Understanding Your Credit Score
Most people believe if they make all of their credit card, car loan and mortgage payments on time, they can expect their credit score to be great. However, focusing on your payment history alone will not give you a complete breakdown of what actually goes into your credit score. There are numerous factors involved in determining a single credit score including:
Reining in Out of Control Spending
Ask your grandparents how they purchased their first home and you may be shocked to learn they spent years scraping together a down payment or even purchased it outright. Today, buying groceries using credit is quite common. Credit cards have made it easy to spend quickly and effortlessly, yet this can be one of the most challenging – and worrisome – of all financial trends. As a consumer, you know you want to spend less, especially on credit cards. Yet, with everything “a swipe away” it’s just too tempting to buy what you want whenever you want it.
That new car smell can be absolutely intoxicating, and the comfortable driver’s seat can entice you to lay out your entire savings into a new vehicle purchase. However, the sticker shock can quickly bring you back down to financial reality.
The time has come! You’ve saved for your down-payment. You’ve triple-checked your finances and know your available monthly budget. You even found the perfect car online. Excitement is in the air, along with that new-car smell. And…you’re walking into a trap!
We live in a world where loans can help us afford the items we need without having to make hefty initial payments for the items. People are getting mortgages to purchase their first home, car loans to have an extra vehicle for their spouse, personal loans to finance a home business, and credit cards to pay for incidentals. Providing a lender with the appropriate information will allow them to make the best decision so they can approve you for the loan that you want.
Yet what information is used by lenders to make this decision?