Getting A Loan Despite Bad Credit Scores
It's very rare to find people who, at some point in their lives, didn't have credit problems that cause their credit score to fall dramatically. If that's your situation, but yet you're itching to realize at least the "homeowner" part of the American dream, then you'd better start reading about credit scores and the such because that's going to be the factor that will weigh the most of the eventual approval of your mortgage loan application.
You'll find that having bad credit does not mean you won't find lenders willing to give you a loan. Instead it means that the loans you'll find will be at interest rates you probably don't want to have to pay. You'll also be asked for much more documentation to support your application.
It's surprising to see how many people try getting a loan without knowing what their credit score is. In the case of mortgage loan, the score most widely used by lenders is the FICO score, named after Fair Isaac & Company, which is the company that calculates the score. Your credit score summarizes your credit history in one number and that number guides lenders in their loan approval decisions.
Depending on the financial institution you're dealing with, they'll be using a slight variant of your credit score. Most notably, credit card companies, insurers, and car loan finance companies are known to base their decisions on specific variations of the standard score. The one thing that doesn't change is that a higher score means a higher approval chance and better terms in case of approval.
You might be surprised to learn that you have more than one credit score. That's right! You have three of them, as each credit bureau has their own. While common sense might dictate that they'd all be identical, it's absolutely not the case, because the companies that report our credit activity aren't required to do so to all the bureaus. In order to get your complete credit profile (and not 1/3 of it), you should get your score from all three bureaus.
Another thing to look out for is errors on your credit report. The figures vary by a wide margin, but the consensus is that a large proportion of credit reports carry errors. When you get your credit report, go over it line by line to spot any errors and/or omissions. Highlight anything you spot and make sure you contact the credit bureau to have it corrected. Followup one month later to check if your report has been updated.
A poor credit record often results in people telling themselves that now that their credit is in the dumpster, all hope is lost. So they see no benefit in trying to understand how the credit scoring system works. It can pay great dividends to find out more about it when dealing with, for example, sub prime mortgage lenders. You will find yourself able to negotiate better deals with them or you might just try to improve your credit so you can get better loan terms altogether. When it comes to financial matters, ignorance is definitely not bliss.
You'll find that having bad credit does not mean you won't find lenders willing to give you a loan. Instead it means that the loans you'll find will be at interest rates you probably don't want to have to pay. You'll also be asked for much more documentation to support your application.
It's surprising to see how many people try getting a loan without knowing what their credit score is. In the case of mortgage loan, the score most widely used by lenders is the FICO score, named after Fair Isaac & Company, which is the company that calculates the score. Your credit score summarizes your credit history in one number and that number guides lenders in their loan approval decisions.
Depending on the financial institution you're dealing with, they'll be using a slight variant of your credit score. Most notably, credit card companies, insurers, and car loan finance companies are known to base their decisions on specific variations of the standard score. The one thing that doesn't change is that a higher score means a higher approval chance and better terms in case of approval.
You might be surprised to learn that you have more than one credit score. That's right! You have three of them, as each credit bureau has their own. While common sense might dictate that they'd all be identical, it's absolutely not the case, because the companies that report our credit activity aren't required to do so to all the bureaus. In order to get your complete credit profile (and not 1/3 of it), you should get your score from all three bureaus.
Another thing to look out for is errors on your credit report. The figures vary by a wide margin, but the consensus is that a large proportion of credit reports carry errors. When you get your credit report, go over it line by line to spot any errors and/or omissions. Highlight anything you spot and make sure you contact the credit bureau to have it corrected. Followup one month later to check if your report has been updated.
A poor credit record often results in people telling themselves that now that their credit is in the dumpster, all hope is lost. So they see no benefit in trying to understand how the credit scoring system works. It can pay great dividends to find out more about it when dealing with, for example, sub prime mortgage lenders. You will find yourself able to negotiate better deals with them or you might just try to improve your credit so you can get better loan terms altogether. When it comes to financial matters, ignorance is definitely not bliss.
About the Author:
If what you need is a specific type of bad credit loan, such as for example to buy a house with bad credit in ATL, please drop by my personal finance blog where you'll find plenty of sensible financial advice..
posted by Credit Counseling at
4:27 PM
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