Welcome to Home Mortgage
Refinance Home Mortgage Home Equity Loan Article
This is a selection made from among articles on Refinance Home Mortgage Home Equity Loan. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for future reading, click here.
Fair Isaac Corporation Credit Or FICO Score
from: Roy ThomsittAs I am not from the US, I had no idea what FICO meant before researching it. FICO stands for Fair Isaac Corporation, a company based in California. FICO, put simply, is a person's credit score. A credit score can be used by a potential lender in making a judgement on whether to grant you credit or not, for example when you apply for a new credit card or home mortgage. Therefore, if you are in the US, the FICO score is very important to you. What Does a FICO Score Do?
A FICO score places a value on the types of credit accounts you hold or have held, and your credit history in maintaining those accounts. The FICO score scale ranges from 300 to 850, with the majority of people in the United States in the 600 - 850 range.
Factors Which Affect Your FICO Credit Score
There are 5 factors in all which determine your FICO credit score:
1. Your payment history.
This counts for a very significant 35%--the most of the FICO score factors. As you would expect, paying your bills on time is gets you a good score, while paying them late on a consistent basis is will mark down your FICO score. If you have had debts referred to a collection agency, that is worse still, while declaring bankruptcy is the worst of all.
2. How much you owe.
Another obvious factor that FICO will take into account in arriving at a credit score. This accounts for another 30% of your total FICO score. It is not just what you owe already that affects your FICO score. Also taken into account is the amount of credit available to you. For example, if you have a credit line of $5000, but have so far only used $1000, that will be taken into account.
Your total amount of credit will be totalled, and compared to your annual income. So, loans such as car loans, mortgages, credit cards, store cards, will all be added together. Those who use most or all of their available credit will get a lower rating for this part of the FICO score calculation.
3. Length of credit history.
Another important factor that makes up 15% of your FICO credit score is the length of your credit history. The longer your credit history, the better for your FICO score. Additionally, though, a long history with any particular lender will be good for your credit score.
4. Type of credit mix.
The fourth factor taken into consideration is the type of credit mix that you have. For example, do you have only high risk unsecured type credit, or do you also have some solid secured loans such as a home mortgags? Those consumers who have a mix of credit have higher a FICO score. This fourth factor just counts for 10% of the total FICO score.
5. Number of new credit applications.
The last factor in the FICO rating is the amount of new applications that you fill out. If you have recently filled out a lot of credit applications, this will hurt your score because it puts lenders “on alert” that something may be wrong. This part of the score is worth 10%.
Lenders themselves will normally look at employment, income, length at current residence, and marital status, but these do not affect your FICO score. If you intend to borrow in the future, you do need to pay attention to your FICO score. If your FICO score is low, this could lead to higher interest rates, extra mortgage insurance when buying a home, and in some cases denial of the loan.
If you plan to take out a major loan, such as a home mortgage, it could be a wise move to get a copy of your credit report 6 months before you plan to apply. That will give you time to look over your history, to ensure there are no discrepancies. If you find inaccuracies, contact the Credit Reporting Agency in writing. They will have 30 days to investigate it, and then correct it if they find your claims are true. You may also want to ask for a revised credit report; they are required by law to supply you with one if an inaccuracy is found and corrected.
About the Author
Roy Thomsitt is the owner and part author of http://www.eliminate-credit-card-debt-now.com
Refinance Home Mortgage Home Equity Loan News
Loan vs. credit (San Jose Mercury News)
Home equity line of credit or loan what s best for you?Life, as they say, is filled with difficult choices.
Read more...Can this home be saved? (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
After 20 years of living in the Baldwin Township home where they raised three children and poured their life's savings, Randy and Cindy Balzer are on the verge of losing everything.
Read more...Understanding Foreclosures: It’s About the Income Gap (Santa Monica Mirror)
Casting blame has been easy during this year’s great and ongoing epidemic of home mortgage foreclosures.
Read more...Americans less clueless about mortgages (Bankrate.com via Yahoo! Finance)
More people know what kind of mortgage they have than last year, but more also worry about making home payments.
Read more...Color of Money Book Club (Washington Post)
Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary hosted an online discussion with Carolyn Warren, author of "Mortgage Rip-Offs and Money Savers" (John Wiley & Sons), on Thursday, Aug. 28 at Noon ET.
Read more...Why consider refinancing? (Federal Reserve Board)
The interest rate on your mortgage is tied directly to how much you pay on your mortgage each month--lower rates usually mean lower payments. You may be able to get a lower rate because of changes in the market conditions or because your credit score has improved.
Read more...