Credit Reports ? Why Your Credit Score is Important
If you have never heard of a FICO score before, you should become familiar with the term. Named for the firm that invented it, Fair Isaac Corp., the FICO score is the three-digit credit summary that, in essence, reduces your entire financial life to a simple set of numerals. The score represents a distillation of information gleaned from the three main credit-reporting bureaus ? Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian, regarding your loan and payment history, as well as any bankruptcy filings you may have made. Andy liens or payment defaults will be incorporated into the score as well. The score, which can vary from a low of 300 to a high of 850, represents an attempt to quantify a lifetime of financial dealings into a single number. It has been quite successful. In fact, most people would be surprised to see just how important that score has become and how many businesses use it for reasons that aren't entirely obvious. Most people would assume, correctly, that lenders would check the score of a potential borrower who was applying for a car loan or a home equity line of credit. Many would be surprised, however, to see that the score is often accessed by potential employers, landlords, or even insurance companies. While some states have strictly forbidden the use of FICO scores as a guideline for setting insurance prices, some insurance companies still access the scores in order to assess risk for potential customers. Employers access the scores to see if a possible employee might be a security or theft risk, and landlords may use the score to determine whether or not a tenant should post a high security deposit prior to moving into a rental property. A substantial argument can be made that there is no way to accurately reduce someone's financial status to a single three-digit number. That said, it is simply a whole lot easier for most companies that need a financial "snapshot" of a customer to look over their credit report, look at the score, and offer a "yes or no" response based on the score alone. Fair or not, this is the way things work today, and it is probably unreasonable to expect lenders, employers and landlords to start looking deeper into their customers' and employees' finances. The best solution for anyone who is concerned about his or her credit score is to examine their own credit report, which can be obtained for free at annualcreditreport.com. Report any errors to the appropriate credit bureau, and try to check your report once or twice a year. Fair or not, we are our credit score. Making sure that the number is accurate is an important step towards a solid financial future. ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding home equity lending/a>.
Related News
When Credit Gets Tight, a 401(k) Loan Becomes Tempting - New York Times
Improved credit score could mean big savings - Chicago Tribune
Crisp snares the ball, but doesn't get credit - Boston Globe
Credit crunch: UBS piles $7.5bn on to its write-down bill - guardian.co.uk
Credit Card Overhauls Seem Likely - New York Times
Bank gives credit - and donation - to Mission anti-development efforts - Bizjournals.com
Using credit wisely - Hindu
Using credit wiselyHindu, India -4 hours agoDespite the high risk of debt trap posed by credit cards, I am an optimist who believes that access to credit in a convenient, card-based form is probably ... |
Aryty explores phone credit service in India - The Statesman
Aryty explores phone credit service in IndiaThe Statesman, India -3 hours agoA US-based overseas pre-paid phone credit service, Aryty, is exploring the Indian market to facilitate calls and SMS chat to the USA and Canada. ... |
Pawn shops booming in the credit crunch - Sunday Herald
Pawn shops booming in the credit crunchSunday Herald, UK -2 hours agoHaving fallen from 5000 in the early 20th century to around 800 thanks to improved credit terms and job security, Milligan said that there has been a 10% ... |
CGFS calls for credit ratings change - Financial News
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Bad Checks, Bounced Checks, & NSF Checks
Negotiable instruments like checks and drafts have become an indispensable part of any business transaction today. As a result, it has become increasingly important to safeguard a business against financial losses arising from the receipt of fraudulent or bad checks.
Different Types of Credit Cards and Features - Part 1
Just as there are too many credit card companies to count, there seems to be just as many different credit cards, all claiming to offer you the best possible deal. Since no two people are alike, not all programs and incentives will work the same for everyone. Finding the one that works best for you is key to maintaining responsible credit card use.
Dealing With A Collection Agency
Step I - Selecting A Collection Agency
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Your Credit Report
Your credit report is a very powerful report that essential controls what you can and cannot do in your life. Unfortunately many people aren't aware of what a credit report actually is and what information is contained on the report. This article breaks down what is contained on your credit report and tells you everything you always wanted to know about your credit report but were afraid to ask.
Common Credit Score Myths
A lot of credit score myths about fico score ratings get spread around and some of them are just outdated information. Sometimes even lenders can give you the wrong advice and it can get confusing. But the bottom line is bad information can cost you money no matter who you get it from.
4 Steps to Creating Good Credit
As a consumer you've learned the importance of
establishing a good credit rating with your lenders. Whether you are shopping for a new home or auto, or searching for the best deals on insurance, your credit worthiness will be judged by your credit rating or credit score.
Credit Card Incentives
Credit card companies want your business. After all, lending money to people is profitable. Besides the interest fees that you'll be charged, the credit card company also collects a fee from merchants who accept their credit cards. In order to get your business, most credit card companies are willing to offer you some great incentives - not only to apply for one of their cards, but to use it for everything from car rentals to weekly groceries.
How To Get Out Of Credit Card Debt
If you're like the average person, let me warn you ahead of time about what I'm going to reveal in the next few paragraphs. You may be angry after you finish reading this article about how you've been misled in the use of credit card debt.
Learn The Truth About Identity Theft
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, according to a recently released FTC study. Did you know that the term "identity theft" did not exist until just a few years ago? It is a recent phenomenon that is causing a great furor around the world.
Credit Counseling: Is it Really Necessary?
Not everyone has a positive experience with credit counseling. Potential creditors often frown upon consumers who are going through credit counseling, denying them credit or sticking them with elevated interest rates on new lines of credit.
Credit Scores and Loan Applications
Keep Your Credit History Clean - Remove A Negative Credit Record From Your Credit Report
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.
3 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score by 50 Points In Less Than 30 Days
In Less Than 30 Days. "What can you do to increase that set of three numbers on your credit report that can be so important with your financing?" I came across this question as I was surfing discussion groups the other day. Check out my answer: Dear Friend, Here are 3 steps I used to take my credit score from 592 (horrible credit) to 762 (perfect credit) almost overnight. If you're interested in improving your credit rating quickly, you'll find this story helpful: In 1995 I made a decision that would ruin my perfect credit history. I quit my salary job to become an insurance salesman. The job paid commission only. Within a few months I lost everything - house, car, credit rating and my self respect. By the end of 1996 I was living with my mom, all my credit accounts were severely past due, and I was paying 22% interest on a broke-down green Geo Storm...I was a real loser. Then, in 1997, I became a banker. I didn't know it at the time, but this would turn out to be the break I needed to eliminate my credit problems forever. During my seven years as a banker, I came across several legal and highly effective ways to improve my credit rating. As a result, I was able to increase my credit scores by an average of 170 points. Here's what I did: Step #1: After spending hundreds of dollars on credit repair services that didn't work, I found out how to get negative accounts removed on my own. Basically, I wrote letters to the collection agencies requesting proof that the accounts were mine. 89% of the time they had no proof that the bad accounts belonged to me. So I was able to get them deleted from my credit file. Step #2: I opened new accounts with high credit limits and kept the balances low. I discovered that if you keep your available credit limits high and only use 10% to 30% of the credit you have available, your credit score will improve dramatically. Step #3: Next, I added accounts with years of perfect payment history to my credit file. This step took my credit score from 647 to 762. While you can certainly add seasoned accounts to your credit file for free, there are companies that claim they can do it for a fee. The problem is, they charge between $2,000 and $2,500 per account. If you want a 700+ credit score you'll need 3 to 4 of these accounts. That equates to a cost of $6,000 to $10,000. (You can conduct a search on your favorite search engine for companies that offer this service.) While there are several highly effective steps you can take to increase your credit scores by as much as 200 points, these are the main ones...And here's the good news: Each step can be completed in less than 30 days.
SuperCharged Secret 1 of 5 - Credit Card Utopia
I AM THE CONSUMER. AND I HAVE LOW-RATE SUPER-POWERS!
Credit Repair, How To
Credit repair, is in a word, vital to reestablishing your credit. Unless you plan to never use your credit again, then you have to find a way to fix it.
Online Credit Report and Online Credit Reports
Online credit reports are easily accessible to those interested in viewing them. If you have wondered about what kind of credit score you have, you can go on the Internet and look at your online credit report. Most people are concerned that they have good credit and a solid standing with where they are financially. This is an important factor because it pretty much makes or breaks someone's ability to get a loan for something they may need later on down the road. Your online credit report is an encompassing reality of who you are as a spender-it can show literally every part of your financial history to date.
What is a Bad Credit History?
A bad credit history can sometimes seem like a curse... whenever you apply for financing or for a loan, it always seems to pop up and cause you problems.
Learning the Disturbing Facts about Credit Card Debt
When I received my first credit card in the mail at age 18 I was ecstatic, I said to myself, wow now I'm getting somewhere in life. This credit card company thinks I'm worthy of 500 dollars in credit. So I made my monthly payments like a good consumer and watched my credit limit grow. I thought boy this company must think alot of me to take such a risk. I however had no idea how the money came into existence. All I cared about was that as long as when I slapped the plastic down I was approved. Like most young people I had no idea what an interest rate even was much less how it effected my monthly payments. I was like a lot of kids in America today, my parents were not a big part of my early adult life and so I really didn't have much guidance when it came to making financial decisions. The lessons I learned were hard and I continue to learn as each day passes.
Credit Report ? Look Out for Your Debit Report, Too
Most consumers are aware that there are companies that keep track of their personal financial transactions ? installment loans, mortgages, credit card accounts, bankruptcies and judgements. These items are assembled by the three main credit bureaus into a credit report, which is available upon request by lenders, employers and anyone else with whom a consumer might do business. The credit report tells these people, in a simple, summarized form, whether or not a consumer is worthy of more credit or another loan. What few people realize is that there is another firm that keeps track of the banking transactions by American consumers, and that information is available only to banks in the form of a debit report. You may not have heard of a debit report, but it can affect you in ways you may not even realize and can prevent you from opening a bank account.
Addressing Bad Credit Card Debt
Spending Habits
|
