The Credit Score Mystery |
Jul. 24, 2008
Categorized in: General Information
Certainly a credit score is becoming increasingly more important today with credit availability tightening. Credit information doesn’t seem to be an “exact” science and depends a lot on who pulls it up, i.e., (auto dealer, bank, credit card company, etc.) But basically a score of at least 720 is needed to get a viable interest rate for a home mortgage in today’s market.
Many people are under the mistaken impression that credit scores are largely tied to your income, but that isn’t accurate. Your credit score is a number assigned to how well you have repaid your debts to indicate your creditworthiness for new debt. Certainly we need to take care with credit cards and not max out credit limits, but interestingly enough an individual with no credit cards is rated as a higher risk than someone who has a history of managing their credit cards responsibly. Your credit score can definitely be increased given some time and making your payments on time, every time. Your diligent handling of your current debts will pay off with better rates on future debts.
You can easily obtain a credit report from https://www.annualcreditreport.com and also go to http://www.myfico.com to read more information about your credit score and for tips and other resources available. I would encourage you to be apprised of where you stand and keep a watchful eye on the credit information others may have their eyes on when you apply for credit.
