By financen | April 3, 2019 - 6:45 pm - Posted in Credit Score, Loan

Looking to finance your new home? Or buy that fancy new car you’ve been dreaming of? As tempting as it is to dive right in and sign your life away, best to take a minute and consider your options before making the commitment. The following tips will go a long way towards setting you up to make the right decisions on your next big purchase.

Check your credit score

Your credit score will give credit providers an indication as to the strength of your profile when considering an application for finance. Your score is calculated based on your overall credit behaviour within a set period of time. Factors such as payment history, credit limits and the amount of credit enquiries on your file will be used to calculate your score. It’s best to obtain this information before applying for finance as it may determine which lenders you approach and the type of finance arrangement you apply for. For a comprehensive guide on all things to do with your your Credit Score, see My Credit Score

Prepare a budget

There’s no point in applying for a loan if you can’t afford to make the repayments. Prepare a spreadsheet and list all of your expenses – rent, bills, food, lifestyle, savings contributions, think of everything! It’s best to overestimate a little with your expenses. Then compare against your income and see whether you have a sufficient surplus of funds to make the loan repayments. Conducting this exercise can also help bring your finances under control.

Compile the relevant paperwork

For most loan applications you will need to supply supporting documentation to confirm income, identity and other financial commitments. In order to be prepared, it’s best to compile the following documents in advance:

  • Copy of driver’s licence or Passport
  • Four recent payslips or tax returns (if self-employed)
  • 6 months of bank statements
  • Existing loan statements confirming good payment history

Do your research

Buying a house or a new car can be an emotional experience. It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement and lose focus on the detail. It’s really important to step back and assess your options. In the digital age we literally have hundreds of lending options at our fingertips. Shop around and read online reviews to get a snapshot of the user experiences of other customers. If you find the exercise daunting, using a broker can be helpful. Brokers know the industry and can determine which lenders best suit your credit profile, ultimately finding you the best deal.

Seek Financial Advice

If you’re unsure of a finance offering or need assistance conducting an assessment of your own finances, it’s always best to seek independent advice and speak to a professional. Your accountant or financial planner will be more than capable of assessing your budget and providing recommendations moving forward. They could also help decipher loan contracts and make sure you are getting the right deal.

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By financen | October 24, 2018 - 5:37 pm - Posted in Credit report, Credit Score

Credit-score

Improving your credit score is not a simple process. It is gradual and can take time. A person who is trying to improve bad credit will need to put in more effort than one who just wants to improve an already good credit score. All in all, the best approach is to visit a reliable website like https://www.boostcredit101.com/ to gather the right information or talk to the right people. Also, you can go through the tips below to score on your credit rating.

Get Your Credit Data

How to obtain this report varies from one country to another. In most cases, you can get it for free using the right agency or one of the credit bureaus in your country. Some third-party agents can also provide the report after receiving a fee. Irrespective of how the information will be used, the report tells you what your score is before even trying any strategy to push it higher.

Use a Credit Score Agent

Sometimes, the situation may be worse than you think. Bad credit automatically eliminates opportunities for loans and other financial benefits. But experienced agents can quickly revert this through their skill in dealing with such situations. They will assess your circumstances and make a plan for removing you from the blacklists of the credit bureaus as soon as possible.

Pay Debts and Bills on Time

The biggest contributor to poor credit scores is defaulting on paying loans, debts and bills on time. Sometimes, the money may be there, but a person can forget to make the payments. If possible, set up automatic payments to the bank even if it will charge for the service. If your credit score is already down, you cannot afford to make it worse; work hard to improve it over time. Increasing your credit rating calls for determination and initiative.

Monitor All Your Credit Cards

Credit cards are useful since they allow you to spend in advance up to a certain limit. However, they can lead to a significant financial crisis if one does not monitor them closely. Stick to your budget rather than spending too much particularly if you have more than one credit card. You need to keep checking the balances to ensure that you are within the balance limit in relation to the time of the month. If the credit card is overwhelming you financially, it is better to cancel it and live within your means.

Cancel Credit Cards That Are Not Used

It is possible to have numerous credit and store cards. Some cease to be useful if they become unused. No one should assume that the financial institution will automatically close them. They usually contribute to a poor credit rating if too many of them are not properly closed. Ask the financial institution to assist you in the process of canceling the cards and monitoring them to see if they were indeed removed from the credit report system. If not, contest the inaccuracy rather than watch your credit rating go down.

Credit score ratings are essential to many people who know what it means to have a good one. Through the above tips, you will easily increase your score and keep it high at all times.

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By financen | July 4, 2017 - 4:36 pm - Posted in Credit, Credit report, Credit Score

Credit cardDid you know that all the financial decisions you make today, could affect your ability to buy your own home in the future? And did you know your credit score plays a key role in this? It’s true. But despite this, many Americans have never even looked at their credit score or know what it is. In fact, four in 10 people have actually never checked their credit score before. That’s according to a survey by Chase Slate Credit. However, lenders view credit scores very seriously. In fact, a low credit score can stop lenders offering you the most competitive interest rates. A credit score takes into account your history of making bill payments on time and your spending and borrowing habits. But even if your credit score is poor, there are simple things you can do to help build it up.

Take out a personal loan

You may wonder how being in more debt could increase your credit score. But according to Crediful (https://www.crediful.com/best-personal-loans-for-good-credit), the trick is to make sure you make all of your repayments on time, without ever missing any. By taking out a personal loan and always making your repayments on time, you can show lenders that you are a “safe bet”. They can lend money to you without having to worry about having to chase payments at a later date.

Pay bills in your name

Even if you don’t currently own your own property, it is still important to pay some bills in your name if possible. This could be anything, from a cell phone bill to utility bills, but the most important thing is that you are making regular payments under your name. This shows lenders that you have a positive history with money, and makes them more comfortable lending to you.

Sign up for a credit card

Again, this may seem odd, as it means getting into debt in order to improve your credit score. However, the key here is to make sure that you only use the credit card for a small amount each month, and pay it off in full at the end – rather than just paying the minimum payment. This means that you are making regular payments without having to get further into debt, and this can help to raise your score.

Check your score regularly

When trying to build your credit score, you need to ensure that you are going in the right direction. Therefore, it’s never been more crucial than to check your credit score regularly. You may not realize, but you can obtain your score for free from the three major agencies each year. And if you space this out over the course of the year will give you a good idea of how well you’re doing.

There’s much to gain from making sure you build up a good credit score. And it’s even more important that you start now. Looking after your credit score means that the financial security you never thought possible, could be well within your reach in the future.

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Credit scores are important. Anyone who has dreamt of owning a home, or starting and growing their own business, will assuredly need a loan at some point in time. Credit can also be helpful – if not necessary – for other large expenses such as buying a car, furnishing a home, or traveling.

Because credit is useful for so many things, it is important to have a good understanding of what makes someone a strong borrower, and how they can improve their chances of having access to the credit they need, when they need it.

Chief among these factors is a person’s credit score, which is often the first litmus test a lender uses to determine whether a loan or credit card applicant is someone they want to help. Credit scores involve complex algorithms, but there are some simple steps that you can take to make sure your credit score does not send lenders running.

  1. Start building a credit history. If you do not yet have any loans or credit cards, apply for one or two low-limit credit cards. When you can, take out a small loan. Do not run up large balances, but use these credit facilities for daily purchases and make sure to make payments above the minimum, and on time. Try to pay off the balance each month if you are using your cards for daily living expenses such as groceries and household expenses. Credit scores rise as a person builds a history of handling credit responsibly, so you cannot have good credit score without building a history.
  2. Do not miss payments. Always, always, always make at least the minimum payment on time. Missing payments not only counts against your credit score but also brings penalties or additional interest that make it even harder to pay down your balance in the future. Many loans or credit cards that come with attractive rates will reset to much higher rates if you miss a payment.
  3. Find your sweet spot for a number of credit accounts. It is important not to accumulate too many sources of credit (loans or credit cards). Credit scores suffer if you have too many or too few. If you find that you have got too many accounts, you can close a couple. Too few, and you can add a new credit card or two (just be sure not to spend unnecessarily when you get your new cards).
  4. Do not use all your allowable credit. Credit reporting companies use your credit utilization rate – total outstanding balances divided by total amount of credit that you have access to – as part of determining your credit score. What they want to see is that you are not running up credit balances simply because you can. Try not to let this figure rise between 25 to 40% on a regular basis. If you pay off your daily-use credit cards at the end of each month, this should not be a problem.
  5. Track your score and underlying factors. Free credit reporting tools are available through some credit card providers and independent websites. Using these tools can not only keep you updated with the credit score that lenders will see but also point out areas for improvement based on your specific circumstances. They can help you determine the right number of credit accounts, keep track of your credit utilization rate, and may even remind you of loans or cards that you have forgotten. Consumers have better access to their own credit data than ever before, so use it to your advantage.
  6. credit-score

The world of finance and credit can be a tough place to navigate. Deciding how to finance a business or a large purchase can be tough enough. First, it is important that you have many options. While you have plenty of tools at your disposal, you need to make sure you have spent time preparing, so that you will look as attractive as possible on paper to potential lenders. Maximizing your credit score is one big way to earn the trust of lenders, so you can get the credit that you need to grow your business or buy a home when the time is right.

Sam Wilson

Sam is a financial specialist who’s helped people improve their credit scores and financial state across the years. Sam writes for fastcredit.repair and is dedicated to helping those in need. In his spare time, he likes to relax and take his kids to the local park.

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By financen | April 24, 2017 - 5:42 pm - Posted in Credit Score, Loan, Personal Loans

Personal loans can be a great arrow in your financial quiver for consolidating higher interest rate debts, like credit cards or short-term loans, or financing a major purchase or unexpected bill. With predictability built in, personal loans make it easy to budget for repayment for the life of the loan, and for the most qualified borrowers, repayment can extend up to several years. However, not everyone is eligible for a personal loan through banks or online lenders. Because personal loans do not require collateral – an asset, like a vehicle, a home, or a bank account the lender can use to recoup losses due to default – the application process can be stringent. Here are the most common factors banks review when evaluating a personal loan application.

Credit Score

credit-score

The first place lenders look when receiving a new personal loan application is the borrower’s credit history and score. Credit information is like a financial fingerprint in that it provides a clear picture of who a borrower is in terms of money management and timely debt payment over an entire lifetime. When credit history is clean, and a credit score is above 700, banks are more apt to offer a personal loan with the lowest possible interest rate and budget-friendly repayment term. If credit score and history are on shaky ground due to past late payment, a recent bankruptcy, or a foreclosure, lenders either decline a loan application or charge far higher interest rates to protect their potential for loss.

Employment History

employment

Some banks ask for employment history on a personal loan application, in an effort to understand a borrower’s track record of earnings. When someone has had significant gaps in jobs over the last few years or has had several different employers in a short period of time, lenders may view the borrower as higher risk. Steady employment and increased income over time is what banks are typically looking for to qualify a borrower for a personal loan.

Current Income

Income

Above and beyond a borrower’s past financial record, banks want to understand current income. Borrowers with steady earnings from a conventional job are perceived as a lower risk to most lenders, while those who are paid by commission or a bonus structure are less reliable in theory. Banks also want to understand the reliability of the income stream a borrower has, and how that stacks up against other outstanding debts that require a monthly payment. Even when income is steady, borrowers who have several other monthly payments due may not be a strong fit for a personal loan through a bank.

Amount and Purpose of the Loan

The last common factor in reviewing a personal loan application is two-fold: the intent of the borrow and the amount funded. First, personal loans may have some restrictions on what items or expenses they can be used to pay, typically excluding paying off another loan or financing education-related costs. The most common uses for personal loans that are deemed suitable by a bank include debt consolidation, a large expense like a family vacation or holiday spending, or business financing. Second, banks always review the amount of the loan requested and compare that to the borrower’s income and other monthly obligations. For most personal loan applications, no more than $35,000 can be borrowed at one time.

Using a personal loan to manage your finances can be a smart way to leverage your borrowing ability, but take note that banks are going to review your loan application carefully. Before applying for a personal loan, make sure to have documentation relating to your income, a list of previous employers, and a clean credit history to improve your chances for approval.

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By financen | April 11, 2017 - 6:15 pm - Posted in Credit, Credit Score

How to Improve Your Credit Score

Do you ever think about your credit score? Chances are you have if you are in the market for a new car or even to buy a house. Your credit score doesn’t seem important when you are young and don’t have a lot of responsibilities, but it is. College students are famous for racking up credit card debt in college that will stick with them until later in their life and ruin their credit.

If you are thinking about your credit score, you are probably trying to come up with ways to improve it. Doing this is actually not as hard as you probably think it is, but it will take some work in both the short and the long term. A lot of this depends on how bad your score is to begin with, but there is no mountain too high to climb in terms of credit.

Four Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

Be Fastidious with Your Credit Report – Don’t just look at your score and throw your report away. There could be damaging things on it that are incorrect. Consumers have the right to challenge anything on their report that they thing doesn’t belong. You might be surprised at how much your score goes up when even small debts are taken care. They really add up. Credit agencies are more than willing to work with you to help get rid of these if they are proven to be wrong.

Start with High-Interest Accounts – If you have multiple loans or credit accounts you are trying to pay off, start with the higher interest ones. This makes sense because the higher the interest rate, the more money you are going to pay to get rid of it. People don’t always realize how much interest really racks up on their credit accounts.

Get a Credit Card – A lot of people have probably told you to never have a credit card because they are trouble. There is some truth to this, but in order to have a good credit score, you must have some credit in the first place. The only way to build your credit score is to borrow money and pay it off. This will also create a history that lenders can look at to see if you are a viable option for a loan. In short, you can’t have a good credit score if you don’t have any credit. This seems obvious, but a lot of people don’t understand it.

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By financen | October 6, 2015 - 5:32 pm - Posted in Credit, Credit Score

Credit and credit scores are becoming increasingly important in our lives. Whether it is access to loans, better interest rates or for job offers, CIBIL scores are being used in almost every sphere of our lives.

A common question that crops up is:

How do I get my CIBIL score ? Or from any bureau for that matter.

You can obtain a FREE credit score by following these simple steps:

  1. Visit www.freescoreindia.com. Register by providing basic information regarding your name, E mail and current city of residence
  2. Provide your PAN number, Date of Birth and Aadhar Card number. In case you do not have your Aadhar number, you may upload a copy of any other address proof that you may have such as passport, ration card, rental agreement etc
  3. Validate your identity

credit scoreAfter you submit this basic information, your credit report and score will be generated. A notification is sent to you once the report is ready. All you have to do is login to the website to get access to the latest in the world of credit and credit score. You also get access to several savings opportunities which will help you to manage your credit and save money. Every customer gets access to a customised space on the website which has a wealth of information on a person’s credit profile, various financial tools such as loan calculators and score simulators, customised offers on home loans, personal loans and credit cards and the latest news, launches and product offerings in the world of finance.

Now, getting a credit report is no longer cumbersome. The entire process is completely free. No credit cards, no hidden charges, completely secure and you can opt out anytime.

It is to be noted that the credit report provided is from Equifax which is among the largest credit bureaus in the world and among the 4 licensed to operate in India by the Reserve Bank of India.

Written by Arun Ramamurthy, founder of freescoreindia.com which is India’s premier credit management platform.

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