Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Basic Credit Scoring 101 For A Better Mortgage Rate

By Rob Kosberg

Mortgage pricing is now paying more attention to credit scoring. Since credit scores are now more important , it is vital that you locate and review your credit score. If you learn how the credit scoring system operates, you can make it work for you. The web site my FICO.com is a great place to start.

Published by credit scoring powerhouse Equifax, myFICO.com give you information right from the source. There are tens of pages of tips and tricks from which everybody can learn.

Following are some of the basics:

Use your credit or lose your score: You need to get on the credit "bandwagon" if you want a credit score assigned by the credit agencies. Even if you charge a small amount and pay it off each month, you'll be on the radar and have a score.

30 Is The Magic Number: Holding your credit card balances below 30 percent of their respective limits shows an ability to manage credit responsibly. Before consolidating multiple credit cards onto one credit line, consider that card's credit limit. Overload it and the consolidation could hurt your credit score.

The Trend Is Your Friend: A track record of paying accounts on-time means that you're likely to continue paying on-time. Credit bureaus like on-time payments. If you've been late, catch up immediately. At 35 percent, this is the largest component of your credit score.

Pay Attention To History: Maintain a credit "history." Don't close out credit cards that you don't use. That history will be 10% of your score.

There are more helpful hints available at the Web site so with additional credit score adjustments to mortgage rates expected later this year, the best way to protect yourself is to be proactive. Identify potential issues in your credit profile and work to improve them.

Credit scoring is not always intuitive so if you're not getting the personal information you need from general Web sites, ask your loan officer for an in-depth analysis. The mortgage rate you save may be your own. - 16752

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