Tag Archives: credit bureaus

Credit Bureau Basics

Credibility counts. And no one knows it better then the credit bureaus. These are the places where you can get a rating to certify your creditworthiness. And of course they charge you for it. The approach is simple enough. They keep an eye on the credit transaction that a person enters into and then its repayment. The banks and credit card companies use this information before striking a business with an individual. Credit bureaus are not watchdogs. They are just observers who want to know if a borrower is respecting the borrowed monies. They have to keep a track of how borrowed money is used. Trans Union, Equifax etc. are some of USA’s credit bureaus. They are governed under an act and also under a mandate to revive a person’s reputation if he can get a hiatus of at least seven years after one bad credit. But if one goes bankrupt then the time for him to prove his creditworthiness is an extra three years.

The average American lives under some kind of debt all the time. The number of bills that flows in through the letter-slit of every home at the beginning of every month shows this. The piling up of bills can leave any one dumbfound. A proper management of the bills has to be understood in order to clear them. The to-do-list approach is one such way to get tem off your shoulder. Pen them down in order of last day of payment. The bills for services that sustain a person have to be paid in priority. The gas, telephone bills are some such debts. Tax too finds itself on a higher podium then the others. No bill is les important however; some are more important then other. So the ones that are not, can be kept at a secondary priority. It varies from a person to person in deciding, which is which.

A monthly budget has always been a good tactic to handle overspending. At the beginning of the month expenditure list must be made. This works as a guideline throughout the month and also a corrective parameter. A budget is not a very complex document. The sources of income and expenditure have to be listed and then it has to be calculated which exceeds which and by how much?

Its always better to be in the good books of the credit bureaus. And for doing so it becomes important what the secret eyes are watching. A model proposed by Fair Isaac & Company is used to figure out the credit rating. It includes data about outstanding debts of a person, since when is the person running on credit, what types of credit dies he takes and what kinds of accounts thus he operate with. Apart from these there are many more but the rating program keeps these into top priority.

Many people do not have a clear picture of what a credit bureau does. A CB is never biased against the minorities, which is a big misconception that it is. These are absolutely secret services and they never disclose the information about a person about any other one. So now if you want to get your money credibility right, get in to the good lists of the credit raters.

How To Get A Good Credit Score

When a person goes to the bank for a loan they must be ready to present a good credit score. This is because with a good score, approval is fast. If one has a bad credit score on the other hand, their loan can get denied. Some lenders will approve the loan but only for bad credit loans. Now bad credit loans have high interest rates and at times require a security pledge. These are just plain hassles without a doubt.

So how can someone get a loan when its required, without all these hassles? and what can be done in order to avoid a bad credit history? There are a few ways in which to do so.

Paying On Time

First and foremost, pay dues on time. It doesn’t matter whether they are utility bills or credit card debt. On time payments result in a good score while late ones result in a negative score. On time payments, however, are only possible when ones finances are in control. One may find it difficult to keep up with their dues if they are short of cash. Therefore budgeting and organising finances first allows someone to plan for bills once they arrive.

Make Use of Credit

Second, one must use a line of credit. Credit scoring is based on the proportions of a credit limit versus the persons outstanding balance. When someone frequently uses cash there is less room for debt. However, a credit score can become stagnant. This means credit bureaus don’t have any credit reference to score an individual. So although one should minimise credit card use, it doesn’t mean stop using it entirely, nor does it mean they must max it out.

Maxing out a credit line is one of the fastest ways to garner a negative score. One should only use their credit card wisely. Wise charges include charging big ticket items, balance transfers and low interest rate purchases.

Double Check for Discrepancies

The next great way to increase a credit score is through being vigilant regarding credit reports. Unfortunately, lenders aren’t always accurate in reporting to credit bureaus. Additionally, credit bureaus themselves can input errors in the report. That’s why an individual must always check his or her credit history in order to notice such disputable cases. And when they do, this can be reported to and corrected by the credit bureaus. It may seem insignificant but small corrections in a credit report can greatly impact ones credit score.

Building a good credit score is not easy. A person must be patient, diligent and wise in his finances. In time, they will see improvements in their credit score. When this happens only then can one apply for a fast cash loan and get credit cards without hassles.