What are the factors considered in a credit score?

     The credit score is only interested in a borrower's willingness to pay back the loan. It predicts the likelihood that the loan will get repaid based on the accumulation of the borrower's past performance and current standing. Such information as savings, income or demographic data like nationality, race, religion, marital status, and gender are specifically left out of the credit profile. It is not meant to measure the borrower's ability to repay the loan. For that, the lender looks at your debt-to-income ratio.

     The credit report does, though, track both the positive and negative activity in your credit history, such as timeliness of payments, current debt balances, length of credit history, types of credit available to you, the number of credit inquiries and any legal action taken against you for non-payment (such as bankruptcy or a lawsuit.) Although late payments will reduce your score, a current history of timely payments can raise it.

     Different weights are assigned to the various factors considered. For instance, FICO assigns thirty-five percent of your score to your payment history, thirty percent to your debt level, fifteen percent to the length of time span of your credit history, also fifteen percent to the type of loans such as installment versus revolving, and five percent to your credit score requests, which measure your level of pursuit after new credit.

     Since this information is considered in most applications for credit, loans, mortgages and even insurance or employment, it is important that you maintain a high credit score and check your credit report periodically (at least once a year) to ensure that your credit report is accurate.  Contact me today to learn some of the steps you can take to raise your credit score.