| |
| |
|
Credit Information |
|
|
|
Like It Or Not, You Have A Score To Settle!
Like It Or Not, You Have A Score To Settle!
(Part 1 of 2 on Credit Scoring) Just when most people finish with school and can stop worrying about test scores, there's a new kind of scoring that enters the picture. It's called credit scoring. And, its impact on your financial future can mean more to you than a college degree. You may never know your precise credit score, but you need to know if you're at risk! Credit Scoring ... Why It's So Important: Ever wonder how a creditor decides whether to grant you credit? For years, creditors have been using credit scoring systems to determine if you'd be a good risk for credit cards and auto loans. More recently, credit scoring has been used to help creditors evaluate your ability to repay home mortgage loans. Precisely what is credit scoring? Credit scoring is a system creditors use to help determine whether to give you credit. Information about you and your credit experiences, such as bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, late payments, collection actions, outstanding debt, and age of your accounts is collected from credit applications and your credit report. Using a statistical program, creditors compare this information to the credit performance of consumers with similar profiles. A credit scoring system awards points for each factor that helps predict who is most likely to repay a debt. Total number of points (credit score) helps predict how creditworthy you are; how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make payments when due. Why is credit scoring used? Credit scoring is based on real data and statistics, so it usually is more reliable than subjective or judgmental methods. It treats all applications objectively. Judgmental methods typically rely on criteria that are not systematically tested and can vary when applied by different individuals. To develop a model, a creditor selects a random sample of its customers (or a sample of similar customers if their sample is not large enough), and analyzes it statistically to identify characteristics that relate to creditworthiness. Then, each of these factors is assigned a weight based on how strong a predictor it is of who would be a good credit risk. Each creditor may use its own credit scoring model, different scoring models for different types of credit, or a generic model developed by a credit scoring company. How reliable is the credit scoring system? Credit scoring systems enable creditors to evaluate millions of applicants consistently and impartially on many different characteristics. But to be statistically valid, credit scoring systems must be based on a big enough sample. Remember that these systems generally very from creditor to creditor. Although you may think such a system is arbitrary or impersonal, it can help make decisions faster, more accurately, and more impartially than individuals when it is properly designed. In fact, many creditors design their systems so that, in marginal cases, applicants whose scores are not high enough to pass easily, or are low enough to fail absolutely are referred to a credit manager who decides whether the company or lender will extend credit. This may allow for discussion and negotiation between the credit manager and the consumer. What happens if you are denied credit or don't get the terms you want? For the answer to that crucial question and how to improve your credit score, be sure to read Part II of "Like It Or Not, You Have A Score To Settle." *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Like It Or Not, You Have A Score To Settle! (Part 2 of 2 on Credit Scoring) In part 1, we covered the basics about credit scoring - what it is and how it is calculated. It's time to address the critical question ... What happens if you are denied credit or don't get the terms you want? The Equal Credit Opportunity Act requires that the creditor give you a notice either with the specific reasons your application was rejected, or stating that you have the right to learn the reasons if you ask within 60 days. NOTE: Indefinite and vague reasons for denial are illegal, so ask the creditor to be specific. If you were denied credit because you are too near you credit limits on your charge cards, or you have too many credit card accounts, you may want to reapply after paying down your balances or closing some accounts. Credit scoring systems consider updated information and change over time. You also can be denied credit because of information from a credit report. If so, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires the creditor to give you the name, address and phone number of the credit reporting agency that supplied the information. You should contact that agency to find out what your report contains. NOTE: This information is free if you request it within 60 days of being turned down for credit. The credit reporting agency can tell you what's in your report, but only the creditor can tell you why your application was denied. If you've been denied credit, or didn't get the rate or credit terms you want, ask the creditor if a credit scoring system was used. Be sure to ask what characteristics or factors were used in that system, and the best ways to improve you application. If you get credit, ask the creditor whether you are getting the best rate and terms available and, if not, why. If you are not offered the best rate available because of inaccuracies in your credit report, be sure to dispute the inaccurate information in your credit report. Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a credit scoring system may not use certain characteristics like: Race, Sex, Marital status, National origin, or Religion. However, creditors are allowed to use age in properly designed scoring systems. But any scoring system that includes age must give equal treatment to elderly applicants. What can I do to improve my score? Credit scoring models are complex and often vary among creditors, and for different types of credit. If one factor changes, your score may change. But improvement generally depends on how that factor relates to other factors considered by the model. NOTE: Only the creditor can explain what might improve your score under the particular model used to evaluate your credit application. Nevertheless, scoring models generally evaluate the following types of information in your credit report: · Have you paid your bills on time? Payment history is a significant factor. It is likely that your score will be affected negatively if you have paid bills late, had an account referred to collections, or declared bankruptcy, if that history is reflected on your credit report. · What is your outstanding debt? Many scoring models evaluate the amount of debt you have compared to your credit limits. If the amount you owe is close to your credit limit, that is likely to have a negative effect on your score. · How long is your credit history? Generally, models consider the length of your credit track record. An insufficient credit history may have an effect on your score, but that can be offset by other factors, such as timely payment and low balances. · Have you applied for new credit recently? Many scoring models look at inquiries" on your credit report when you apply for credit. If you have applied for too many new accounts recently, that may negatively affect your score. However, not all inquiries are counted. Inquiries by creditors who are monitoring your account or looking at credit reports to make "prescreened" credit offers are not counted. · How many and what type of credit accounts do you have? Although it is generally good to have established credit accounts, too many credit card accounts may have a negative effect on your score. In addition, many models consider the type of credit accounts you have. For example, under some scoring models, loans form finance companies may negatively affect your credit score. Scoring models may be based on more than just information in your credit report. For example, the model may consider information from your credit application as well: your job or occupation, length of employment, or whether you own a home. Credit and You are a group of expert on credit and the author of "CREDIT REPAIR - The truth will set you free." Feel free to pass this article along to family and friends. And be sure to pick up your copy of Credit Repair, The truth will set you free at http://www.creditandyou.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Credit - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Credit Scoring Works The all important credit score! It determines the amount of loan you can get, it determines the interest rate at which you are charged for a loan, etc. Your credit score plays an important figure in your financial life. It Is In Your Best Interest To Do The Math On Your Credit Card Interest If you begin foaming at the mouth once a month when you receive your credit card statement, join the millions of Americans that are foaming along with you. There is a growing outrage at the seemingly endless journey towards eliminating the balance on your credit card and that is due primarily to the extravagant interest rates charged by credit card companies. Credit Card Security Advice Which of the following is the biggest threat to your credit card security?a) Shopping online with a credit card b) Shopping in a real store with your credit card c) Ordering something over the phone with your credit cardThe answer may surprise you. It's b - shopping in a real store with a credit card. Credit and Loan Help for Mortgage Loans Mortgage loans are some of the most difficult loans to receive if you have bad credit because lenders focus heavily on your credit score and history of making payments on time. However, there is credit and loan help for individuals interested in home mortgage loans. Credit Help For Renters And Others On The Horizon Sue is a homeowner and pays her mortgage and other bills on time like a good credit consumer. Sue's on-time mortgage payments are reflected in her credit score profiled by the three major credit bureaus; Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Choosing the Right Credit Counseling Agency for You - Some Tips Part 2 Credit counseling companies come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you are looking at working with a local credit counseling organization or a national credit counseling organization there are some very important factors to calculate before choosing the right credit counseling option for you. Credit Card Entrapment - The Secrets are Out Have you ever wondered why your credit card bill is so high and you can't seem to pay off the balance? Well you are not alone in this. You should be aware of a couple of trick that they use and you probably don't even pay attention to it, but you definitely pay for it and BIG!The next time you open up your credit card statement, take a real close look to all the "junk" inside particularly the very hard to read insert Call "changes to you credit card agreement". Important Things to Know About Divorce and Credit Joint debts remain joint debts.Both spouses signed a legally binding contract with the creditor, and a divorce decree neither amends this contract nor relieves the creditor's investment in you. Choosing A New Credit Card 1. Choosing A new credit cardThere are many reasons for choosing a new credit card. Finding the Right Credit Card There are so many credit cards out there to choose from that deciding which one to get can feel really daunting. What makes one offer better than the hundreds of others you've seen? Take this little quiz to find out what you should look for in a card. 5 Killer Steps to avoid Credit Card SCAMS! In August, 2004, the Federal Trade Commission issued their findings of a recent study, which showed that nearly 25 million adults were victims of fraud.Now, most importantly, If you are a victim of fraud, please do not feel like you did anything wrong. Balance Transfers Introduction Credit card balance transfer involves using a credit card to pay off the amount outstanding on one or more credit/store cards. The total debt then moves to one card. First Major Regulatory and Legislative Victory of 2005 for Creditors and Consumers Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, collectors are not allowed to disclose a consumers past due debt to anyone other than the debtor and in some cases a spouse. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act would have required collectors to identify the registered name of their business in any pre-recorded messages to consumers or debtors. Identity Theft - Dont Think You Are Immune As identity theft becomes more prevalent, the need to regularly check your credit report is very easy to see and understand. Two big headlines in the news recently point to how closely tied your credit report and identity theft are. How To Prevent Fraudulent Credit Card Transactions What Are Possible Signs of Fraudulent Transactions see at Web Hosting Companies?Customer wants to pre-pay for a yearDomain Name Registration for 5 years or moreOrders using free email address providers like Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.Usage of multiple cards to complete order. Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Your Credit Report Your credit report is a very powerful report that essential controls what you can and cannot do in your life. Unfortunately many people aren't aware of what a credit report actually is and what information is contained on the report. Shoppers Beware - Tis The Season It's the number one complaint from consumers and it only takes a moment for you to become a victim. While you search for holiday bargains, identity thieves are searching for targets - unsuspecting consumers. What Is A FICO Score? A credit score is most commonly known as a FICO score. FICO stands for Fair Isaacs Corporation. Credit Card Dirty Tricks There are many of us that have been badly stung by credit card companies that have charged exorbitant fees to use their credit cards. Several years ago an APR of 25% to 29% was common place which in simple terms means that if you borrow £1,000 your interest on that money would be £250 to £290 a year. What Is the Fair Credit Reporting Act and What You Should Know About It The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the recent update to this law called the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) protect consumers against inaccurate information being reported by credit bureaus and the privacy of that information. What does this mean to you?When you make purchases on a credit card, make payments to your accounts, open new bank or credit accounts, borrow money, buy a house or a car, and even fund your education, your financial information is reported by creditors and lenders to a credit bureau.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
