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How to Change a Bad Credit Score Into a Good Credit Score
Jon Arnold asked:
The vast majority of consumers have an “ok” credit score. It is acceptable, but it is neither tremendously high nor tremendously low. It is not high enough where they could buy an aircraft carrier on their signature alone, but it is not bad enough where even 7-11 requires cash for a pack of gum.
This is not a bad situation to be in, if you find yourself within that majority, but with a bit of additional effort and knowledge, you can increase your credit score. What would that mean for you? Know that your credit score is being in a lot of different places today, and many more than you would think because it is not just for pure financial transactions anymore. Many car insurance companies are looking at an applicant’s credit score to determine what insurance rate to charge, where the insurance companies claim they have statistical evidence proving that people with lower credit scores file more claims. If you are looking for a new job, especially one in the higher ranks or upper management of a company, many employers are now using a candidate’s credit score as the deciding factor if all else is pretty much equal.
And of course with a higher credit score, you get the preferred loan rate when you are shopping for that new car, or a much better rate if you apply for a mortgage or go to refinance your existing mortgage, all of which can add up to hundreds and even thousands of dollars per year.
But keep in mind that raising your credit score does not happen overnight. Your credit score is a composite score based on your credit history, and a “history” or even a “trend” is not created overnight, but is seen as an established pattern that you follow.
It is probably no surprise to you that the single largest factor that will influence your credit score is your payment history. Do you pay your bills on time with at least the minimum payment each month? If you have not been doing this, now is a great time to start that trend, since this factor accounts for almost 35% of your overall credit score.
The second largest factor affecting your credit score is the total amount of all your accounts compared to your credit limit on those credit cards. If all your credit cards are near their credit limit or maxed out most of the time, this is definitely bad for your credit score. The standard rule of thumb is to keep your balance, if you carry a balance at all, to about 25-30% of your credit limit. This shows that you are using credit responsibly and will improve your credit score.
If you have old accounts that are paid off, some people say to close them and it will help your credit score. This is a myth. Those accounts, if you kept them in good standing, factor into your score and become a part of your credit history. Closing those accounts eliminates that part of your credit history which can actually lower your score.
There are many other factors that go into computing your credit score, but one of the things that you should do at least once or twice a year is get copies of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus; Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. Studies show that the vast majority of consumers have errors in their credit reports, and these errors do not auto-correct, but remain there unless you dispute them. If you do not dispute an incorrect item that is negative, your credit score is going to be calculated lower than it should be.
Take the time to handle your credit responsibly and wisely, and keep an eye on your credit report to avoid errors and incorrect data creeping in there. Doing so only takes a bit of effort and can pay off in spades for you and your financial future.
Arthur
The vast majority of consumers have an “ok” credit score. It is acceptable, but it is neither tremendously high nor tremendously low. It is not high enough where they could buy an aircraft carrier on their signature alone, but it is not bad enough where even 7-11 requires cash for a pack of gum.
This is not a bad situation to be in, if you find yourself within that majority, but with a bit of additional effort and knowledge, you can increase your credit score. What would that mean for you? Know that your credit score is being in a lot of different places today, and many more than you would think because it is not just for pure financial transactions anymore. Many car insurance companies are looking at an applicant’s credit score to determine what insurance rate to charge, where the insurance companies claim they have statistical evidence proving that people with lower credit scores file more claims. If you are looking for a new job, especially one in the higher ranks or upper management of a company, many employers are now using a candidate’s credit score as the deciding factor if all else is pretty much equal.
And of course with a higher credit score, you get the preferred loan rate when you are shopping for that new car, or a much better rate if you apply for a mortgage or go to refinance your existing mortgage, all of which can add up to hundreds and even thousands of dollars per year.
But keep in mind that raising your credit score does not happen overnight. Your credit score is a composite score based on your credit history, and a “history” or even a “trend” is not created overnight, but is seen as an established pattern that you follow.
It is probably no surprise to you that the single largest factor that will influence your credit score is your payment history. Do you pay your bills on time with at least the minimum payment each month? If you have not been doing this, now is a great time to start that trend, since this factor accounts for almost 35% of your overall credit score.
The second largest factor affecting your credit score is the total amount of all your accounts compared to your credit limit on those credit cards. If all your credit cards are near their credit limit or maxed out most of the time, this is definitely bad for your credit score. The standard rule of thumb is to keep your balance, if you carry a balance at all, to about 25-30% of your credit limit. This shows that you are using credit responsibly and will improve your credit score.
If you have old accounts that are paid off, some people say to close them and it will help your credit score. This is a myth. Those accounts, if you kept them in good standing, factor into your score and become a part of your credit history. Closing those accounts eliminates that part of your credit history which can actually lower your score.
There are many other factors that go into computing your credit score, but one of the things that you should do at least once or twice a year is get copies of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus; Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. Studies show that the vast majority of consumers have errors in their credit reports, and these errors do not auto-correct, but remain there unless you dispute them. If you do not dispute an incorrect item that is negative, your credit score is going to be calculated lower than it should be.
Take the time to handle your credit responsibly and wisely, and keep an eye on your credit report to avoid errors and incorrect data creeping in there. Doing so only takes a bit of effort and can pay off in spades for you and your financial future.
Arthur
Free Credit Report
Money Only asked:
We live in a credit oriented world. We all get credit at some point, so it’s hardly surprising to learn that we all have a credit history. If you are curious about your credit rating, and you should be, you can obtain a free credit report from a number of sources. This will let you see what the credit companies see when you apply for a loan or a mortgage.
Applying for a free credit report can actually save you money, if used properly. It is important that your electoral role details are up to date, for example. There are other public re\cord that will be compiled to create your credit history, any CCJ’s against you, for example. You can also discover who has been conducting credit searches on you. In short, a free credit report will let you know everything a lender will discover about you if you apply for credit of any kind.
Whenever you apply for credit that information is passed to a credit agency and kept in your personal credit file. That becomes a kind of footprint that other credit lenders can check up on to see how many others you have sought credit from. If you have made a lot of applications in a short period of time, it will look bad for you; especially if there have been an equally high amount of refusals.
The advantage of this system is that credit lenders can access your entire credit history with one single request. They do not have to ask several different places for the information. There are advantages to you to. You can also apply for a free credit report from a single agency, rather than having to chase all over the place to try and find out what information is kept on your credit history.
The information you will receive in your free credit report includes things like, who is living in your home in addition to you, if you have any financial affiliation with them, or they with you. Because of this, another person’s past credit history may affect your present credit standing. For this reason you should be very careful whom you do business with, or have a financial link with.
If you want to have a free credit report of your own credit history, court history and government agency involvement, you can apply through the terms laid down in the Data Protection Act. This states the terms under which the free credit report reference agencies can supply you with a copy. There will be probably be an administrative fee, but it should be quite small and only necessary to cover their costs.
There are many agencies willing to supply you with a free credit report. A search in any of the major Internet search engines will yield positive results. You should be careful, however, as there are always identity fraudsters who are out to take your personal details and use them to your detriment wherever they can get the chance.
Ana
We live in a credit oriented world. We all get credit at some point, so it’s hardly surprising to learn that we all have a credit history. If you are curious about your credit rating, and you should be, you can obtain a free credit report from a number of sources. This will let you see what the credit companies see when you apply for a loan or a mortgage.
Applying for a free credit report can actually save you money, if used properly. It is important that your electoral role details are up to date, for example. There are other public re\cord that will be compiled to create your credit history, any CCJ’s against you, for example. You can also discover who has been conducting credit searches on you. In short, a free credit report will let you know everything a lender will discover about you if you apply for credit of any kind.
Whenever you apply for credit that information is passed to a credit agency and kept in your personal credit file. That becomes a kind of footprint that other credit lenders can check up on to see how many others you have sought credit from. If you have made a lot of applications in a short period of time, it will look bad for you; especially if there have been an equally high amount of refusals.
The advantage of this system is that credit lenders can access your entire credit history with one single request. They do not have to ask several different places for the information. There are advantages to you to. You can also apply for a free credit report from a single agency, rather than having to chase all over the place to try and find out what information is kept on your credit history.
The information you will receive in your free credit report includes things like, who is living in your home in addition to you, if you have any financial affiliation with them, or they with you. Because of this, another person’s past credit history may affect your present credit standing. For this reason you should be very careful whom you do business with, or have a financial link with.
If you want to have a free credit report of your own credit history, court history and government agency involvement, you can apply through the terms laid down in the Data Protection Act. This states the terms under which the free credit report reference agencies can supply you with a copy. There will be probably be an administrative fee, but it should be quite small and only necessary to cover their costs.
There are many agencies willing to supply you with a free credit report. A search in any of the major Internet search engines will yield positive results. You should be careful, however, as there are always identity fraudsters who are out to take your personal details and use them to your detriment wherever they can get the chance.
Ana