This week’s Your Money column discusses a new credit report from a company called CoreLogic, which includes all sorts of information about your financial life that is not captured by the reports from the traditional credit reporting agencies....
A person’s credit score is a number based on his creditworthiness, i.e., his ability (or inability) to pay off his debts. Previous loans, credit cards and insurance policies are taken into account, and as a general rule the higher the credit score number the more successful a person will be in choosing from a range of loan options with good terms and at attractive interest rates....
“Figures provided by FICO Inc. show that 25.5 percent of consumers — nearly 43.4 million people — now have a credit score of 599 or below, marking them as poor risks for lenders. It’s unlikely they will be able to get credit cards, auto loans or mortgages under the tighter lending standards banks now use,” according to the AP. Historically, just 15 percent of the 170 million...
Millions of Americans have seen their credit scores fall amongst the lowest levels possible. FICO is reporting that almost 44 million people, 25.5 % of consumers, currently have a credit score less than 600. A credit score this low makes a borrower a very high risk for lenders. These low credit scores will make it almost impossible for these consumers to obtain a mortgage, auto loans,...
Even though it's more important than ever to be familiar with your credit score and what affects that crucial number, experts say a lot of Americans don't know nearly as much as they should about what they do that can impact their score. WalletPop got on the phone with John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at Credit.com to find out more. We also caught up with Barry Paperno,...
Beware the Web, where you’ll see plenty of claims that short sales will save your credit, simple as that. But there’s nothing simple about deciding whether to sell your house in a foreclosure or in a short sale, which means you sell the property for less than you owe the bank. And in most cases, going through either process will wreck your credit score. “Both short sales and...
The credit score is often the determining factor when it comes to getting approved for a loan or mortgage. For those who do get approved, the score can determine the interest rate that is charged. Having a score just two small points below the threshold for the best rates can cost an individual thousands of dollars. Following some tips for raising your credit score will help prevent...
