Credit and Insurance Scores
What is a Good Credit Score?
How to Improve Your Credit Score?
Does Checking My Credit Score Hurt My Credit?
Insurance scores and credit scores differ. Credit scores predict credit delinquency while insurance scores predict insurance losses. Both are calculated from information in a credit report, such as outstanding debt, bankruptcies, length of credit history, collections, new applications for credit, number of credit accounts in use, and timeliness of debt repayment. Insurers or scoring agencies then calculate the insurance or credit score by assigning differing weights to the favorable or unfavorable information in the credit report. Information such as income, ethnic group, age, gender, disability, religion, address, marital status and nationality are not considered when calculating an insurance score.
Credit and insurance scores measure how well individuals manage their money—not how much money they make. And actuarial studies show that how a person manages his or her financial affairs is a good predictor of insurance claims. Statistically, people with a low insurance score are more likely to file a claim.
The good news is, most people have good credit and most people will pay less for insurance than they would if insurance scores weren’t considered.
A good credit score is what each of us aspires to. After all, a credit score is one of the important determining factors when it comes to borrowing money – and getting a low rate when you do.
But trying to pin down a specific number that means your credit score is “good” can be tricky. When it comes to figuring out what makes a good credit score, there are a few different schools of thought.
How Do I Rate?
Most credit scores – including the FICO score and the latest version of the VantageScore – operate within the range of 301 to 850. Within that range, there are different categories, from bad to excellent.
- Excellent Credit: 750+
- Good Credit: 700-749
- Fair Credit: 650-699
- Poor Credit: 600-649
- Bad Credit: below 600
But even these aren’t set in stone. That’s because lenders all have their own definitions of what is a good credit score. One lender that is looking to approve more borrowers might approve applicants with credit scores of 680 or higher. Another might be more selective and only approve those with scores of 750 or higher. Or both lenders might offer credit to anyone with a score of at least 650, but charge consumers with scores below 700 a higher interest rate!
The Credit Score Range Scale
There are many different credit scores available to lenders, and they each develop their own credit score range. Why is that important? Because if you get your credit score, you need to know the credit score range you are looking at so you understand where your number fits in.
The Credit Score Range Using Various Scoring Models:
- FICO Score range: 300-850
- VantageScore 3.0 range: 300–850
- VantageScore scale (versions 1.0 and 2.0): 501–990
- PLUS Score: 330-830
- TransRisk Score: 100-900
- Equifax Credit Score: 280–850
With all of the scores listed above, the higher the number the lower the risk. That means consumers with higher scores are more likely to get approved for credit, and to get the best interest rates when they do. And they are more likely to get discounts on insurance. What is considered a “high” score depends on what type of score is being used.
If your FICO score is 840, for example, you’re just 10 points shy of the highest score possible and your credit is “superprime.” But if you have an 840 VantageScore (using version 2.0), it’s not as spectacular because you’re 150 points away from the highest possible score.
What’s Your Score?
Don’t assume your score is good (or isn’t) just because you have always paid your bills on time (or haven’t.) The only way to know whether you have a good credit score is to check. You canget your credit score free once a month at Credit.com. This is a truly free credit score – no payment information is requested. In addition to the number, you’ll see a breakdown of the factors that affect your score and get recommendations for making your credit as strong as possible.
What Can I Get With A Good Credit Score?
Some of the best credit cards–from rewards cards to 0% balance transfer offers–go to consumers with strong credit scores. You’ll find great credit cards for good credit here.
A good credit score can also get you a lower interest rate when you borrow. That means you will pay less over time.
For example, if you’re buying a $300,000 house with a 30 year fixed mortgage, and you have good credit, then you could end up paying more than $90,000 less for that house over the life of the loan than if you had bad credit.
So, in the end, it really pays to understand your credit scores and to make them as strong as possible.
Your credit score plays a critical role in your overall financial life, and has a direct impact on whether or not you’ll be a approved for a credit card, a car loan, a mortgage or any other type of financing — and at what interest rate and terms. It also influences your home and auto insurance premiums and whether not you’ll have to pay a deposit on an apartment rental and utilities such as electric, water, cable, Internet and phone.
The fact is, a poor credit score can end up costing you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in interest and other costs throughout your lifetime — and that’s assuming you’re able to qualify for financing at all. If you’re suffering from a poor credit score, there are steps can take to improve your credit score, so that you can start taking advantage of all the benefits that having great credit affords.
If you’re looking to improve your credit score, you must first identify what’s holding your score down so that you can address the problem and focus your efforts where they’ll have the greatest impact. Here are four steps that’ll get you started:
1. Check Your Credit Reports for Accuracy
Your credit score is solely based on the information reported in your credit report. If the information in your credit report is inaccurate, so too will be your credit score. For this reason, you’ll want to make sure you check all three of your credit reports for errors. If you find errors, be sure to dispute the items directly with the credit reporting agencies to you have them corrected. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you’re entitled to one free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies once every 12 months. Learn how to claim your free annual credit reports.
2. Find Out Where Your Credit Score Currently Stands
After you’ve verified that the information in your credit reports is accurate, it’s time to find out where your credit score currently stands. Unlike credit reports, your credit score is not included in the annual freebie so you’ll need to either pay for access, or use a free credit score resource, such as Credit.com’s free Credit Report Card.
3. Find Out Why Your Score is Low
Credit scoring models are designed to include “score factors” or “reason codes” that explain where you lost the most points in your credit score calculation. These factors are specific to your individual credit history and will vary from person to person. There is no “one size fits all” credit improvement plan, but with the help of your score factors, you’ll be able to outline your very own credit score improvement plan that’s specific to your credit DNA.
4. Outline Your Plan and Stick to It
Now that you’ve identified the causes of your low score, it’s time to put a plan in place and stick with it. Generally, there are three main causes for low credit scores — too much credit card debt, negative information caused by poor credit management, or a combination of the two.
If your credit score is low because of too much credit card debt, fortunately, you’re looking at a quick and easy fix — provided you have enough cash on hand to pay down the debt. A large percentage of your credit score — 30% — is based on your revolving utilization, or the proportion of your balances in relation to your credit limits on your credit card accounts. By simply paying down your credit card balances you can see your credit score improve almost overnight. As soon as your credit card issuer reports the update to the credit reporting agencies, your credit score will reflect the change.
If your credit score is low as a result of negative information, unfortunately, it’s going to take time and consistent changes in the way you manage your credit obligations. You’ll first need to address any outstanding collections or unpaid debts, and from there, you’ll want to begin adding new positive credit information to your credit reports to help offset the damage. The key here is to be realistic about the time it will take to improve your credit score. If you’ve suffered from past credit problems, the fastest, most effective way to begin rebuilding your credit and improving your credit score starts with adding positive credit information and managing the accounts impeccably this time around. That means making all of your payments on time, and making sure you keep your credit card balances low.
Contrary to popular belief, checking your own credit score doesn’t hurt your credit. Unlike credit-damaging “hard” inquiries that occur when you apply for credit, checking your own credit report is considered a “soft” inquiry and has no impact on your credit report or your credit score. In fact, the only person that actually ever sees a soft inquiry is you — when you access your own credit report.
Credit inquiries are one of a number of factors that are used in determining your credit score, accounting for 10% of the overall score calculation. Essentially, the more credit inquiries you have in a short period of time, the larger the impact to your credit score — but it’s the type of inquiry that matters here.
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There are two different types of credit inquiries — a hard inquiry, which occurs whenever you apply for credit; and a soft inquiry, which occurs whenever you access your own credit report, or an institution pulls a preapproval or promotional inquiry to pre-qualify you for a marketing offer. Only one has a negative impact on your credit score, and it’s the hard inquiry.
Whenever you apply for credit, whether it’s a for credit card, an auto loan, a mortgage or any other type of credit, the lender will pull your credit report and score as part of the application process. This application process helps the lender determine whether it will approve the loan and at what interest rate and terms. Each time you apply for credit and a lender pulls your credit, a “hard” inquiry will be reported in your credit report, indicating that you’ve actively applied for new credit. Hard inquiries can lower your credit score.
Now that you know that checking your own credit score won’t hurt your credit, you can check your own credit score as often as you like. In fact, you can check your credit score for free by signing up for Credit.com’s free Credit Report Card to see where you stand.
WHAT NEWYORK TIMES SAY ON CREDIT SCORE:
You may not have checked your credit score lately, but there’s a good chance someone else has.WHAT NEWYORK TIMES SAY ON CREDIT SCORE:
If you have applied for a mortgage or a loan — or even received a credit card offer in the mail — someone accessed that three-digit number to help determine the amount you can borrow and the interest you’ll owe on it.
So what goes into this all-important score? And how can you make sure you’ve got a good one?
The term credit score usually refers to your FICO score, a number based on a formula developed by the Fair Isaac Corporation. Fair Isaac looks at a summary of all your credit accounts and payment history. If you’ve got a mortgage, a MasterCard or a Macy’s account, it will be included in the report, as will late or missed payments. FICO scores range from 300 to 850, and Fair Isaac calculates them for each of the three big credit-reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. That’s one reason why your FICO score with each may differ slightly. Generally speaking, the higher your score, the more money you can borrow and the less you’ll pay for the loan.
Here’s how your score is determined:
¶ 35 percent is determined by your payment history. Do you regularly pay your bills or fines on time to any creditor that submits your information to the credit bureau? Even unpaid library fines, medical bills or parking tickets may appear here.
¶ 30 percent is based on the amounts you owe each of your creditors, and how that compares with the total credit available to you or the total loan amount you took out. If you’re maxing out your credit cards, your score may suffer.
¶ 15 percent is based on the length of your credit history, both how long you’ve had each account and how long it’s been since you had any activity on those accounts. The fewer and older the accounts, the better (assuming you’ve made timely payments).
¶ 10 percent is based on how many accounts you’ve recently opened compared with the total number of your accounts, as well as the number of recent inquiries on your report made by lenders to whom you’ve applied for credit. Your score can drop if it looks as if you’re seeking several new sources of credit — a sign that you may be in financial trouble. (If a lender initiates an inquiry about your credit report without your knowledge, though, it should not affect your score.) Shopping around for an auto loan or mortgage shouldn’t hurt, if you keep your search to six weeks or less. But every inquiry you trigger when you apply for a credit card can affect your score, says Craig Watts, a spokesman for Fair Isaac. So be selective.
¶ The final 10 percent is determined by the types of credit used. Having installment debt — like a mortgage, in which you pay a fixed amount each month — demonstrates that you can manage a large loan. But how you handle revolving debt, like credit cards, tends to carry more weight since it’s seen as more predictive of future behavior. (You can pay off the balance each month or just the minimum, for example, charge to the limit of your cards or rarely use them.).
For the best rates on a loan or credit card, you want a score that’s above 700, at least. To achieve that, make sure to pay all your bills on time. It’s also a good idea to have at least one credit card you plan to use for a long time, but not too many. Keep a low balance — generally less than one-third of your total credit limit. Of course, it’s best to pay off your balance entirely each month. And stay on top of the information in your reports.
You can get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit agencies once a year. Be sure to order it throughannualcreditreport.com, the only authorized online site under federal law. If you notice information that’s inaccurate, you can submit a request for removal online at Equifax, , Experian or TransUnion. Or submit your request by mail. Be sure to specify what information you think is inaccurate and why, and include any documents that support your argument. Ask in writing that the information be corrected or removed from your report. By law, the bureaus must investigate your complaint, usually within 30 days, and give you a response in writing (or via e-mail, if your request was made online) and a free copy of your report, if the information is changed as a result. Your score should reflect that change shortly after.
To see your actual score, you’ll generally have to pay. You can go through Equifax, Experian or TransUnion directly, but be aware that the score you order may be one developed by the agencies themselves, like the TransUnion TransRisk New Account Score, Experian Plus or VantageScore. These are different than the FICO scores lenders generally use when they evaluate your loan applications. Myfico.comoffers two reasonably priced options on its site. The $15.95 FICO Standard package (as of December 2008) gives you 30-day access to one FICO score and a credit report from one of the three major credit agencies. The $47.85 FICO Credit Complete package gives you 30-day access to your FICO scores and credit reports from all three major agencies. Myfico.com and other sites also offer services that monitor your score and report for a monthly fee (ranging from about $4.95 a month for myFico’s quarterly report to $6.65 a month for TransUnion’s Credit Monitoring Service).
Whether you need to monitor your credit that often is debatable. For most, a close look at the free annual reports from each bureau is probably enough. But if you plan to apply for a loan or credit card, check your score and report at least a couple of months beforehand. Not only will you be aware of how creditworthy you are, you’ll also have time to remove any errors you spot and make sure your score reflects the changes before you fill out any applications.
Things Consumers Don't Understand About Credit Scores:
Credit card experts debunk common misconceptions about credit scores.
ST. LOUIS – Three numbers can affect everything from securing a mortgage or loan to how much interest you'll pay when you're approved for a house. And while they're just three numbers – that typically range from 300 (very bad) to 850 (very good) – there's a lot of information and regulations behind them. But don't worry, if a thing or two about your credit score has left you scratching your head, you're not alone.
"Consumers look at their credit report and they're like, 'I don't understand it. I don't know what it means,'" says Gerri Detweiler, director of consumer education for credit.com and host of Talk Credit Radio.
To clear up the confusion, several credit experts spoke at FinCon, a financial conference in St. Louis last week, and debunked misconceptions about credit scores. Here are 10 common things consumers tend to get wrong about their scores.
1. The credit bureaus Experian, TransUnion and Equifax evaluate my credit score. The three bureaus generate credit reports, but they have nothing to do with judging your credit score or advising lenders whether to approve or deny an application. "The credit report does not rate your credit," says Maxine Sweet, Experian's vice president of public education. "It simply lays out the facts of your history." So who determines what your credit score means? Companies such as FICO and VantageScore Solutions evaluate your credit risk level – what lenders use to decide how risky it is to give you a loan – based on your credit report. Separate scoring models have been developed to help businesses predict if a consumer will make payments as agreed, and the credit score is just one factor used in the model.
2. There's only one type of credit score. There are actually many different scores. For example, FICO has several models with varying score ranges. "If you get your FICO score from one lender, that very likely won't be the same score that you would get from another lender, even though they're using the FICO model," Sweet says. Consumers shouldn't focus on the number, she adds. Instead, look at where your score falls on the risk model and what influences that risk. If a lender declines your application or charges you a higher fee because of your risk, it will disclose factors that are negatively impacting your risk, Sweet explains. "Those factors will tell you what behavior you will need to change to change your credit history," she says.
3. When I close a credit card, the age of the card is no longer factored into my credit score. The only way you lose the benefit of a card's age is if a bureau removes the account from a credit report, says John Ulzheimer, credit expert at CreditSesame.com. "As long as it's still on a credit report, the credit scoring system still sees it, still sees how old it is and still considers the age in the scoring metric," he says. Take Ulzheimer's father as an example: He uses a Sears credit card he opened in 1976, which is the oldest account on his credit report. "The assumption is if he were to close that card, he would lose that decades-long history of that card and potentially lower his score. That's not true," Ulzheimer says. However, there is one caveat: The score would be lost after 10 years (see No. 4).
4. A credit card stops aging the day I close it. Even when you close an account, the credit card still ages. For instance, if you close an American Express card today, the card will be one year older a year from now. And as explained above, you won't lose the value of the card's age. "Not only does it still count in your score, but it continues to age," Ulzheimer says. However, a closed account will not remain on your credit report forever. The credit bureaus delete them from credit reports after 10 years, according to Sweet. There's just one exception: "If the account is in a negative status, it will be deleted at seven years because we can only report negative account history for seven years," she says.
SOURCE: http://money.usnews.com/
