Tag Archives: credit score
Improve Your Credit With An Auto Loan (Page 1 of 2)
If you plan on financing your next vehicle, you should take some time to shop for car loan quotes. Naturally you want to get the best possible interest rate, since auto loan interest rates are closely tied to your credit rating and credit score. Although you will need an excellent credit scored to get the best auto loan rates, most people are still able to secure some kind of auto financing. Free quotes are widely available online, and by comparing a number of quotes, you will get an idea of what to expect.
The first step in shopping for a car loan is to order a free copy of your credit report. If you find erroneous items on the credit report, you should get them removed before financing a vehicle. Once you review your credit report and learn your credit score, you will have some idea of the interest rate you can expect to pay.
If you find that your credit is poor, there are steps you can take to improve your credit score. Close accounts that you use rarely or never, because having too many open credit accounts can adversely affect your credit score. Avoid having accounts maxed out, and try not to make any late payments before applying for your auto loan.
Be aware that an excessive number of inquiries into your credit can have an adverse effect on your credit score. However, some inquiries count toward your FICO score and others don’t. If you authorize a lender to check your credit before applying for a loan or other type of credit, it will affect your FICO score. If you request a copy of your own credit report, or a business requests a copy of your report before performing a service or offering merchandise, it will not count against your credit score. Likewise, inquiries by a potential employer will not affect your FICO score.
There are a few steps you can take to improve your credit score before you apply for an auto loan:
– Close credit accounts which you seldom use, as having too many accounts may lower your credit score.
– Try to keep balances paid down as much as possible. A number of maxed out accounts could be viewed as a sign of the potential inability of an applicant to be able to make the payments.
– Obtain a copy of your credit report and check it for errors. Many people find inaccuracies on their credit reports that have lowered their credit score. You have the right to have corrections made to any inaccurate items on your credit report.
Once you have confirmed that your credit report contains only accurate information, you should build a history of timely payments, lowering your debt to income ratio and decreasing your total amount of debt. Increasing your credit score takes time, since negative items can remain on your credit report for seven years, and ten in the case of bankruptcy. Fortunately, older items are less important than your recent credit activity.
Now that you have the foundation for improving your credit in place, you are ready to begin shopping for auto loan quotes. Getting online quotes is a quick and efficient way to test the waters and see what kind of rates and terms you will be able to procure. Obviously you want the best car loan rates possible, but you should also be aware of the terms offered and the length of the loan. If lower monthly payments are your goal, you may greatly extend the time it takes to pay off the loan.
Loans: 4 Keys To Better Loans and a Better Credit Score! (Page 1 of 2)
How you manage loans impacts your FICO score more than any other factor in your credit history. It’s true, you are scored heavily on the kinds of loans you have, how many months or years you have had those loans, how much you owe, and your repayment history, are key clues that credit bureaus use to arrive at your credit score. If you can wisely manage your loans, you will add points to your credit score quickly. Here are 4 key tips…
1. When the time is right you should try to refinance your high interest loans.
If you have high interest rate loans, especially on big ticket items like a motor vehicle or home mortgage and interest rates drop two points or more in the market, investigate refinancing some or all these loans. This is especially true if your credit score improves to above 700, even above 750 would be better. But, be wise about how you carry out this tactic.
First, shop loan sources other than the creditor that has your loan now. This way you may force your current lender to compete for your continued business by offering a more favorable interest rate. At the same time, do this only with those lenders who are obviously only interested in making money on you. Stick with lenders with whom you have a good long-term relationship but advise them that you are looking for a lower rate on your loan.
When shopping for credit give potential creditors only your credit score, not your Social Security number, for them to come up with a quote. Giving your S.S. number results in inquiries on your credit report which can damage your score. When they use only your score, no inquiries are recorded.
When seeking loans, you are looking for a lower interest rate or better repayment terms or both. By getting a better interest rate you will save hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars in interest. At the very least, getting more favorable monthly repayment terms that you can comfortably afford, will enhance your loan repayment history and automatically improve your score.
Refinancing is ideal for someone who is living from pay-to-pay and having a tough time making their monthly bills and who has been getting late notices or collections recorded in their credit history. It’s also a good idea for someone who has been paying bills on time with no recent negatives in their credit history and who has a good credit score. They will have an easier time refinancing for a better interest rate and more favorable repayment terms.
2. This is not my favorite solution but, if you must, there are loans available for folks with a poor credit history.
If your credit score is really low and you need a loan, you should look into services that provide loans to people with poor credit scores. But, be very careful you do not go even deeper into interest rate debt. There are legitimate lenders who know that some folks with poor credit scores will still make their payments on time if given a second chance and they are willing to speak with anyone that other lenders have denied.