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Credit Facts
What is a credit score?
A credit score is a number generated by a mathematical formula that is meant to predict credit worthiness. Credit scores range from 300-850. The higher your score is, the more likely you are to get a loan. The lower your score is, the less likely you are to get a loan. If you have a low credit score and you do manage to get approved for credit then your interest rate will be much higher than someone who had a good credit score and borrowed money. Therefore, having a high credit score can save many thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage, auto loan, or credit card.
We will help you to dispute negative items in your payment history.
- We will show you how to maximize your debt ratio score, even if paying off credit cards is not an option.
- We can also help you to removing credit inquiries from your credit report. Most people are aware of the three credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The average difference in scores between the highest and lowest of your credit scores, from the three bureaus, is 60 points. This is the result of the credit bureaus having different items on their report, which may be correct, incorrect or are not reported in full compliance with credit law. According to a recent study, nearly 80% of all credit reports have serious errors on them and this does not even include the even smaller errors for which we look.
- If you cannot remove at least 25% of the negative credit items from all three of your credit reports, we will refund 100% of your fee.
What affects your Credit Score?
In addition to starting the credit dispute process with you, what can I do to help raise my credit score?
Pay all of your bills on time, every time. This includes your utility bills, mortgage and auto payments, and all of your revolving lines of credit like credit cards. Check your credit report at least once a year. You can find out how to challenge bad information on your credit report here.
Never charge more than 30% of the available balance on any of your credit cards. Banks like to see a nice record of on-time payments, and several credit cards that are not maxed-out. If you are carrying high balances on your credit cards, then make paying them down below 30% a priority. Do use your credit cards – Many people who make mistakes with their credit believe that the best way to fix things is to never use credit again. If you are afraid that you cannot handle your credit cards correctly then the best policy is probably this one: Run only your utility bills on your credit cards each month, and then pay the balance in full by the due date. This ensures that your utility bills get paid on time automatically, and as long as you keep the habit of paying off your credit card balance each month your score will continue to go up. Leave the credit cards locked in a safe or drawer at home.
Keep your accounts open as long as possible – Even if you are no longer charging on the card. The best policy is to keep those unused accounts open, blow the dust off your card every few months to make a small purchase, then pay it off. How long each of your accounts have been active is a major factor in your credit score.
Remember that this all takes time – Following the above steps consistently over a long period of time will increase your credit score and allow you to qualify for better loans and lower interest rates. Repairing your credit score does not happen overnight, so if you do these things for a few months and do not see a large increase in your score, do not give up. They are all habits that you will want to maintain throughout your life, as they will help you to keep your finances and lines of credit under control.
How long will certain items remain on my credit file?
- Delinquencies (30- 180 days): A delinquency may remain on file for seven years; from the date of the initial missed payment.
- Collection Accounts: May remain seven years from the date of the initial missed payment that led to the collection (the original delinquency date). When a collection account is paid in full, it will be marked as a "paid collection" on the credit report.
- Charge-off Accounts: When a delinquent account is sent to a collections company. This will remain for seven years from the date of the initial missed payment that led to the charge-off (the original delinquency date), even if payments are later made on the charge-off account.
- Closed Accounts: Closed accounts are no longer available for further use and may or may not have a zero balance. Closed accounts with delinquencies remain for seven years from the date they are reported closed, whether closed by the creditor or by the consumer. However, the delinquency notation will be removed seven years after the delinquency occurred when pertaining to late payments. Positive closed accounts continue to be reported for ten years from the closing date.
- Lost Credit Card: If there are no delinquencies, credit cards reported as lost will continue to be listed for two years from the date the creditor is contacted. Delinquent payments that occurred before the card was lost are reported for seven years.
- Bankruptcy: Chapters 7, 11, and 12 will remain on one's credit report for ten years from the filing date. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy is reported for seven years from the filing date. Accounts included in a bankruptcy will remain for seven years from the date reported as included in the bankruptcy
- Judgments: Remain seven years from the date filed.
- City, County, State, and Federal Tax Liens: Unpaid tax liens remain for fifteen years from the filing date. A paid tax lien will remain on one's score for 10 years from the date of payment.
- Inquiries: Most inquiries listed on one's credit report will remain for two years. All inquiries must remain for a minimum of one year from the date the inquiry was made. Some inquiries, such as employment or pre-approved offers of credit, will show only on a personal credit report pulled by you.
Information that cannot be in a credit report:
- Medical information (unless you provide consent)
- Notice of bankruptcy (Chapter 11) more than ten years old
- Debts (including delinquent child support payments) more than seven years old
- Age, marital status, or race (if requested from a current or prospective employer)
Why you could have different credit scores:
It’s perfectly normal to have different credit scores from different credit bureaus. Here are a few reasons why your score may differ.
There’s more than one credit scoring model.
As noted above, the credit bureaus may use different credit scoring models to calculate your scores. Since different scoring models have different ranges and factor weightings, this often leads to different scores.
Some lenders may use different types of credit scores for different types of loans. For example, an auto lender may use an auto industry-specific credit score. These scores tend to differ dramatically from standard consumer credit scores.
Some lenders may only report to one or two credit bureaus. This means a credit-reporting bureau could be missing information that would raise or lower your score.
Lenders may report updates to the credit bureaus at different times. If one credit bureau has information that’s more current than another, your scores might differ between those bureaus.With all of these factors at play, you’ll frequently see minor fluctuations and variations across your scores. Instead of focusing on these small shifts, consider your credit scores a gauge of your overall credit health and think about how you can continue to build your credit over time.
Credit score ranges:
Knowing where your credit score falls within the FICO and VantageScore ranges can help you get a sense of whether you might qualify for a loan or credit card — and what kind of rate you might be offered.
There are a few key differences between the VantageScore and FICO models, including how they weigh different factors in determining your scores. Both have a score range of 300 to 850, but they differ as to which ranges are considered poor, fair, good or excellent.
Credit score rangeVantageScore 3.0 FICO
Excellent781–850
Very good740–799
Good 661–780
Fair601–660
Poor 500–600
Very poor< 500
What is a good credit score and why does it matter?
So, what’s a good credit score? Though it varies across credit scoring models, a score of 670 or higher is generally considered good. For FICO, a good score ranges from 670 to 739. VantageScore deems a score of 661 to 780 to be good.
A credit score that falls in the good to excellent range can be a game-changer. While financial institutions look at a variety of factors when considering a loan or credit application, higher credit scores generally correlate with a higher likelihood of getting approved.
A good credit score can also unlock the door to lower interest rates and more-competitive terms. And if you have excellent credit scores, you have an even better chance of being offered the best rates and terms available.
On the other hand, if you have poor or bad credit scores, you may be able to get approved by some lenders, but your rates will likely be much higher than if you had good credit. You may also be required to make a down payment on a loan or get a cosigner.
Factors that affect your credit scores
The individual components vary based on the credit-scoring model used. But in general, your credit scores depend on these factors.
Most important: Payment history
For both the FICO and VantageScore 3.0 scoring models, a history of on time paymentsh is the most influential factor in determining your credit scores. Your payment history helps a lender or creditor assess how likely you are to pay back a loan.
Very important: Credit usage or utilization
Your credit utilization is calculated by dividing your total credit card balances by your total credit card limits. A higher credit utilization rate can signal to a lender that you have too much debt and may not be able to pay back your new loan or credit card balance.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends keeping your credit utilization ratio below 30%. This may not always be possible based on your overall credit profile and your short-term goals, but it’s a good benchmark to keep in mind.
Somewhat important: Length of credit history
A longer credit history can help increase your credit scores by showing that you have more experience using credit. Your history includes the length of time your credit accounts have been open and when they were last used. If you can, avoid closing older accounts, which can shorten your credit history.
Somewhat important: Credit mix and types
A healthy mix of accounts , including revolving lines of credit (like credit cards) and installment loans (such as car loans, student loans, personal loans and mortgages) can help build your scores. Lenders want to see that you’re able to handle and pay back different types of credit.
Less important: Recent credit
When you apply for credit or a loan, the financial institution will conduct a hard inquiry on your credit that shows up on your credit reports. Credit scoring models consider these recent hard inquiries when calculating your scores. Opening multiple new accounts within a short time period could suggest to a lender that you’re struggling financially.
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