Wednesday, January 03, 2007

True Or False: The Amount Of Money You Make, Determines How Good Your Credit Is

False:

An impressive salary doesn’t translate into a good credit report or good credit score. It’s true that a lender will look at the amount of money you make to determine your ability to make your monthly payments on the loan but, that’s as far as it goes.

Your credit worthiness is based upon your credit history, not your salary. Creditors use a FICO score to determine if you are qualified to get a loan, and at what interest rate that loan needs to be paid back at if you are approved.

FICO scores range from 400 to 850 points. The higher your score, the lower your interest rate will be and the easier it will be for you to obtain credit. Here is how your FICO score is calculated:

35% - Payment History – This is the bulk of your score but not the end all, cure all. If you just make timely payments, that doesn’t mean you will have a good score but it most definitely dramatically effect’s your score if you don’t.

30% - Amounts Currently Owed – The FICO system takes into consideration the amount of existing lines of revolving credit you currently have.

It calculates the percentage of available credit on those existing lines. For an example: You have 3 credit cards with $2,500 limits on each of them. That gives you $7,500 worth of existing credit. You currently carry $2,000 balances on each one ($6,000 total). Take the $6,000 and divide it by $7,500. You will end up with an 80% utilization rate and a lower score because of it. Most lenders like to see this utilization rate below 30% so, pay your existing debt down if they are above 50% to give you a better chance at getting approved for a new loan at a good interest rate.

15% - Length of Credit History - The system will take into consideration the length of time you have had your existing lines of credit.

The older the account the better rating it gets (as long as it is in good standing). The longer you’ve been paying your bills responsibly and on time, results in a good track record that lenders will feel comfortable with in giving you those “big ticket” loans; home, auto, etc. It will also translate into a better interest rate for you, saving you thousands of dollars in the long run.

10% - New or Recent Credit Lines Opened - Don’t be too quick to open or apply for so many credit cards or loans at any given time. It can indicate to a lender that you are desperate and in dire need of a credit line. It also can result in multiple lenders pulling your credit report in a short period of time. These inquiries also affect your credit score.

You can pull your own credit reports anytime you want to and that will not affect your score.

10% - Types of Credit Cards used - Contrary to popular belief, a debit card with the Visa or MasterCard logo isn’t a credit card and does not help your credit profile. The FICO system calculates revolving credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, etc.), department store credit cards (JC Penney, Mervyn’s), Automobile Loans, Mortgages. Each type of line of credit has a different value assigned. A good payment history on a department store card doesn’t have the same weight as someone who is making payments on a mortgage or auto loan.

So, how does your FICO score translate into the interest rate you can expect on a loan (if you qualify)? Here is an example using a $216,000 30-year, fixed rate mortgage:
False:

An impressive salary doesn’t translate into a good credit report or good credit score. It’s true that a lender will look at the amount of money you make to determine your ability to make your monthly payments on the loan but, that’s as far as it goes.

Your credit worthiness is based upon your credit history, not your salary. Creditors use a FICO score to determine if you are qualified to get a loan, and at what interest rate that loan needs to be paid back at if you are approved.

FICO scores range from 400 to 850 points. The higher your score, the lower your interest rate will be and the easier it will be for you to obtain credit. Here is how your FICO score is calculated:

35% - Payment History – This is the bulk of your score but not the end all, cure all. If you just make timely payments, that doesn’t mean you will have a good score but it most definitely dramatically effect’s your score if you don’t.

30% - Amounts Currently Owed – The FICO system takes into consideration the amount of existing lines of revolving credit you currently have.

It calculates the percentage of available credit on those existing lines. For an example: You have 3 credit cards with $2,500 limits on each of them. That gives you $7,500 worth of existing credit. You currently carry $2,000 balances on each one ($6,000 total). Take the $6,000 and divide it by $7,500. You will end up with an 80% utilization rate and a lower score because of it. Most lenders like to see this utilization rate below 30% so, pay your existing debt down if they are above 50% to give you a better chance at getting approved for a new loan at a good interest rate.

15% - Length of Credit History - The system will take into consideration the length of time you have had your existing lines of credit.

The older the account the better rating it gets (as long as it is in good standing). The longer you’ve been paying your bills responsibly and on time, results in a good track record that lenders will feel comfortable with in giving you those “big ticket” loans; home, auto, etc. It will also translate into a better interest rate for you, saving you thousands of dollars in the long run.

10% - New or Recent Credit Lines Opened - Don’t be too quick to open or apply for so many credit cards or loans at any given time. It can indicate to a lender that you are desperate and in dire need of a credit line. It also can result in multiple lenders pulling your credit report in a short period of time. These inquiries also affect your credit score.

You can pull your own credit reports anytime you want to and that will not affect your score.

10% - Types of Credit Cards used - Contrary to popular belief, a debit card with the Visa or MasterCard logo isn’t a credit card and does not help your credit profile. The FICO system calculates revolving credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, etc.), department store credit cards (JC Penney, Mervyn’s), Automobile Loans, Mortgages. Each type of line of credit has a different value assigned. A good payment history on a department store card doesn’t have the same weight as someone who is making payments on a mortgage or auto loan.

So, how does your FICO score translate into the interest rate you can expect on a loan (if you qualify)? Here is an example using a $216,000 30-year, fixed rate mortgage: