Ever wonder how your credit score is calculated? Well, it's really not all that complicated. In this article, you will learn the five factors that determine your credit score as well as the weight that each of them carries. These five factors are: payment history, overall account balances, credit history, types of credit and inquiries. After reading this article, you won't be able to calculate your score because there are complex algorithms used to compute your credit score; however, if you can understand the underlying factors that contribute to your credit, then you can learn the best strategies for boosting your score upward.
Payment history is reviewed to make sure that you don't have any late payments that are more than 30 days past the due date. If you do, and they're recent ones, then your score will drop. If you keep your payment history on time and pay when bills are due, then the number one category will be a major factor in your final score.The second category, available credit, is based upon a percentage of credit available to you compared to current loan balances. For example, if you have a credit card with a $10,000 credit limit and you have a $3,000 balance, you will be rewarded in your credit score. The algorithms seem to indicate that keeping an approximate balance of one-third of your available credit at all times boosts your score. However, if you approach, or worse go above, your credit limit, your scores will fall.
Maintaining low balances contributes to the second largest factor in your credit score. As a good rule of thumb, it is a good idea to owe approximately 10% of your total credit limits. For instance, if you have a $1,000 line of credit, you should maintain a low balance of $100 on any given month. Owing too much money on accounts shows that you are a risk factor and are unable to pay account balances down. Creditors want to deal with consumers who can show restraint and discipline with credit lines. You want to show creditors that you are responsible and will pay them off in time. You don't want to show that you have a high dependence on credit.
Why not just have an open line of credit and keep a balance of $0? While that may seem like a logical and affordable decision to make, it does not establish a payment history over time and thus is not maximizing your ability to push your credit score up. You also don't want to close accounts that you don't use. When you do this, you are lowering your balance to credit limit ratio because you are eliminating available credit limits that were otherwise helping you. To sum things up, it is better to have a $0 balance on an open account rather than closing the account. It is even better to maintain a low balance and make payments each month on an account.
Remember, your payment history contributes to 35% of your credit score, and your balances contribute to 30% of your score. Therefore, maintaining low balances and paying your bills on time each month affects 65% of your credit score.Simply put, the longer your accounts have been opened, the higher your score will become. Accounts that are new may actually bring your score down, especially loans. It is not until you establish a positive history over time that you will notice the positive effects of a score increase.
Where Does It Come From? Now you are probably wondering "Where does my credit score come from?" This is a very common question and the answer is simple: Your credit score comes from your credit report.This credit report is created by the three major credit bureaus in the states and it contains the history of your payments, the amount of loans that you have, how much you owe, and a few other things.
A good tip to remember: multiple inquiries in a short period of time are calculated as only one inquiry. This allows consumers to shop around for good interest rates without being penalized. For this reason, it is a good idea to shop around for an auto or mortgage loan within a short period of time, such as two weeks.It is okay to check your own credit, as personal inquiries do not have a negative impact on your credit. Personal inquiries on your credit can't be seen by any creditor as well. The only type of inquiry that affects or contributes to the 10% are those inquiries done by creditors and not your own inquiries.
There is no greater embarrassing moment than the one where you have applied for a loan and it is declined because you have a poor credit score. Such embarrassment is reversible though; there are ways you can get back on the horse so to speak. It is important however to know how you got where you are to know what to do or not to do to avoid falling into the same trap again. As much as you would like to blame it on anyone, a poor credit score is usually borne as a personal responsibility. However, there is always the proverbial light at the end of this especially dark tunnel, here is how:Start from the bottom up,Improving your credit score just like the way everything else begins from the bottom. You need to know how you got there so that you can get out. Consider this as a maze; you have to go back the same way you came to get out of it. When working to improve our credit rating, you have to know what you did wrong so that in future you avoid doing the same thing.
Consolidate.Debt consolidation is usually for individuals that experience difficulty paying off debts to their lending institutions. Consolidation is recommended for such people to unburden them of stress in making many different monthly payments to several different lenders.Examine and re-evaluate.Be your own financial counselor. Do not let financial problems pile up. Rather than awaiting credit rating reports to be mailed to your front door, make your own assessment. By doing this, you are updated concerning your credit reports.
Avoid credit cards,Warren buffet said that the first step to being rich is getting rid of your credit cards. A credit card is a permanent loan from the lending institution. Whenever you use it, you are charged interest therefore making your purchases convenient but expensive.There is no price tag that can be put on the harm the credit card does to your credit score and this story is true for everyone who has one. Credit cards promote impulse buying and misuse of money that increases your debt and lowers your credit rating. Get rid of your existing ones and cancel any new applications.Dedication carry's the day,Nothing good comes easy but improving your debts is something you should not take lightly. It is not going to be easy, it might call for a lifestyle shift, but just like education, the fruits will be sweet.
Payment history is reviewed to make sure that you don't have any late payments that are more than 30 days past the due date. If you do, and they're recent ones, then your score will drop. If you keep your payment history on time and pay when bills are due, then the number one category will be a major factor in your final score.The second category, available credit, is based upon a percentage of credit available to you compared to current loan balances. For example, if you have a credit card with a $10,000 credit limit and you have a $3,000 balance, you will be rewarded in your credit score. The algorithms seem to indicate that keeping an approximate balance of one-third of your available credit at all times boosts your score. However, if you approach, or worse go above, your credit limit, your scores will fall.
Maintaining low balances contributes to the second largest factor in your credit score. As a good rule of thumb, it is a good idea to owe approximately 10% of your total credit limits. For instance, if you have a $1,000 line of credit, you should maintain a low balance of $100 on any given month. Owing too much money on accounts shows that you are a risk factor and are unable to pay account balances down. Creditors want to deal with consumers who can show restraint and discipline with credit lines. You want to show creditors that you are responsible and will pay them off in time. You don't want to show that you have a high dependence on credit.
Why not just have an open line of credit and keep a balance of $0? While that may seem like a logical and affordable decision to make, it does not establish a payment history over time and thus is not maximizing your ability to push your credit score up. You also don't want to close accounts that you don't use. When you do this, you are lowering your balance to credit limit ratio because you are eliminating available credit limits that were otherwise helping you. To sum things up, it is better to have a $0 balance on an open account rather than closing the account. It is even better to maintain a low balance and make payments each month on an account.
Remember, your payment history contributes to 35% of your credit score, and your balances contribute to 30% of your score. Therefore, maintaining low balances and paying your bills on time each month affects 65% of your credit score.Simply put, the longer your accounts have been opened, the higher your score will become. Accounts that are new may actually bring your score down, especially loans. It is not until you establish a positive history over time that you will notice the positive effects of a score increase.
Where Does It Come From? Now you are probably wondering "Where does my credit score come from?" This is a very common question and the answer is simple: Your credit score comes from your credit report.This credit report is created by the three major credit bureaus in the states and it contains the history of your payments, the amount of loans that you have, how much you owe, and a few other things.
A good tip to remember: multiple inquiries in a short period of time are calculated as only one inquiry. This allows consumers to shop around for good interest rates without being penalized. For this reason, it is a good idea to shop around for an auto or mortgage loan within a short period of time, such as two weeks.It is okay to check your own credit, as personal inquiries do not have a negative impact on your credit. Personal inquiries on your credit can't be seen by any creditor as well. The only type of inquiry that affects or contributes to the 10% are those inquiries done by creditors and not your own inquiries.
There is no greater embarrassing moment than the one where you have applied for a loan and it is declined because you have a poor credit score. Such embarrassment is reversible though; there are ways you can get back on the horse so to speak. It is important however to know how you got where you are to know what to do or not to do to avoid falling into the same trap again. As much as you would like to blame it on anyone, a poor credit score is usually borne as a personal responsibility. However, there is always the proverbial light at the end of this especially dark tunnel, here is how:Start from the bottom up,Improving your credit score just like the way everything else begins from the bottom. You need to know how you got there so that you can get out. Consider this as a maze; you have to go back the same way you came to get out of it. When working to improve our credit rating, you have to know what you did wrong so that in future you avoid doing the same thing.
Consolidate.Debt consolidation is usually for individuals that experience difficulty paying off debts to their lending institutions. Consolidation is recommended for such people to unburden them of stress in making many different monthly payments to several different lenders.Examine and re-evaluate.Be your own financial counselor. Do not let financial problems pile up. Rather than awaiting credit rating reports to be mailed to your front door, make your own assessment. By doing this, you are updated concerning your credit reports.
Avoid credit cards,Warren buffet said that the first step to being rich is getting rid of your credit cards. A credit card is a permanent loan from the lending institution. Whenever you use it, you are charged interest therefore making your purchases convenient but expensive.There is no price tag that can be put on the harm the credit card does to your credit score and this story is true for everyone who has one. Credit cards promote impulse buying and misuse of money that increases your debt and lowers your credit rating. Get rid of your existing ones and cancel any new applications.Dedication carry's the day,Nothing good comes easy but improving your debts is something you should not take lightly. It is not going to be easy, it might call for a lifestyle shift, but just like education, the fruits will be sweet.
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