Credit score is like health - most people don't think about it until it becomes a problem. Just as the current state of your health mirrors the health habits you have followed over a longer period of time, so your credit score reflects your credit history. It means that building a high credit score takes time (although there are some shortcuts) and maintaining it is a continuous process. In this article, you'll find 5 ways to increase credit score and ensure you get good interest rates whenever you need credit. Before talking about the details on how to increase credit score, there are some basics you need to know. Credit score, or FICO score (the most commonly used credit score, created by the Fair Isaac Corp.), is a number ranging from 300 to 850 which is calculated with a mathematical model, using the information in your credit report. The number shows the lender the likelihood of you paying back the loan on time. The higher the score, the less risky it is for the lender to give you a loan and the better interest rate you are offered. If your credit score is 700 and above, you're likely to get the best interest rates available. A bad credit score not only may cost you thousands of dollars in high interest rates - if your credit score is in a really bad shape (e.g. below 500), you may not qualify for a loan at all. To sum up - in order to get credit and good interest rates, you need to have a high credit score! Below you can read 5 important tips on how to increase credit score and keep it high.
Another area that you may be aware of where your credit score can make a big difference is the rental market. You may find yourself hard pressed to rent an apartment with an abysmal credit score. In some tight rental markets, your score doesn't even have to be all that bad. If the market is tight, landlords can afford to be more selective, and one of the criteria they'll use to help select renters is their credit score. Experience has shown that, as with insurance, there is a correlation between the reliability of a renter and their credit score. The lower the credit score, the more the landlord has to worry about. On top of all these other things, a low credit score will of course make it more expensive to get credit of all kinds; from auto loans to mortgages. With the recent shakeup in the sub prime mortgage market, prospective borrowers may find it difficult to secure a mortgage if their credit score strays too low.
Given the disaster that is a low credit score, if yours is low, you'll probably be looking for ways to fix your credit score. It is possible to fix your credit score, and there are some basic techniques you can use to do the fixing. First and foremost you should order a copy of your credit report from one of the three major reporting agencies; TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian. You are able to order one report free of charge each year from each of the agencies. You should stagger them so one will arrive approximately every three months. You'll use the first one as a baseline so you'll be aware of any future changes. Once you receive your free credit report, set about poring over it thoroughly so that you can determine if there are any errors. It's not at all uncommon for credit reports to contain mistakes. In fact, according to recently published estimates, between 20 - 25% of credit reports have mistakes that can affect your credit score. Sadly, it's usually for the worse. If you do find any mistakes, you'll have to contact the creditor and the reporting agency to get them cleared from your report.
Once your credit report is accurate, you'll want to raise your score as high as possible so you can get the best interest rates and other credit terms. First of all, there are some things you don't want to do if you're aiming to fix your credit score. The most important thing not to do is pay your bills late. Late payments, especially those over 90 days, are disastrous to your credit score, so avoid them at all costs. In fact, your credit history is the most influential component of your credit score. It should go without saying, but keep accounts out of collection. Collection actions can follow you around for 7 years, and obviously have a negative impact on your credit score. Your credit score is views recent credit history more heavily than your activity farther in your past, so if you've had a few fairly recent late payments, simply waiting for a year or so while continuing to pay your bills on time will raise your score too. After the late payments are approximately 24 months behind you, they will not have the same impact on your score.
Get a small loan. In order to qualify for a bigger loan (e.g. mortgage loan) in the future, you have to establish a credit history. If you have little or no credit score, and you prefer to avoid credit cards, acquiring debt is a quick way to start raising your credit score. After all - if you have no debt, how can you show the potential lenders that you are a good borrower, who pays the bills on time? Of course, you have to use this method of building credit score wisely - excessive debt load and a bunch of small loans may backfire.
Clearly, the PLUS Score (and all Non-FICO scores) are useless. Not only that, but such hype misleads consumers into purchasing their PLUS Score thinking that they are getting the same credit score that their lender will use. Non-FICO scores are worthless not matter what the credit bureaus or any website selling non-FICO scores claim. Even a few points difference in your credit score can mean confronting the reality of the loss of thousands of dollars out of your pocket--a loss that you probably didn't plan for. The next time you want the most accurate credit score available, do yourself a favor and get the industry standard: the FICO credit score.
Another area that you may be aware of where your credit score can make a big difference is the rental market. You may find yourself hard pressed to rent an apartment with an abysmal credit score. In some tight rental markets, your score doesn't even have to be all that bad. If the market is tight, landlords can afford to be more selective, and one of the criteria they'll use to help select renters is their credit score. Experience has shown that, as with insurance, there is a correlation between the reliability of a renter and their credit score. The lower the credit score, the more the landlord has to worry about. On top of all these other things, a low credit score will of course make it more expensive to get credit of all kinds; from auto loans to mortgages. With the recent shakeup in the sub prime mortgage market, prospective borrowers may find it difficult to secure a mortgage if their credit score strays too low.
Given the disaster that is a low credit score, if yours is low, you'll probably be looking for ways to fix your credit score. It is possible to fix your credit score, and there are some basic techniques you can use to do the fixing. First and foremost you should order a copy of your credit report from one of the three major reporting agencies; TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian. You are able to order one report free of charge each year from each of the agencies. You should stagger them so one will arrive approximately every three months. You'll use the first one as a baseline so you'll be aware of any future changes. Once you receive your free credit report, set about poring over it thoroughly so that you can determine if there are any errors. It's not at all uncommon for credit reports to contain mistakes. In fact, according to recently published estimates, between 20 - 25% of credit reports have mistakes that can affect your credit score. Sadly, it's usually for the worse. If you do find any mistakes, you'll have to contact the creditor and the reporting agency to get them cleared from your report.
Once your credit report is accurate, you'll want to raise your score as high as possible so you can get the best interest rates and other credit terms. First of all, there are some things you don't want to do if you're aiming to fix your credit score. The most important thing not to do is pay your bills late. Late payments, especially those over 90 days, are disastrous to your credit score, so avoid them at all costs. In fact, your credit history is the most influential component of your credit score. It should go without saying, but keep accounts out of collection. Collection actions can follow you around for 7 years, and obviously have a negative impact on your credit score. Your credit score is views recent credit history more heavily than your activity farther in your past, so if you've had a few fairly recent late payments, simply waiting for a year or so while continuing to pay your bills on time will raise your score too. After the late payments are approximately 24 months behind you, they will not have the same impact on your score.
Get a small loan. In order to qualify for a bigger loan (e.g. mortgage loan) in the future, you have to establish a credit history. If you have little or no credit score, and you prefer to avoid credit cards, acquiring debt is a quick way to start raising your credit score. After all - if you have no debt, how can you show the potential lenders that you are a good borrower, who pays the bills on time? Of course, you have to use this method of building credit score wisely - excessive debt load and a bunch of small loans may backfire.
Clearly, the PLUS Score (and all Non-FICO scores) are useless. Not only that, but such hype misleads consumers into purchasing their PLUS Score thinking that they are getting the same credit score that their lender will use. Non-FICO scores are worthless not matter what the credit bureaus or any website selling non-FICO scores claim. Even a few points difference in your credit score can mean confronting the reality of the loss of thousands of dollars out of your pocket--a loss that you probably didn't plan for. The next time you want the most accurate credit score available, do yourself a favor and get the industry standard: the FICO credit score.
About the Author:
Frank Miller has a Debt Consolidation Blog & Finance, these are some of the articles: Want To Repair Your Credit? Try These Tips You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.
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