How Your Credit Rating Affects You, And How To Check It
|
You might not know it, but every time you take out any kind of loan or credit or pay something back, it gets counted on your credit rating. Who keeps a record on you will vary according to where you live, but the big three credit reference agencies are Experian, Equifax and Trans Union. They will provide your credit rating to any company that is thinking of lending you money.
What is Included in Your Credit Rating.
All the debts you currently have are included in your credit rating. There is a history of all the debts you've had in the past ten years or so, and special emphasis is put on anything that has gone wrong. Defaulting (never paying) on any debt will ruin your credit rating completely. Borrowing a lot before you start paying anything back will make you look like a very bad risk, and so will going all the way up to (or even over) your limit on a credit card.
It is also worth considering that the credit reports of anyone you live with may be linked to your report, and could reflect badly on you ? your wife or husband's credit rating is tied to yours quite closely.
How Your Credit Rating is Worked Out.
The most common method of coming up with your rating is called 'FICO', named after the Fair Isaac Corporation, who invented it. Your current credit status is prioritised, in this order: whether you've paid past debts, how much debt you currently have, your credit history, the types of debt you use, and how many times your rating has been checked recently. Things that happened more recently are given more weight than things that happened a long time ago.
Why Your Credit Rating is Important.
Any time you get turned down for a credit card or any other loan, the chances are that it was because of your credit rating. Companies giving out small loans are far more likely to rely completely on this rating than to bother checking your income, and a worse rating will mean that you are offered a higher interest rate.
Your rating is important when you get car loans and mortgages too. You don't want to find a house you love only to get turned down for the mortgage thanks to your habit of paying your credit card bills late.
How to Check Your Credit Rating.
Credit reference agencies can't hold your information on file without telling you what it is they have. If you write them a letter and pay a very small fee, they have to send you the full credit report that they have about you.
You can then check over your credit rating, and send a letter back to the agency telling them about anything that you think isn't right. You might find that a screw-up has made you look bad when it wasn't your fault. They will include anything you send in your file.
In some countries, you may find that you can sign up to get credit reports regularly for a small fee, or even for free! Make sure to check your local laws.
Ken Austin is the webmaster at Debt Consolidation Solutions and Credit Relief Solutions
|
|
|
I?ve Heard About Facta; What Does It Mean?
What FACTA means is that if you, as an individual, lose the information on anyone you have ever hired; or, for any bus...(related: Credit)
Consumer Credit Reports
A consumer credit report is a factual record of an individual's credit payment history. It is provided for a purpose permitted by law: to help a credit grantor or lender quickly and objectively decide whether to grant you credit. Most of the information in consumer credit reports comes directly from the companies a person...(related: Credit)
Choosing The Best Credit Card To Apply For
Always shop around to get the best deal when choosing which credit card to apply for. If you don't do your due diligence you could end up with a card that has too high of an interest rate, that has an unnecessarily high annual membership fee, etc. Here are some things to look for when checking out the different credit card offers you may receive in the mail.1. Credit Card Terms:When using a credit card you are in effect borrowing money from the credit card company. The terms and conditions of credit that you agree to when you apply for the credit card will affect your overall cost. Compare terms and fees before you apply.2. Annual Percentage Rate:The APR is the yearly rate that is charged for money borrowed on the card. It must be shown on the application and on b...(related: Credit)
Your Guide On Choosing A Credit Card To Suit You
Reach into your wallet or purse, pull out a card, swipe, and you're done. It is very easy to use a credit card. The problem lies in choosing a card ? and it has nothing to do with the picture on the front! Choosing a credit card that works best for you is vital to your credit rating. If you choose incorrectly, you may find yourself in deep debt trouble. Here is some basic, yet extremely important, information that will h...(related: Credit)
Credit And Its Cost
What is Credit?Credit is money granted by a lender (or creditor) to a debtor (or borrower) whereby the lender defers receiving payment of the debt for a period. In exchange for the credit allowed, the lender will get back the money lent plus interest. The borrower has use of the money immediately, rather than waiting until the money required is saved up.It enables the borrower to pay ...(related: Credit)
My Student Credit Card Adventure
And some practical advice too!My first credit card?I remember my college days when it seemed there was a credit card advertisement on practically every bulletin board on campus. The banks would travel to the college and set up application booths on registration day. Hundreds of students would apply for a credit card. As an enticement, we were offered freebies like T-shirts, water ...(related: Credit)
Do You Want To Get A New Credit Card At A Great Rate?
1) Do your homework. Applying for and getting approved for a credit card is nothing more than legwork. Credit card contracts can sometimes contain onerous terms that might make you sorry that you signed up for the new card that you did. Read the fine print carefully. If a deal looks to good to be true, it just might be. Credit cards can be a great way to finance your purchases, but make sure it's not at such an expense that you end up paying for a long time afterward.2) Read about the APR. The APR stands for "annual percentage rate". Yes, the APR of a credit card is important no matter what people tell you. A low APR for a credit card is more critical than you think. When you ...(related: Credit)
Finding What Is On Your Credit Report
A credit report is basically a file about you kept by lenders and banks. As annoying as it may be, it's still perfectly legal for them to gather all sorts of details about you. In turn, you have the right to check this file - and you should do so and inquire regularly about your credit report and your credit score, particularly when you plan a big financial change, for instance, before applying for a loan or a mortgage, you should always take time and review your credit report. This allows you not only to plan your moves accurately, but also to dispute any mistakes that might occur in the report.The credit report is an accurate record of your fin...(related: Credit)
Read And Understand Your Credit Card Statement
Have you ever looked at your credit card statement and ended up just scratching your head in frustration? Well join the club! But don't take any comfort in the fact that you have plenty of company, because lack of knowledge can cost you?.right on your credit report, and once there can stay with you a while.Adding to the challenge is that almost every creditor's statement is slightly different, varying in format and billing cycle and interest calculations. You first want to check what you purchased and what...(related: Credit)
Understanding Credit Report Score
Understanding credit report scores is important when you see your credit report because you need to be able to make some sense of it.Your credit score is used by anyone loaning you money such as credit card companies, home loan lenders, auto loan lenders and finance companies....(related: Credit)
Addressing Bad Credit Card Debt
Spending HabitsSo you've just got your credit card. The first thing you need to be wary about is that a credit card is very easy to use - afterall you can shop in stores, via catalogs and online with your credit card. As it is so easy to buy things with it you can find that you actually spend more than you are able to afford. As well as this, many people find that spending with a credit card does not feel like ...(related: Credit)
Ways To Look Good Without Selling Your Soul To The Credit Card Sharks
1. Buy clothes at thrift stores. BEFORE you buy them, however, hold the clothing to the light to make sure there are no tears, check the seams under the arms, make sure the buttons are all there, and don't buy anything that you can't try on.2. Never buy anything that doesn't fit.3. Find out what you...(related: Credit)
How To Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft
With identity theft statistics currently at an all time high, and climbing, it just makes sense that we should all be doi...(related: Credit)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved | Free Articles and Information | Credit