditReport.com. From now until April 2021, you can get free weekly online credit reports from all three credit bureaus through the site.

You can also use a credit monitoring service to automatically monitor your credit .

In addition to catching errors, checking your credit report regularly helps prevent identity theft. Unrecognized accounts, unauthorized charges, or suspicious inquiries are all potential signs of identity theft that are best caught and fixed early.

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Keep Old Accounts Open And Deal With Delinquencies

The age-of-credit portion of your credit score looks at how long youve had your credit accounts. The older your average credit age, the more favorably you appear to lenders.

If you have old credit accounts that youre not using, dont close them. Though the credit history for those accounts would remain on your credit report, closing credit cards while you have a balance on other cards would lower your available credit and increase your credit utilization ratio. That could knock a few points off your score.

And if you have delinquent accounts, charge-offs, or collection accounts, take action to resolve them. For example, if you have an account with multiple late or missed payments, get caught up on what is past due, then work out a plan for making future payments on time. That wont erase the late payments but can improve your payment history going forward.

If you have charge-offs or collection accounts, decide whether it makes sense to either pay off those accounts in full or offer the creditor a settlement. Newer FICO and VantageScore credit-scoring models assign less negative impact to paid collection accounts. Paying off collections or charge-offs might offer a modest score boost. Remember, negative account information can remain on your credit history for up to seven yearsand bankruptcies for 10 years.

The Importance Of Establishing A Solid Credit Profile

In todays society its almost a certainty youll need to borrow money from lenders for major purchases like a house or car. Establishing a solid credit profile means you will have a better chance of being able to borrow money at the lowest interest rate. Not only can having a poor credit profile make it difficult to borrow money, you could have difficulty finding employment or even a place to live. It is common for landlords and employers to access your credit profile.

Use of credit cards can even lead to relationship problems. In a report, married Canadians wish they had spent more time discussing their financial situation before getting married.

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How To Manage Credit Responsibly

Responsibly managing a mix of credit is integral to achieving a high score. On the other hand, missed payments, default and major setbacks such as foreclosure or bankruptcy can indicate to lenders that you’re a risky borrower and make it harder for you to qualify for credit in the future.

Here are four critical tips for managing credit responsibly:

  • Make on-time payments. Paying at least the minimum payment on a credit card or installment loan is essential for building and maintaining credit. Late payments can stay on your credit report for seven years and affect your score the entire time they appear. To ensure you never miss a payment, consider setting up autopay or creating reminders for yourself.
  • Don’t spend more than you can afford to repay. Using credit cards to live beyond your means can lead to a high balance you can’t afford to pay off. If you carry a balance over time, the interest you accrue can make it even harder to pay down your debt. If you’re overwhelmed by credit card debt, you can get free help from a certified credit counselor.
  • Use credit cards to build credit. One smart way to avoid incurring debt while building credit with a credit card is to exclusively use your credit card for regular, small expenses, such as utility and phone bills. Pay off your balance every month on time to avoid paying interest and carrying a balance.
  • Renting An Apartment Or Buying Insurance

    Why Credit Scores Are Important [Infographic]

    Other examples include when you try to rent a place to live or buy insurance. Many landlords routinely pull credit reports and scores when looking at prospective tenants.

    In the case of insurance companies, they use what is known as a soft inquiry to help set rates these are not the kind of inquiries that will affect the new credit portion of your score. Instead, your credit report is used in calculating their credit-based insurance score, which uses some of the information in your file to predict how likely you are to file a claim and what you will be charged for your policy.

    For these two uses in particular, your payment history will be very important in their decision making, but certainly not the only thing that they will look at. In all of these non-lending situations, the person making the decision may check your credit history as routinely as they may check your references.

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    Monitoring Your Credit Regularly

    Since credit can impact so many areas of your life, it can help to keep yours top of mind. And monitoring your credit regularly can help give you a big-picture view of your overall financial health.

    is an easy way to monitor your VantageScore 3.0 credit score and TransUnion® credit report without hurting your credit score. And itâs free for everyone, not just Capital One customers. You can also get free copies of your credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.

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    Strategies That Will Get You A Better Credit Score

    Thomas J Catalano is a CFP and Registered Investment Adviser with the state of South Carolina, where he launched his own financial advisory firm in 2018. Thomas’ experience gives him expertise in a variety of areas including investments, retirement, insurance, and financial planning.

    Your is one of the most important measures of your financial health. It tells lenders at a glance how responsibly you use credit. The better your score, the easier you will find it to be approved for new loans or new lines of credit. A higher credit score can also open the door to the lowest available interest rates when you borrow.

    If you would like to improve your credit score, there are a number of simple things that you can do. It takes a bit of effort and, of course, some time. Heres a step-by-step guide to achieving a better credit score.

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