Credit Score Guide

For many people, starting their own business is a personal dream. Before fulfilling your personal dream, it’s necessary to get your personal finances in order. At this early stage you’ll be using your own personal finances to start your business and if you want to succeed you must approach your personal finances with a professional eye.

Do you know your credit score is?

Do you even know WHAT a credit score is?

Don’t feel bad.

Most people don’t.

You should review a copy of your credit report, annually. Although credit-reporting agencies make every effort of ensure the information included in your credit report is accurate, mistakes do occur and will affect your credit rating. If you check your credit report annually, you will be able to have the wrong information corrected before it becomes a problem.

If you have ever gone shopping for a new car or made an attempt to purchase a new home then you are probably familiar with your credit score. Even if you haven’t made any type of purchase that required you to obtain a loan or credit due to the amount of money involved you’ve probably still seen or heard the words credit score mentioned on the television or in a business or financial article. The reason for this is because our financial well being in today’s complicated credit/loan society revolves around that very powerful three digit number known as our credit score.

570. I was shocked and disturbed seeing the number that I long neglected checking. Must be some sort of mistake. No, that is what happens when you make a credit card payment SIXTY days late. So much for being approved for that new Honda Accord.

Do you know your credit score? If not, you should check it out before you make any more loan applications or credit card requests. Credit scores range from approximately 350 to 850. Provided yours is over 680 you are considered a “prime borrower” and so will be offered the lowest interest rates on your loan. Below this figure and down to 560 you fall into the “sub-prime” group and have to pay a considerably higher rate. Below 560 you will have difficulty in getting any loan and, even if you do, it will be at an exceptionally high rate of interest.

If you are considering making a major purchase in the future or have applied for financing and was turned down, a copy of your credit report should be obtained. This can determine what is on your credit report. There are several sites online where you can obtain your credit report for a small fee or sometimes free. The following are types of accounts you may see on your report.

Charge-Offs

Because bad credit credit cards include various fees and higher interest rates, some people are hesitant to open a bad credit credit card account. However, there are certain advantages to using these sorts of credit cards. For starters, if you have no credit history, bad credit credit cards are easier to qualify for. Similarly, these credit cards are perfect for raising a low credit score.

It’s no secret that your credit score affects every aspect if your financial life. Your three digit credit score impacts your mortgage interest rate, your ability to secure low interest credit cards, and possibly even your ability to land that great new job you’ve been eyeing. Your credit score is like your financial DNA that identifies you as a person who is a high credit risk or not.