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.
700 & Above Is a Good Credit Score
Isn’t it funny that who we are is based on numbers? The same goes when we apply for a loan and if you don’t want any problems, you should at least be 700 and above to have a good credit score.
But what is a credit score? It is an indicator which tells a creditor if you will be able to pay your debt should your loan be approved. Normally, the score is from 340 to 850 and if you don’t score that well, your loan by be disapproved or this will be granted as long as you accept to pay the high interest rate.
This is probably unfair given that you don’t have money already but it is a fact of life. It’s either you agree to their terms or you don’t get the much needed funds.
In the US, many Americans get a good credit score. This happens because they don’t spend beyond their means and pay their bills on time.
But for those who don’t score well, they have to find a way to make ends meet by cutting down on their expenses and paying these debts gradually. A good idea will be to talk to your creditor about the situation so they can come up with a payment plan so this will never appear on their permanent record. That is perhaps the smartest thing to do if you had a good credit score the year before.
If you have many credit cards, you should cancel the others and only keep two. You should keep the one that you have had the longest as this will look good on your credit score.
One mistake some people make especially when their credit history is less than 3 years old is opening a new account even when it is not necessary. You just have to think smart to see if it is worth the risk.
If your credit score is just a few points from 700, look at the document and see if everything stated there is correct. Who knows, you might get lucky and find out that there was an error made. You can call the credit agency to tell them about it and send the supporting documents so an investigation can be done and this matter can be corrected.
To get a copy of your credit score, you can get in touch with one of these credit agencies namely Experian, Equifax or Transunion. Thought the scoring system they use is different from one another, it states the same thing so you know what it is. This changes yearly so get another one year and compare the results versus the year before.
A good credit score of 700 and above can get you low interest rates when you need to apply for a loan. With that money, you can buy a new house or car, pay for college tuition or renovate your home. If you want to get it, then you have to work for it as this number won’t appear out of thin air.
Being the consumer, you must know what your credit score is before you even think of asking for a loan. This will avoid you the embarrassment of being told that there are issues which will never happen if you have a good credit score.
Check Your Credit Score
If you are thinking of applying for a loan, it will be a good idea to first check your credit score. This will give you an indication whether your request will be approved or not and how much interest you will have to pay.
So how do you check your credit score? For that, you will need to get it from a credit agency. These three are namely Experian, Equifax or Transunion. People can log in to their site and request a copy which is absolutely free.
Your credit score could range from 350 to 750 points and the higher it is, the better. If your score is below 700, then you need to improve on it.
You do that by knowing your current credit score and then reviewing it. Look for errors and if there happens to be some, take the appropriate steps to fix them. You should call the credit agency to report the error and then send the supporting documents by mail.
Never send the original copies because if they lose it, you have nothing left to support your claims so send photocopies.
The next step is for the crediting agency to conduct an investigation into the matter. If your creditor cannot produce anything, then the error is immediately removed from your record and a revised copy will be sent to you free of charge.
But if the report is correct, then you will have to take the appropriate steps to remove it. Your credit score may go down depending on your credit history. If you have unpaid loans or have incurred late payments in your credit card, then you have to pay them.
Remember that these things will be in your credit report for the next 7 years while filing for bankruptcy lasts for about ten so you can’t run from it.
You will have to find a way to come up with the money by working overtime, cutting down on your expenses, getting a second job or selling some of your valuables. If you don’t know what to do, it wouldn’t hurt to swallow your pride and ask for help as there are financial advisers that are willing to help you go through this time.
If things are not that bad, perhaps you can make a deal with your creditor so this will not appear on your record thus having no effect on your credit score. Just make sure you stick to the bargain because if you fail to do so, don’t expect them to be so generous the next time this happens.
A year later, you can request for a new copy of your credit report to see if the steps you have taken have paid off. If you see a significant improvement versus the year before, you know you are doing something right and you won’t have a problem anymore applying for a loan.
Checking your credit score is something people should do regularly by getting a copy from a crediting agency. There are three to choose from and you can get a copy from all three at the same time or every few months.
The scoring system used by all three are different but all point to one conclusion and that is whether or not you have good or bad credit.
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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