Do you know what your credit score is? If not, you could be putting yourself at risk. Do not apply for a mortgage or even a credit card until you know what type of score you have. Many of today's consumers simply do not realize the power and the importance this one, little number has when it comes to managing your financial future. The good news is that the information is all right here for you.
Your credit score can make the difference between securing a home loan or being turned down, getting your dream job or getting passed over. The truth is, everyone from credit companies and lenders to potential employers and businesses uses your credit score information – and a low credit score can impact your financial well being for years. To help you better understand and manage your credit health, check out our Credit Score Q & A below.
The bottom line is that credit scores will follow you for years to come. Without a good credit score, you could suffer by paying too much in interest or being turned down for the loans you want and need. Instead of allowing this to happen, get up to date on credit scores. The credit score 101 here, provides you with the information you need to get ahead.
Find out what your score is, what it should be and how to get it there. Then, feel confident that you can get the loan that you want and need.
A quick crash course on what you need to know about your credit score, how to protect it and what you can do to make it better.
What exactly is a credit score?
A credit score is a future indicator or predictive measurement of an individual’s credit worthiness to pay back debts based on their credit history.
What is a FICO score?
An Acronym for Fair Isaac and Company, a FICO score is the standard of assessing credit risk for companies adopted by the three major credit reporting agencies: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax in the mid-80s. Scores range from 330 to 850.
| Credit Type | Score Range | Percentage of Population |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 700 to 850 | 15% |
| Good | 660 to 699 | 25% |
| Fair | 600 to 659 | 25% |
| Bad | 330 to 599 | 35% |
What is the difference between a credit score and credit report?
A credit report is a consolidated record of an individual's outstanding debts and timeliness of payments made against those accounts (< 30 days, 30 to 60 days, > 90 days). A credit score is a proprietary formula applied to an individual's credit report to estimate credit worthiness at a given point in time.
Credit reports contain information on:
What is considered when calculating a credit score?
Each credit bureau weights credit history information differently. Typical levels of importance for determining the credit worthiness of an individual include:
| Credit Info | Example | Percentage of Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Payment Timeliness / History | e.g. Percentage less than 30 days | >> 40% |
| Debt / Balancing Outstanding | e.g. Debt Balances | >> 35% |
| Duration of Credit Established | e.g. 1, 5, 10 years | >> 10% |
| New Credit | e.g. New accounts | >> 10% |
| Types of Credit | e.g. Revolving, mortage, etc. | >> 5% |
Why do you need to keep track of your credit score on a regular basis?
Identity theft is a threat to everyone. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that more than 9 million people have their identity stolen each year. Having your identity stolen is not only highly inconvenient, it's also expensive to restore.
Thanks to several advances in analytical software, you can avoid identity theft through preventive identity protection, like subscribing to a service that monitors changes in your credit profile and protects you if anything changes.
What you can do to improve your credit score:
Do’s & Don’ts To Improve Your Credit Score
