All About Debts

Many articles have been written about the importance of having healthy credit. And nowhere is the state of your credit more important than when you apply for a home loan. For most people, a house is the most expensive thing they will ever buy and the overall health of your credit determines whether or not a lender will offer you an affordable home loan. Since the most common measure of financial health is a credit score, most potential buyers are urged by well-meaning sources to "check your credit score before you apply." Many would-be homebuyers head to the Internet to do just that, and seeing that their score is sufficient, they head off, score in hand, to meet with a lender to discuss potential loans.

Debt Help And then the lender drops the bomb - "Sorry, but your credit score is too low. You don't qualify for the best interest rate."

Nevertheless, Have you paid your bills on time Payment history typically is a significant factor. It is likely that your score will be affected negatively if you have paid bills late, had an account referred to collections, or declared bankruptcy, if that history is reflected on your credit report. What is your outstanding debt Many scoring models evaluate the amount of debt you have compared to your credit limits. If the amount you owe is close to your credit limit, that is likely to have a negative effect on your score.

Counseling Debt What happened? How can the credit score you buy be higher than the one the lender receives? The answer is a simple one - there is more than one kind of credit score. Each of the three main credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian and Trans Union, uses a different method of determining credit scores. While the scale and criteria they use are roughly the same, the formula is slightly different at each bureau, so checking with all three bureaus could provide you with three different scores. Or even four - the three bureaus are now also making use of a unified scoring system. But which one is the "correct" score?

Because each bureau can and does receive information from different banks and creditors, your credit score (also referred to as "FICO score") can differ from credit bureau to credit bureau. While credit scores themselves range from 350 to 850, a FICO score of 700 from Experian is generally considered the equivalent of a 700 FICO score from Equifax or TransUnion. Regardless of which bureau supplies your credit report rating, the higher your FICO score, the better your chances are of securing a loan, with a favorable interest rate and ultimately having a stronger more solid credit history.

Consolidation Consumer Debt Mortgage lenders almost universally check the FICO score, created by Fair, Isaac, and Co. The FICO score is similar to many others, but it's the one that lenders are checking. That means that if you want to know exactly where you stand ahead of time, you need to check your FICO score yourself. And you need to make sure that the number you receive is, in fact, your FICO figure and not some other arbitrary score.

A credit score is a number that reflects your credit risk level. The higher this number, the better, since a high number is an indication of lower risk. Are all credit scores the same There is no single credit score. There are many different scores used in the financial industry for building a credit profile. Lenders will take different factors into account when building a credit score, depending on their own credit granting policies.

Debt Settlement How can you do that? There are many places on the Internet where you can obtain a credit score, but not all of them will offer the FICO figure. Make sure that the site you visit offers the FICO score before you agree to pay. Equifax makes the FICO figure available on their site, as does MyFICO.com. If you aren't sure, you might check with one of those two Websites. Making sure you have an accurate representation of your financial health prior to applying for a home loan is a great idea. Just make sure that you are looking at the same measure of financial health that your lender will use - your FICO score.

What is a credit score Credit score scores are the result of credit scoring systems used by lenders to decide whether you qualify for credit cards, loans or other financial services.

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©Copyright 2006 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information regarding home equity loans, mortgages and lines of credit. He may also know something about The Debt Consolidator.

• Try not to exceed 30% of your credit card’s credit limit. Large credit balances can cause your credit score to drop. Credit scores are statistical scores based on your credit report that predict the probability of your defaulting on your credit obligation. A good credit score can be helpful to obtain more credit when you need it and at a lower interest rate.

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Company Consolidation Debt 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, credit counseling, payday loans and personal bankruptcy and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to mortgages and home equity loans.

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