How Credit Scoring Works

The all important credit score! It determines the amount of loan you can get, it determines the interest rate at which you are charged for a loan, etc. Your credit score plays an important figure in your financial life. So what goes into making that all important score of yours? How does it increase, how does it decrease and what are the factors that go into its calculation?

Your credit score is a number that reflects on the likelihood at which you will pay back a loan. Scores range from 350 (high risk) to 950 (low risk). Credit scores do not take into consideration your income, how much savings you have or demographic factors such as gender, race or nationality. Your credit score is affected by your current debt level, your past delinquencies, your credit history and how many times your credit report is pulled up by various agencies. Your score considers both positive and negative information in your credit report. For instance, recorded late payments will lower your credit score while a good track record of making payments on time will raise your credit score. Timely payment of your bills is important to ensure you maintain a good credit score. The amount of balance you have left on your credit card, how many credit card accounts you hold and your use of revolving credit also affect your credit score to a great extent.

Your credit score and credit report is formed on the basis of your credit history and you need to have at least one account which has been open or updated in the past six months to get a credit score. If you do not meet the minimum criteria for getting a score, you may need to establish a credit history prior to applying for a mortgage.

All in all, if you can pay for all your debts in a timely and consistent manner and not take more debt than you can handle, your credit score shouldn't be able to trouble you in life. So take care and be wise with your finances.

Sameer S Panjwani is the CEO and Founder of ChoiceOfHomes.com - A Real Estate Portal for Home Buying, Selling and Renting. Website url: http://www.choiceofhomes.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Credit Information:

Related Articles

Credit Score - for Scoring the Right Loan
Somebody once said, "There is always a way of knowing your limitations and going beyond it." It is fundamentally true with respect of credit score.
Collection Agency Secrets for Collecting on Bad Debt
Getting worried that one of your clients, customers or patients will never pay? Have you given up on a customer who's essentially said he won't pay? Congratulations--being stiffed by a customer or patient is a milestone in the growth of a business or medical practice. But even the most hopeless of bad debts can sometimes be collected-collection agencies have been doing it for years.
To Repair Credit Is No longer Satisfactory - Learn How To Earn A Millionaires Credit In 30 Days...
To repair your bad credit does not necessarily mean that you now have a good credit, absolutely not. When most people have bad credit, they either purchase a credit repair book or seek a credit expert help.
Bounced Checks - Straight Talk On Dealing With Bad Checks (NSF)
A check can be considered bad if it is bogus or the NSF checks (non sufficient funds check), also referred as bounced check.The issuance of a NSF or bad checks is an unlawful act and can attract civil and criminal penalties.
Legislators Ponder New Credit Protection Laws
Legislators in Washington, D.C.
Ethical Finance: Who Benefits From Our Spending?
On one hand consumers are being universally criticised for running up significant amounts of debt on credit cards, yet conversely many companies are capitalising on the growing credit card debt, from charities and political organisations to football clubs, the Association of Surgeons and somewhat ironically ActionAid, an international development agency whose aim is to fight poverty worldwide.Financial comparison site moneynet.
Comprehending a Credit Report
Obtaining a credit report is an excellent way to begin taking control of your financial future. It's recommended that you review your credit report once a year, not only to be aware of your standing with creditors but to also keep abreast of errors and fraud.
Identity Theft - Monitor Your Credit Report
The recent security breach at credit card processor CardSystems Solutions has many consumers worried. Thanks to a well-placed computer virus, nearly forty million credit card numbers were stolen, and cardholders nationwide are justifiably concerned about identity theft.
Practical Suggestions for Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft
It's no surprise that thousands of Americans are victimized by identity theft each year. Last year more than 9,000,000 people were victims of identity theft amounting to some $45 billion dollars.
How Does a Creditor Determine Whether to Grant You Credit?
Credit 101How does a creditor determine whether to grant you credit? For many years, creditors have been using credit scores and credit scoring systems to determine if you'd be a good risk for a loan or credit card. More recently, credit scores have been used to help determine what rates you pay for insurance.
Are 0% Credit Cards Reaching Their End?
Are Credit Card companies starting to feel the pinch? We all know that the Credit Card companies make their money by charging us interest on the money we borrow. With all the 0% balance transfer offers that we have seen over the last few years its no wonder these companies are concerned they aren't making any money.
Negotiating Rates with Your Credit Card Company
Ok, let's face it, everybody hates high credit card rates, and they drain hard earned money out of your wallet. As a valued consumer, it is apparent that you learn how to negotiate to get the absolute best rate that you possibly can.
10 Step Credit Repair Guide
The process of clearing credit can be laborious and frustrating, but your efforts will be paid for in better financing. Your rights are protected by laws, but you need to take reasonable actions toward your goal of clearing credit discrepancies.
Fixing A Credit Report
Fixing a credit report starts with seeing what's on it. You may get access for free online.
Fun with Credit Cards
For those of us who know how to use them properly, credit cards can actually be quite fun and lucrative. To those who do not know how to use them properly, I would say that you should stop reading this column right about now, or at least I would advise you not to try any of this stuff at home.
How to Avoid Credit Card Late Fees
Everyone hates late fees and being late will cost you dearly these days. For some credit cards today, if you are late, you will have to shell out as much as $40 each time.
10 Ways To Boost Your Credit Score
1. Deleting Errors in 48 HoursThis is the absolute fastest way to correct errors on your credit report and raise your credit score.
Myths and Truth about Credit Scoring
Credit score is the key factor determining approval of almost any type of credit. It is based on the information contained in your credit report files.
Establishing Credit - What You Need To Know Part 1
Establishing credit is one of the most important things you can do in order to add stability to your financial record and dramatically increase your ability to borrow necessary funds in order to purchase a new home, new car or even pay for college expenses. Unfortunately credit has two sides to it that consumers can exploit.
Building Good Business Credit After Bad Credit
Can you establish good business credit if you have bad personal credit? The answer is yes..