Wednesday 29 February 2012

Pull Up Your Credit Score With These Ten Hints

By Brian Derflinger


These days most of us need loans to buy a house, set up a business, or buy a car. In addition, a lot of students request loans to facilitate their matriculation. How soon the loan is sanctioned, the rate of interest, and the amount sanctioned will all depend on your credit score which is based on your credit report. People with scores of 700 and more are the beneficiaries of lower interest rates and quick sanctions. Let us assume that Mr. X has a score of 701 whereas Mr. Y has a score of 699 - because Mr. X's credit score is infinitesimally greater than Mr. Y's, he could pay an interest rate that is lower than about half a percent. Ergo, Person #2 in the aforementioned example would pay somewhere around $20,000 worth of additional interest on a $165,000 loan, as opposed to Person #1.

There are several ingredients that make up the bouillabaisse known as a credit score, including present income, present debt, overall payment history and the length thereof, types of credit used and new credit. If two or more members of your family are earning then apply for a loan jointly.

Here are a few simple and helpful hints that could assure you of a credit score above 700.

Maintain an extensive credit history in good standing. Keep alive your oldest credit card and be sure to pay all bills in time. Avoid incurring late payments in as much as possible. The only time it is recommended to pay but the minimum due is in the event of financial crisis.

Do not open too many credit cards. Learn to say "NO," to offers of free credit cards. You also want to stay well within your credit limit. Avoid using all the available credit on the cards.

Make sure that you are always looking at an accurate credit report free of any errors of the numeric or typographical variety.

Make your financial plan pursuant to the goal of healthy finances. Mull over debt consolidation.

Do not abruptly close or open an account. This leads to suspicion that you are trying to manipulate your credit report.

If in the event you are having difficulty paying, humbly request that your creditors hammer out a stratified payment plan. If at all possible, ask your creditors not to report your late payments to the credit bureaus.

Late or delayed payments drive your score down so always pay bills dead on time. Keep a tab on due dates and ensure that all bills are paid.

Do some productive reading on the machinations and ramifications of credit scores, as well as the different criteria involved in computing them. If the situation warrants it, hire a financial advisor, and always keep in mind the debt-to-credit limit ratio.

Even if advised refrain from filing for bankruptcy. What you would want to do is elide your expenses, achieve a balance between money in and money out, and to avoid the use of your plastic, except maybe in dire emergencies.




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