Mortgage brokers, and those hoping to buy homes, are disgusted by the preeminence of the credit score in “scoring” a home loan today. According to an article, in Friday’s New York Times, this overemphasis on credit scoring in the home mortgage market is not helping the economic recovery either, because people just cannot qualify for a home. Some people’s scores have decreased even though they have done nothing differently. The author’s interesting article recounts many mistakes in his own credit report, a common phenomenon as it turns out. The author is so disgusted he thinks the CFPB ought to take up credit reporting and scoring as a high priority once it is up and running.

I agree that this is a shame, all this focus on credit scoring in lending, but I also think consumers can whip themselves into a frenzy over these scores, even when they do not want, need, or plan to use future credit. Always remember what the score is for, to qualify for more credit. Staying out of debt is as good a strategy as any for keeping the score high. Students acquire more credit cards than they need in order to get three open items. Before they know it, their scores are lower because they cannot pay. I know a terminally ill woman, with no job and no intention to take on any more credit. She wants to keep paying dribs and drabs on her enormous medical debts to protect her score until the end. Why? I hate to give these scores, and the agencies that create them, more power over us than they deserve.

If there are old merchant cards and other credit cards taking up space in your wallet, you may be tempted to close those accounts, since you don’t use them anymore. However, that would be a bad move for your credit score. Even though you’re not using them, those old credit cards are helping your credit score in a number of ways.

To better illustrate how and why those unused credit cards help, it’s good to know how your credit score is calculated. Here’s the breakdown on how credit scores are calculated:

Payment history: 35 percent
Amount of money owed: 30 percent
Length of credit history: 15 percent
New credit requests: 10 percent
Types of credit used: 10 percent

Those are the factors that go into determining your credit scores and the weight that each factor has in relation to the others. Now let’s examine why closing inactive credit card accounts lowers your credit score.

The value of old credit
Those old, inactive credit cards you’re thinking about closing are actually helping your credit score because length of your credit history is worth about one-sixth of your overall score. Not only should you leave them open and keep them helping your credit score, you might even want to use them occasionally so the issuer doesn’t close the account for you.

Amount of money owed vs. credit limit
There’s a term for this that lenders and credit bureaus like to use: debt-to-credit ratio. Your current credit balances, when viewed as a percentage of total credit, are 30 percent of your total credit score. Therefore, even though you’re not using those credit cards, the credit limit on each of them is actually helping you lower your debt-to-credit ratio, which is a sign of responsible credit behavior. Keep those accounts active and working for you by using them occasionally.

Types of credit used
Although it’s only 10 percent of the total credit score, every little bit helps. Those old credit cards are contributing to the different types of credit accounts in your credit history. Most people have several different credit cards or revolving credit accounts, and hanging on to your old ones is one way to cater to the credit-score formulas used by the credit bureaus.

Any one of the reasons listed above is a good reason to maintain those old credit accounts. However, when taken together and backed up with the facts, they’re even more compelling. Even if you only use cards every now and then, credit and charge cards from merchants are important facets of your credit score and credit history. If you keep cards active, they may even save you money via better interest rates. Understanding the factors that affect your credit score and checking your free credit score annually, can put you one step closer to financial freedom.

When you apply for a loan from a creditor, one of the first things that he will want to see is your credit score. If it is not high enough he may refuse you the loan outright. Alternatively, he may give you the loan, but at onerous interest rates or conditions.

When looking for a mortgage, your credit score may determine whether you end up paying $800 a month for your mortgage or $1300 a month. Over the span of a lifetime, a poor credit score can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s why it is so important to keep track of your credit score.

You can get credit reports from each of the three main credit reporting agencies. Unfortunately, your FIFO score does not automatically come along with your credit report. To get your credit score, you have to request it specifically from the company and you will most likely have to pay a fee as well. The reason for the fee is simple. The credit reporting agencies, as a way of making money, simply treats the credit score fee as a profit center. When you send for you credit score, request it from all three agencies. The reason is that all three calculate the score a bit differently.

The cost for having a credit reporting agency send you your FIFO score is not expensive. But, one way of avoiding the charge altogether is to get it directly from the lender from whom you are trying to get a loan. For instance, as mentioned above, when you apply for a loan, your lender will ask the credit reporting agency for your credit report and your FIFO score. This means that when you return to find out whether you have the loan or not, he knows your credit score. Simply ask him what your score is. Most will give it to you with no problem.

You may be surprised at all the things that your FIFO score impacts. You know, of course that it affects loan interest rates. But what you may not know is that it also affects your home and auto insurance rates. Your score affects whether you will have to put down a deposit when you sign up for a home utility such as gas or electrical. In short, it impacts, so many things that you would be foolish to ignore the power that it wields.

NationalCreditReport.com, a leader in credit report, credit score and credit monitoring services, reminds consumers that there are many things that might seem like a good idea when working to get a good credit score, but consumers should do their research before taking any steps that might cause credit report damage.

“There are some common mistakes that people make when they are working to repair or raise their credit scores,” said Samuel S. Ambrose, Vice President of Marketing and Operations of NationalCreditReport.com. “Things that seem harmless like closing credit card accounts can actually lower your score with the 3 major credit bureaus and affect lending decisions by the financial institutions that obtain your credit report for review.”

The 3 major credit bureaus (Experian™, Equifax™, and TransUnion™) collect information such as bill payment trends, outstanding debt and number of open accounts and use that information to calculate your credit score.

“This seemingly smart move could really cause credit report damage,” said Ambrose.

According to Ambrose, many people attempting to clean up their credit report close longer-standing credit card accounts that they no longer use. Since the 3 major credit bureaus give you points for the length of your credit history, closing a long-standing card could actually hurt you. A better move is to keep that card and use it sparingly to keep it active. Attempt to pay it off in full each month.

Charging too much on one credit card can also make it harder for you to get a good credit score because you’re using a larger portion of the credit granted to you. You don’t want to come close to your limits on your cards. Spread your charges among a few different cards to avoid credit report damage. Set up automatic bill pay if you think you might have trouble remembering to make payments on time.

Another mistake that can cause credit report damage is applying for more credit than you really need. Having many inquiries by creditors can cause your credit score to drop slightly.

Finally, it is not just negative information that can hurt your credit score. Many people make the mistake of not having any or enough credit history. In order to be viewed as a good credit risk by potential lenders, you have to have some proof that you are good at paying your debt on time.

At the company’s website, www.nationalcreditreport.com, consumers can sign-up for a free credit score and a free, seven-day trial of its Triple Safeguard Credit Monitoring™ service. The company also offers consumers the opportunity to purchase their credit report and score for one low price with “no strings attached.” Interested customers can visit www.nationalcreditreport.com/nostringsoffer to buy their credit report and score without being enrolled in a credit monitoring service.

About NationalCreditReport.com
Since 2004, NationalCreditReport.com has specialized in providing credit information and credit monitoring services to consumers to help them understand their credit report and score. NationalCreditReport.com encourages consumers to check their credit report on a regular basis.

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It can happen to anyone: Miss just a credit card payment or two and the next time you check your credit score, you’re stunned to find a low number that makes lenders shun you.

But with patience and discipline, you can move that score from the depths to the stratosphere.

We talked to several people across the country who dug themselves out and brought up their credit scores in a big way — sometimes in just one or two years.

We asked them to pass along their best tips to share with folks who might be dealing with the low-score blues.

Melissa Chinwah
Homewood, Ill.
Credit score before: 348
Credit score after: 702

Tips for Maintaining a Good Credit Score

Credit score danger zone

Rock bottom: After getting divorced, Chinwah, an office manager, was shocked to find that her credit score had sunk to an average of 348, with the lowest reported score among the three bureaus at just 316. There were 43 collections and a repossessed car on her report — “Not one thing was positive, except for my student loan,” she said. “I started to look for housing for me and my two small children and no one would even look at me.”

Turning point: Melissa started researching the ins and outs of her credit report on the forums at MyFICO.com, where people shared their tips for raising their credit scores. For example, she learned that being 120 days late on a payment is basically the same as being repossessed, according to a credit bureau. “The average layperson doesn’t know these kinds of things,” she said.

Her motivation: “The motivation was I needed a place to live,” she said. “I was 44 years old at the time, and I had to start all over anyway.” When Melissa’s credit score reached 648, she applied for a mortgage and bought her dream house.

Lessons learned: Melissa approached building her credit like a part-time job. “Every day I would promise myself I would look at my score on my lunch break, and I would make myself do something, like write a goodwill letter,” she said. Melissa wrote a lot of letters and made phone calls to lenders after paying her debts, asking them to remove blemishes from her report. She was persistent in her efforts over the course of two years and was successful in getting at least 15 collections removed.

Her best advice: “Patience is one thing you must have,” she said. “There’s no magic pill, no magic wand. You have to sit down, make those phone calls and pay your bills.”

Paul Seago
Apopka, Fla.
Credit score before: Less than 500
Credit score after: 785

Rock bottom: “I got out of graduate school in 1998. By 1999 and 2000, paying bills on time wasn’t that important to me, so they’d pile up,” said Seago. “And I’d be 30 days late or 60, sometimes 90. A couple of those piled up. All the sudden I thought, ‘Look, I’m going to want to buy a car someday, get married and buy a house.’ I couldn’t do those kinds of things with the score I had.”

Turning point: “One of the first things I did was start paying everything on time,” said Seago, president of the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce. “I set up a auto bill pay so I’d never be late again. The easiest thing to do is start paying your bills on time. The late payments came off eventually. Then I’d pay extra on my bills — more than the minimum — so my debt ratio would go down. I got rid of all my store cards and kept all my major credit cards.”

His motivation: “I just buckled down and wanted to get [my score] turned around,” he said. “At some point, I’d be married and looking at a house, and I could just see that played out someday, sitting down with a mortgage broker looking at my credit and [the broker] saying, ‘Yeah, you can’t have a house.’ I probably looked at my score every four months, and I’d see it go up. It’s like when you’re dieting and you see yourself losing a bit of weight.” Seago is now married and in the process of looking for a house.

Lessons learned: Seago researched credit score advice online and in magazines. His major focus was on making payments on time. “If you find yourself in trouble and you’ve got a low score, you can’t spend your way out of it,” he said.

His best advice: “No. 1, as simple as it sounds, is just pay on time. Pay a little bit extra every month to get that balance down. And don’t get any more cards. Do whatever you’ve got to do to pay them off and keep your balances down.”

Fiona James
Baton Rouge, La.
Before: 422
After: 512

Rock bottom: She knows she’s got a long way to go before her credit score can be called excellent, but she also sees that she’s come a long way from when things were their darkest. “When I first went to college, everyone was offering me credit cards,” said James. “A few years later, I was getting behind on bills and not being able to afford certain things and taking out loans. I went to get a vehicle in 2008 and realized my credit score was way low.”

Turning point: James started following the advice in the book “Good Debt Riches,” by Elon Bomani. She had a lot of cards with small amounts of debt and began paying those off, slowly working on lowering her debt.

Her motivation: James was motivated by her need to get reliable transportation so she could work at her two jobs. “I went for six months without a vehicle,” she said. “It was actually quite difficult.”

Lessons learned: “I applied some of the basic principles of paying off creditors where I had a small balance, then began to work out payment arrangements with other creditors,” she said. “I also invested in a secured credit card that reported to all three major credit bureaus and made sure to pay them on time and off each month.”

And though she’s managed to lift her score nearly 100 points, she knows that her work isn’t nearly done. “Each day, I am still working towards repairing and rebuilding my credit as well as becoming financially sound,” she said.

Her best advice: “I would honestly have to say first and foremost to have faith that you can do it,” she said. “The end results are far greater than what you’re dealing with at that particular time.”

Tips from the top
We also talked with David C. Jones, president of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies, and Gail Cunningham, vice president of public relations for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, to get their best tips for building credit.

Here’s what they had to say.

* Check credit reports regularly. At least once per year or three months in advance of applying for a loan or credit, check your reports, which are free annually through AnnualCreditReport.com. “Dispute any incorrect entries,” Cunningham said. “Make sure it’s about you and only you.”
* Pay on time. It seems simple, but paying on time is the highest weighted component of your credit score, accounting for 35 percent of the score, according to Cunningham. “If you’re a procrastinator, unorganized or if you travel for work, set up automatic bill pay in an amount that will at least pay your minimum [payment] by the due date,” she said.
* Don’t max out your credit. Aim to use no more than 30 percent of your available credit to avoid costly fees and being put into a risk category. It’s also a good idea to pay down your cards. “As your cards are paid down, it is likely that you will see an improvement in your credit score, as the computation takes into account your ability to repay your debt more easily,” said Jones.
* Be careful about closing unused accounts. Have a few credit cards paid off that you don’t want to use anymore? You might be better off keeping them open. “Closing unused accounts will lower your overall available credit and negatively impact your credit utilization ratio,” explained Cunningham.
* Resist paying for everything on credit. “Chances are that using cash more often will make you a better steward of the money you have each month after paying necessary bills,” Jones said. “As your spending patterns improve, so will your credit score.”

Source: foxbusiness.com

New reports out show that about 43-million of Americans have a credit rating so poor that getting a loan is much more difficult, and when they do much more expensive.

“It can affect your borrowing costs, the amount you’ll pay to finance cars or homes or, certainly credit card rates,“ notes Morningstar Financial’s Christine Benz.

A bad credit score can even affect your ability to get a job.

“Some employers actually check up on credit ratings when they’re hiring,“ Benz says.  “So, it can actually affect your future employment history as well.“
Personal finance advisors are busy these days doling out advice on how to raise your credit rating and shed the reputation of a being credit risk.

Credit cards are usually where they begin, because that’s usually where poor credit is born.

“If you have a credit card with a $10,000 credit limit and you have $5,000 in debt on there, that’s not going to look good,“ says personal finance consultant Bob Sullivan.

Advisors say getting credit card debt below 20-percent of maximum limit should be a priority.

“Do that to all your credit cards, march through them one at a time and that’s the best way for you to quickly raise your credit score,“ advises Sullivan.

AnnualCreditReport.com is one place to get a history of your credit, but you’ll have to pay to see your credit rating.

Contrary to what you see on some tv commercials there is no way to get your credit score free of charge.

Source: counton2.com

A new home, a new car, even something as simple as a new credit card, all becoming harder for Americans to obtain.

Glenn Reynolds, Vice President and Mortgage Loan Manager for Arvest Bank, says, “Ever since the financial situation started in the last two years they’ve tightened up the minimum credit score to be able to get all types of credit.”

Reynolds says these days your credit score needs to be above 620 to get a loan. The ideal credit score is 740. He says, “Right now, if you have a credit score under 620 you can’t get a home mortgage.”

Unfortunately a new study shows 25-percent of Americans don’t meet that standard. Bob Moore Infiniti Business Manager Rebecca Addison says lower credit scores don’t only impact home loans, but car loans as well.

Addison says, “Due to the nature of what has gone on in the economy we have seen a significant difference in credit scores.”

Reynolds says the wave of foreclosures across the country is behind the credit score drop. That isn’t a huge problem in our state, but nevertheless he’s had to turn some customers away when that low FICO pops up. So, if a big purchase is in your short-term future, know your FICO score before you shop.

Addison says, “See exactly if now is the time. Maybe you need to build your credit get it back up before you come in and purchase a vehicle.”

Waiting a few months could not only give you time to improve your score, it could help you to get a better financing deal, as well.