Basics of the credit score breakdown - know them
Most people know that their credit score plays an important role in their lives. This is the easy part; the more difficult part is actually understanding the credit score breakdown, or what goes into a credit score. There are a few different methods for calculating credit scores but the most commonly used is the FICO method that has been used since the 1980's. The FICO method was developed by the Fair Isaac Corporation and the three big credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian, all worked together with Fair Isaac to develop this method.
A persons credit score can range anywhere between 300 and 850. The average American score is around 690 which is a reasonably good score. Having the average score of 690 will enable you to secure a loan, however it will not get you the best interest rate on your loans.
Let's take a look at the credit score breakdown.
The first factor is payment history. Payment history makes up 35% of the credit score. This is calculated based on whether you pay your bills on time or not and how many late or missed payments have been forwarded to collection agencies. It also considers if you have had any bankruptcies or tax liens. It can be difficult sometimes to meet financial deadlines if you get a heap of bills all come in at once but just remember that a missed payment is much worse than a late payment regarding your credit score. Missing a mortgage payment will affect your credit score much worse than missing a bill payment or credit card payment so always have your mortgage payment as first priority.
Next there is outstanding debt to consider and this accounts for 30% of your credit score. If you have a number of credit cards and they are all maxed out then this will have a very negative effect on your score, but if you have a number of credits that all have a lot of credit still available then this will work in your favor. Outstanding debt considers the amount of credit outstanding in relation to the amount of credit available to you. It can help your credit score to have a few credit cards that are not being used but simply to give you available credit to increase your score.
Credit Longevity is the next point that is considered when determining your credit score. How long you have established credit counts for 15% of your score. The longer you can maintain good credit and continue to pay your bills on time then the better it is for your credit rating.
Next there are the types of credit to consider. Around 10% of the score is related to the number of different types of credit that you have. If you have multiple types of credit, such as mortgage, car loan and credit card, and all are managed well then this will help with your credit score.
Amount of activity is the last factor to consider. Opening new credits card accounts to leave unused to increase your credit score is good, but not if you open too many new accounts at once. If you have too much activity happening in a short period of time this will negatively affect your score.
When you understand what is involved in the credit score breakdown then you can take steps to improve your score.
TAGS: basics of my credit score breakdown, credit score breakdown
Article Source: Messaggiamo.Com
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