Posts Tagged Car Loan

What Is The Meaning Of Your Credit Score?

Ara Rubyan asked:




In the United States, your credit score is everything. It is something that you should take care of. If you don’t, getting a phone, cable or gas line hooked up in your home can be difficult to do.

There are also certain companies that take a look at your credit score first before they even hire you. Even if you are qualified to do the job, a low credit score can ruin it all for you.

Your credit score is also analyzed by creditors, such as banks and credit card companies. Just try to imagine that you need to get a loan to start your own business, with a low or bad credit score, you have a lesser chance of getting that loan approved or you may get it approved but with high interest rates.

The same thing goes when you apply for a credit card. Credit card companies or banks that issue credit cards will first take a look at your credit score before they can get your application approved. A high credit score means that you have a greater chance of getting the best credit card deals with a lot of features and also with low interest rates for your every purchase using a certain credit card.

Even if you are applying for a mortgage, a car loan and other kinds of loans, your credit score will play a very important role in it. This is why it is very important for you to have a high credit score and maintain it that way or increase it.

First of all, you have to understand what a credit score actually is.

A credit score will be a three digit number from 300 to 850. This number will represent a calculation of the likelihood of whether you will pay their bills or not. This means that if you have a high credit score, creditors will be sure that you a better credit risk than someone with a low credit score.

In the United States, FICO (or Fair Isaac Corporation) is the best-known credit score model in the country. They calculate your credit score using a formula developed by FICO. The system is used primarily by credit industries and consumer banking industries all across the country.

Credit scores are calculated using the following factors:

* Punctuality of payments

This will be 35% of the calculation. If you pay your bills on time or before the due date, your credit score will tend to be higher.

* Capacity used

This will amount to 30% of the calculation of your credit score. It will contain a ration between the current revolving debts to total available revolving credit. If you use your credit card and if you don’t use its entire credit limit, you will get a higher credit score.

* Length of credit history

This will amount to 15% of the calculation of your credit score.

* Types of credit used

This can affect 10% of your total credit score.

* Recent search for credit or the amount of credit obtained recently

This will amount to 10% of the total calculation of your credit score.

Surprisingly, not many people know their credit score and often end up wondering why they got denied for their loan or credit card application. You can easily obtain a copy of your credit report by requesting for it from the three major credit reporting agencies. The law allows you to order a copy of your free credit score from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months. How can you find out what your credit score is?

* On the web

Visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com

* Via toll-free telephone number

Call 1-877-322-8228

* Via mail

Complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can you can get a copy of the form from: ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit.

You may order your free credit score from each of these nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or one at a time.

They will be able to provide you with a free calculation of your credit score every year. It is also a great way to find out if there are any errors in your credit report that may be causing you to have a low credit score. You can request it to be fixed in order to let you have a higher credit score than before.

Always remember that your credit score is an important factor of your life. Keep it high and you will get better deals on loans, and credit cards.

Eugene

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How To Get Your Free Credit Report

John Rasor asked:


current state of the economy, your credit report and credit score has become increasingly significant when it comes to borrowing money. Mortgage companies in particular, in an effort to reduce risk are scrutinizing credit scores to the point that getting a home loan is about as easy as building a rocket. We recently discovered that Fannie Mae has created a new set of guidelines regarding your credit score. If you have a score below 680 you will pay a higher rate on your mortgage. For the past decade they set the standard at 620. According to the credit bureaus, the average score is just below 680. What do you think is the most important factor in getting a home loan? Most people don\’t realize it, but your credit score tops the list as the most important factor. There are a few other things that you must have as well. A down payment is now mandatory. In the past you could have the seller pay all of your closing costs and get 100% financing meaning that you got in without a dime out of pocket. Not any more. You will also need verifiable income. Another big change from the days of \”stated income\” mortgages. It takes a combination of all three of these things but credit score carries the most weight. Beyond being approved for a mortgage loan, your credit score will determine the rate you get on a car loan, the interest rate you pay on credit card balances and which type of cards you qualify for. These days, it may just be the determining factor in why you don\’t get that car loan or credit card. Looking for job? Better hope you have a decent FICO score. These days potential employers are obtaining your score in an effort to predict what kind of worker you will be. Apartment managers and land lords will also use this number to gauge whether or not you will pay the rent on time. Getting your free credit report is actually quite simple. http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ will give you your report from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion once each year. You will get access to everything contained in your credit report except the credit scores. This makes the service pretty useless. There isn\’t much benefit in getting your free credit report unless it comes with your credit scores. Everyone knows that nothing in life is free. It seems that there is a catch to everything these days. Through various affiliates of the credit bureaus you are able to obtain all three of your credit scores, but in order to do so you are required to enroll for a free 30-day trial of credit monitoring service and required to give your credit card number. If you choose to opt out within the trial period, you will not be charged. Technically, you just got a free credit report with credit scores. Most of these services allow you to obtain unlimited updates to your credit scores along with identity theft protection and various other valuable features. You\’ll be able to see who has been looking at your credit as well as get contact information for all of your creditors. If you haven\’t seen your credit scores lately, take the time soon to find out what they are.

Deborah

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The Importance of a Free Credit Report

Peter Nisbet asked:


The importance of getting your free credit report cannot be overemphasized. In the current economic climate, with such a strong squeeze on credit, everybody’s credit rating is at risk, and even if you think you have a premium credit score, you might be in for an unpleasant shock. People are getting such shocks not only daily, but hourly throughout the USA.

However, before we discuss that, let’s have a look at what a credit report is and what information it gives you. It contains four parts basically: your personal details, your credit history, public records appertaining to your financial stability and finally, inquiries made by third parties as to your credit record. While you might not understand the need for this information, they are carefully examined by potential lenders.

To put it in general terms, your credit report is a record of your credit history and your financial stability. It contains financial details such as mortgages, loans, mail order agreements, credit cards, banking facilities and so on, and includes your repayment history, any late payments, missed payments, defaults and so on. It also includes any details of credit or loan applications you have made, and whether any have been turned down.

If your credit report is bad, you will either not be offered credit or will have to pay a higher interest rate than those with a good credit report. In some cases you will be refused credit. Hence the importance of knowing what your credit record is like. The same is true of your credit score that lenders use to assess your credit-worthiness.

The implications of a bad credit report include you being refused a credit card application, a loan, a mortgage, a car loan and any other form of credit. You could even be refused a mail order agreement or even a car hire. That is not the end of it, because the same could apply to your partner and your children if they reside at the same address as you. When your kids look for a mortgage of their own before being married, or seek a loan for their first car, they could be refused because of your poor credit record.

That is fine if the record is correct, because although it is bad for you, at least it will have been deserved. However, it has been estimated that up to 90% of credit records are inaccurate, and that a large proportion of people are being wrongly refused credit. Not an entire 90%, obviously, but a lot of people are being unfairly refused credit, and that could be you or your kids. You won’t know till you apply.

Why wait till then? Why not just get a credit report now, so that you know where you stand. It makes sense, and since it is free what are you waiting for? Did you know that anybody can see your credit report? In the USA, the Fair credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows employers, creditors, landlords, insurers and any other business to have access to your credit report for purposes of credit, renting a home, employment or any other reason where your financial situation could be of interest.

These reports are available in the USA from three agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and each has to provide you with a free copy of your credit report annually on request. Once you have a bad record on your report you have to wait 7 years to have it removed.

However, there are companies that help you to check up on your report and have any inaccurate data removed. You could easily have your next credit request refused due to inaccurate or false information. Identity theft or even mistaken identity is no longer uncommon. Nor is it uncommon for office staff to make typing errors and you to have something on your credit record that never occurred.

In today’s economic climate your credit is the one thing you must do all that you can to protect, so make sure you implement your right to a free credit report. There are companies that can get your free report from all three agencies, and then check it with you to make sure that nothing is untoward. With 90% containing inaccurate information, that might be highly likely. If so they can help you to get these false records removed.

It’s your credit, and it affects everybody living in your home. Get it checked out now with a free triple credit report. Also check up on your credit score at the same time.



Frederick

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Where Can You Really Get a Copy of Your Free Credit Reports?

Joe Maruca asked:


The offers are everywhere! Commercials with catchy jingles, free offers, scare tactics about identity theft and poor credit, it’s hard to miss them. So what’s the real deal? Is everyone allowed to give away free copies of your credit report?

There are many websites that offer a free copy of your credit report but most of them will only do it if you sign up for other services like “credit monitoring.”  The only place recommended by the Federal Trade Commission is “annualcreditreport” dot “com” which is set up by the three credit reporting agencies.  You can also call them at 1-877-322-8228.

If you’ve already gotten your free credit report for the year, you can get an additional copy of your credit report if you have been denied credit (by a credit card company, loan, etc.) within 60 days.  You can also purchase a copy if you need to for about $10. For More information and FAQ, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website at “ftc” dot “gov”

Why is it a good idea to check my credit? It’s a good idea to review your credit report and score on a regular bases for several very important reasons including: Identity theft, inaccuracies, unauthorized activity and to see who has been checking your credit aside from you. The information in your credit report can affect your ability to secure a loan (car loan, home loan, student loan and more) and can also determine what type of interest rate you receive from your credit card company.

So remember, you can receive a free copy of your credit report without signing up for any additional services and it’s a good idea to review the information in your credit report on a regular bases. 

To learn more about good personal finance practices visit www.creditcardinfohub.com where you’ll find this and other articles including 5 Easy Steps to Financial, Credit and Debt Relief.

 



Sharon

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