What Is The Meaning Of Your Credit Score?

In the United States, your credit score is everything. It is something that you should take care of. If you don’t, getting a phone, cable or gas line hooked up in your home can be difficult to do.

There are also certain companies that take a look at your credit score first before they even hire you. Even if you are qualified to do the job, a low credit score can ruin it all for you.

Your credit score is also analyzed by creditors, such as banks and credit card companies. Just try to imagine that you need to get a loan to start your own business, with a low or bad credit score, you have a lesser chance of getting that loan approved or you may get it approved but with high interest rates.

The same thing goes when you apply for a credit card. Credit card companies or banks that issue credit cards will first take a look at your credit score before they can get your application approved. A high credit score means that you have a greater chance of getting the best credit card deals with a lot of features and also with low interest rates for your every purchase using a certain credit card.

Even if you are applying for a mortgage, a car loan and other kinds of loans, your credit score will play a very important role in it. This is why it is very important for you to have a high credit score and maintain it that way or increase it.

First of all, you have to understand what a credit score actually is.

A credit score will be a three digit number from 300 to 850. This number will represent a calculation of the likelihood of whether you will pay their bills or not. This means that if you have a high credit score, creditors will be sure that you a better credit risk than someone with a low credit score.

In the United States, FICO (or Fair Isaac Corporation) is the best-known credit score model in the country. They calculate your credit score using a formula developed by FICO. The system is used primarily by credit industries and consumer banking industries all across the country.

Credit scores are calculated using the following factors:

* Punctuality of payments

This will be 35% of the calculation. If you pay your bills on time or before the due date, your credit score will tend to be higher.

* Capacity used

This will amount to 30% of the calculation of your credit score. It will contain a ration between the current revolving debts to total available revolving credit. If you use your credit card and if you don’t use its entire credit limit, you will get a higher credit score.

* Length of credit history

This will amount to 15% of the calculation of your credit score.

* Types of credit used

This can affect 10% of your total credit score.

* Recent search for credit or the amount of credit obtained recently

This will amount to 10% of the total calculation of your credit score.

Surprisingly, not many people know their credit score and often end up wondering why they got denied for their loan or credit card application. You can easily obtain a copy of your credit report by requesting for it from the three major credit reporting agencies. The law allows you to order a copy of your free credit score from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months. How can you find out what your credit score is?

* On the web

Visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com

* Via toll-free telephone number

Call 1-877-322-8228

* Via mail

Complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can you can get a copy of the form from: ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit.

You may order your free credit score from each of these nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or one at a time.

They will be able to provide you with a free calculation of your credit score every year. It is also a great way to find out if there are any errors in your credit report that may be causing you to have a low credit score. You can request it to be fixed in order to let you have a higher credit score than before.

Always remember that your credit score is an important factor of your life. Keep it high and you will get better deals on loans, and credit cards.