FICO - Your Credit Score

Since we live in an automated, it's probably not that surprising that your creditworthiness comes down to one number. Credit reporting agencies use your history of paying loans to create a FICO score.

TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian, the three major credit agencies, each have their own proprietary formula for building your credit score. Fair Isaac and Cooriginally developed this score. . Experian uses this model and calls its score FICO. Equifax's model, based on FICO, is called BEACON, while TransUnion, which also uses a slightly modified FICO, calls its score EMPIRICA. While these methods vary, the differences aren't huge; each agency uses the following to build a credit score:

• Credit History - Have you had credit for many years, or for just a short time?
• History of Payments - Do you have any payments later than 30 days?
• Balances on your Credit Cards - How many accounts? How much do you owe on your accounts?
• Inquiries on Your Credit - How many times have you had your credit checked for a loan?

These factors are weighted a little bit differently depending on which formula the agency uses. The result is one number. Credit scores can be as low as 300 and as high as 800. Higher is better. Most people getting a mortgage loan these days score 620 or above.

FICO makes a difference in interest rates

Did you know? Credit scores are used for more than just determining whether or not you qualify for a mortgage. Higher scores indicate you are probably a better credit risk, and thus may qualify for a better mortgage rate.

Improving your score

How can you improve your credit score? Some companies promise quick fixes, but they can't do anything different than what you can do — for free. (Of course you can and should have incorrect items removed from your credit report.)

How do I find out my credit score?

In order to improve your credit score, you must have the credit reports that are used to build it. Of course, you need the score as well. Fair Isaac, the company that invented the original FICO score, offers credit scores on myFICO.com. It's inexpensive, fast, and easy to get your credit score as well as credit reports from all three reporting agencies. Also available are information and online tools that can help you analyze what actions might have the greatest impact on your FICO score.

You can get a federally-mandated free credit report once per year from all three credit reporting agencies when you visit AnnualCreditReport.com. These reports do not include a free credit score, but it's very inexpensive to get one at the same time.

Now that you have all the facts, you'll be a more informed consumer and you'll be better positioned to get the most favorable mortgage.

Curious about credit scores? Call us: 3217777277.