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What Goes into Your Credit Score?
Credit scores can be computed using different credit scoring systems but the most widely used system today is the FICO score. Its formula was created by the Fair Isaac Corporation and is the one used today by many lenders, banks, financial organizations and the major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion.
The perfect FICO score is 850 and although achieving this number may seem unrealistic, getting a score ranging from 720 and above is already considered as good to excellent. However, a FICO score below 620 will put you in the category of a “high risk borrower”. Thus, it is recommended for everyone to be aware of the factors that make up their credit score.
Factors that Determine Your Credit Score Payment history. Your payment history comprises 35% of your total credit score. Here, how timely you are in submitting your payments, how long it takes you to pay your past due bills, how many times you were late or missed with your payments, and everything that has to do with your payment habits count.
Credit line usage. How you use your credit limit makes up the 30% of your credit score. The higher the usage of your credit limit, the lower your credit score is. Ideally, borrowers should not go beyond 30% of their available credit. If you own a low interest credit card, be careful not to maximize your credit line as this can damage your overall FICO score.
Length of credit history. 15% of your total FICO score is based on how long you have had credit. A longer record of credit history is of course more impressive especially if it shows timely payments all throughout. Be careful about closing your oldest accounts. Dont close your oldest credit cards just because they have high rates. The trick is to use them only for small purchases and pay off your balance in full always to avoid the interest rate.
New credit. Opening too many different accounts at once or in short period can pull down your credit score. Why is this? This gives a negative impression to lenders on why you need to apply for too many credit in that short span of time. Having too many inquiries made by the lenders whom you submit application to will also affect your credit score. If you are in the habit of sending credit card applications just to get the free shirt or the free cap upon signing up, stop now. Youre doing damage to your credit and thats not worth the freebie youre getting. Remember, new credit makes up 10% of your total credit score.
Types of credit used. The types of credit found in your credit report make up the other last 10% of your score. Having a variation of accounts in your credit report is definitely a good thing. For instance, aside from credit card accounts, having a mortgage, an auto loan and other credit in your account shows your capability in how you handle your obligations as a borrower.
7 Ways To Protect And Improve Your Credit Rating
Your credit score accounts for the amount of interest you have to pay for a loan or a credit card. Increasing your score in just a few points will make a big difference in the interest rate you will pay for a purchase. If your credit score is high enough, youll have no problem qualifying for a lenders best rates and terms on auto financing, home loans and small business loans. The following are a few tips about how you can protect and improve your credit rating.
1 – Order Your Credit Report. Your credit score is based on your credit report, so you should begin by ordering your reports and reviewing each one for accuracy. You can get your reports from a service such as MyFico.com, or order from Equifax, Experian and Trans Union separately online or by phone.
2 – Check Your Credit Report Information for Inaccuracies. Check the identifying information for name, social security number, birth date and incorrect address. Make certain that old negatives and paid-off debts are deleted. Check for accounts and delinquencies that are not yours, late payments, charge offs, lawsuits, judgments or paid tax liens older than seven years old. Also, paid liens or judgments that are listed as unpaid, duplicate collections, bankruptcies that are older than ten years and any negative information that is not yours.
3 – Always Pay Your Bills on Time. Payment history makes up more than a third of the typical credit score. If you paid bills late in the past, you can improve your credit score by starting to pay your bills on time. Lenders are looking for any sign that you might default, and a late payment is a good indicator that you are in financial difficulty.
4 – Keep Credit Cards Balances Low. Carrying smaller balances is the best way to increase your credit score. The score measures how much of your limit you use on each credit card or other line of credit, and how much of your combined credit limits you are using on all your cards. Within 60 days, paying down credit card balances can increase your credit score by as much as 20 points.
5 – Try Not to Open In-Store Credit Cards. Although your first credit accounts can serve to build and improve your credit history, there comes a point when each subsequent credit application can reduce your score. New credit cards reduce the age of your credit history, and a department store credit card isnt good evidence of credit worthiness. Every time you apply for a retailers credit card your credit store gets dinged.
6 – Be Conservative When Applying For Credit. Having at least one credit card thats more than 2 years old can help your score by 15 percent. Make sure that your credit report is checked only when necessary. Or, if you are shopping for a home, try to apply for loans within a two-week period. By keeping the loan process within a two-week period, all of the credit report lookups are seen as one single request.
7 – Dont Close Credit Cards or Other Revolving Accounts. Shutting down unused accounts that have outstanding balances without paying off the debt changes your utilization ratio, which is the amount of your total debt divided by your total available credit. It will reduce the gap between the credit you are using and the total credit available to you, and that can hurt your credit score.