In today's increasingly automated society, it should come as no surprise that when you apply for a mortgage, your ability to pay can be reduced to a single number. All the years you have been paying your mortgage, car payments, and credit card bills can be analyzed, sliced, diced, spindled and mutilated into a single indicator of whether you are likely to meet your future obligations.
All three of the major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) use a slightly different system to arrive at a score. The best known is called the FICO score, based on a model developed by Fair Isaac and Company (hence the name) and used by Experian. Equifax's model is called BEACON, while TransUnion uses EMPIRICA. While each of the models considers a range of data available in your credit report, the primary factors are:
Credit History - How long have you had credit?
Payment History - Do you pay your bills on time?
Credit Card Balances - How much do you owe on how many accounts?
Credit Inquiries - How many times have you had your credit checked?
Each of these, and other items, are assigned a value and a weight. The results are added up and distilled into a single number. FICO scores range from 300 to 850, with higher being better. Typical home buyers likely find their scores falling between 600 and 850.
FICO scores are used for more than just determining whether or not you qualify for a mortgage. Higher scores indicate you are a better credit risk, and thus may qualify for a better mortgage rate.
What can you do about your FICO score? Unfortunately, not much. Since the score is based on a lifetime of credit history, it is difficult to make a significant change in the number with quick fixes. The most important thing is to know your FICO score and to ensure that your credit history is correct. Conveniently, Fair Isaac has created a web site (www.myFICO.com) that lets you do just that. For a reasonable fee, you can quickly get your FICO score from all three reporting agencies, along with your credit report. Also available is some helpful information and tools that help you analyze what actions might have the greatest impact on your FICO score. Each of the credit services offers similar services on their web sites: www.equifax.com, www.experian.com, and www.transunion.com.
Keep balances low on credit cards and other "revolving credit" - High outstanding debt can effect a credit score (20-30% of available)
Pay off debt rather than moving it around - The most effective way to improve your credt score in this area is by paying down your revolving credit. In fact, owing the same amount but having fewer open accounts may lower your score.
Don't close unused cards as a short term strategy to raise your score.
Don't open a number of new cards that you don't need, just to increase your available credit -This approach could backfire and actually lower your score.
What is a credit score?
Before deciding on what terms lenders will offer you on a loan (which they base on the risk to them), they want to know two things about you: your ability to pay back the loan, and your willingness to pay back the loan. For the first, they look at your income-to-debt obligation ratio. For your willingness to pay back the loan, they consult your credit score.
The most widely used credit scores are FICO scores, which were developed by Fair Isaac & Company, Inc. (and theyre named after their inventor!). Your FICO score is between 350 (high risk) and 850 (low risk).
Credit scores only consider the information contained in your credit profile. They do not consider your income, savings, down payment amount, or demographic factors like gender, race, nationality or marital status. In fact, the fact they dont consider demographic factors is why they were invented in the first place. Profiling was as dirty a word when FICO scores were invented as it is now. Credit scoring was developed as a way to consider only what was relevant to somebodys willingness to repay a loan.
Past delinquencies, derogatory payment behavior, current debt level, length of credit history, types of credit and number of inquiries are all considered in credit scores. Your score considers both positive and negative information in your credit report. Late payments will lower your score, but establishing or reestablishing a good track record of making payments on time will raise your score.
Different portions of your credit history are given different weights. Thirty-five percent of your FICO score is based on your specific payment history. Thirty percent is your current level of indebtedness. Fifteen percent each is the time your open credit has been in use (ten year old accounts are good, six month old ones arent as good) and types of credit available to you (installment loans such as student loans, car loans, etc. versus revolving and debit accounts like credit cards). Finally, five percent is pursuit of new credit -- credit scores requested.
Your credit report must contain at least one account which has been open for six months or more, and at least one account that has been updated in the past six months for you to get a credit score. This ensures that there is enough information in your report to generate an accurate score. If you do not meet the minimum criteria for getting a score, you may need to establish a credit history prior to applying for a mortgage.
Armed with this information, you will be a more informed consumer and better positioned to obtain the most favorable mortgage available to you.
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"KLCSLOANTEAM and Korene Clopine-Seaman are a mortgage team that invests itself with their client's and referral partners business. They are just not providing mortgage information, education and services, they have built relationships in our business and invested in providing services that helps us deliver our core mission to provide the services that meets our client's needs in line with our company culture and values"
W. J. Bradley Mortgage Capital LLC. is a direct mortgage lender with lending authorization for Conventional, HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, and Jumbo real estate loans lending with offices in various locations focusing on providing to the people in the communities we serve throughout the United States mostly in the Southwest. We are available to help borrowers achieve the dream of home ownership and assist them as they take advantage of today’s real estate investment opportunities and mortgage rates.
The KLCSLoanTeam and the support staff are highly trained in all of the various loan products currently available. We are well prepared to answer any questions you may have about buying a home or to assist you with analyzing your current home loan. Simply put, we are here to help you make informed right-fit mortgage decisions.
The customer experience is our number one priority. Communication is a very important part of our business model and our unique loan process, and our investment in technology reflects just that. We have mastered the ability to effectively communicate with all parties involved on each and every transaction keeping everyone up-to-date from the first phone call through funding. Our goal is to use all of our resources to make your transaction as smooth and efficient as possible.
With the experience, resources and exceptional service standards, you will see why we deliver…simply better home loans as we are working to serve our customers, clients, and referral partners. This is not a commitment to lend. Restrictions apply. All rights reserved. Some products may not be available in all states.
W J Bradley Mortgage Capital LLC NMLS# 3233 9237 East Via De Ventura, Suite 100 Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Direct Office Phone:(623) 340-0934 Fax: (623) 218-1807 AZ License # BK-0903998; Licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act RML# 4131002; FHA Approved
*Korene L. Clopine-Seaman is working with and as the Team Manager of KLCSLoanTeam. She is licensed to originate mortgages in Arizona and California: AZ LO-0916745 CA: DOC-218520
What is a credit score?