NOTE: This information is free if you request it within 60 days of being turned down for credit. The credit reporting agency can tell you what’s in your report, but only creditor can tell you why your application was denied. If you’ve been denied credit, or didn’t get rate or credit terms you want, ask creditor if a credit scoring system was used. Be sure to ask what characteristics or factors were used in that system, and best ways to improve you application.

If you get credit, ask creditor whether you are getting best rate and terms available and, if not, why. If you are not offered best rate available because of inaccuracies in your credit report, be sure to dispute inaccurate information in your credit report. Under Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a credit scoring system may not use certain characteristics like: Race, Sex, Marital status, National origin, or Religion. However, creditors are allowed to use age in properly designed scoring systems. But any scoring system that includes age must give equal treatment to elderly applicants. What can I do to improve my score?

Credit scoring models are complex and often vary among creditors, and for different types of credit. If one factor changes, your score may change. But improvement generally depends on how that factor relates to other factors considered by model.

NOTE: Only creditor can explain what might improve your score under particular model used to evaluate your credit application. Nevertheless, scoring models generally evaluate following types of information in your credit report: • Have you paid your bills on time? Payment history is a significant factor. It is likely that your score will be affected negatively if you have paid bills late, had an account referred to collections, or declared bankruptcy, if that history is reflected on your credit report.

• What is your outstanding debt? Many scoring models evaluate amount of debt you have compared to your credit limits. If amount you owe is close to your credit limit, that is likely to have a negative effect on your score.

• How long is your credit history? Generally, models consider length of your credit track record. An insufficient credit history may have an effect on your score, but that can be offset by other factors, such as timely payment and low balances.

• Have you applied for new credit recently? Many scoring models look at inquiries” on your credit report when you apply for credit. If you have applied for too many new accounts recently, that may negatively affect your score. However, not all inquiries are counted. Inquiries by creditors who are monitoring your account or looking at credit reports to make “prescreened” credit offers are not counted.

• How many and what type of credit accounts do you have? Although it is generally good to have established credit accounts, too many credit card accounts may have a negative effect on your score. In addition, many models consider type of credit accounts you have. For example, under some scoring models, loans form finance companies may negatively affect your credit score. Scoring models may be based on more than just information in your credit report. For example, model may consider information from your credit application as well: your job or occupation, length of employment, or whether you own a home. Bottom Line: To improve you credit score under most models, concentrate on paying your bills on time, paying down outstanding balances, and not taking on new debts. It’s likely to take some time to improve your score significantly.

Credit and You are a group of expert on credit and author of “CREDIT AND YOU ... Secrets To Improving Your Credit Rating.” Feel free to pass this article along to family and friends. And be sure to pick up your FREE 7 day course on “Credit Basics” at http://www.creditandyou.com.

Copyright © 2002-2003 Credit and You | All Rights Reserved |

Credit and You are a group of expert on credit and the authors of “CREDIT AND YOU ... Secrets To Improving Your Credit Rating.” Feel free to pass this article along to family and friends. And be sure to pick up your FREE 7 day course on “Credit Basics” at http://www.creditandyou.com

Another romantic act is that of touching of face or hair of another. Mothers with small children will stroke child’s hair as they are falling asleep, and when one person strokes another’s hair or face, it evokes security in these earliest exchanges with another human being.

Finally, act of talking gets a lot of publicity in today’s world. The ways “Mars” and “Venus” communicate or fail to communicate has been picked apart to marrow inside bone. However, one thing I think that all this understanding has missed is how close really talking with each other can make both partners feel.

Anyone who’s ever been married knows how easy it is to get caught up in six word sentences, repeated every night and called communication. “How was your day?” “Fine.” “You get that account closed out?” “Yeah.” You know this conversation. If you’ve ever been married, you’ve probably had this conversation.

However, this isn’t kind of talking I mean. What I mean is getting under surface of life to what’s going on in a person’s spirit. Those newly in love know how incredible it can feel to open up to another person and let them see into your soul and then believe you are accepted for who you really are—rather than for mask you show outside world. Not only that, but we all know someone we would like to get to know better, someone we could spend hours with and never tire of asking them questions about who they are and how they got to this place.

That, I think, is point. When we are first in love, we want to find out everything about other person. We want to find out what they love, and what they hate, who they love, and who they hate. At some point, however, we begin to think we know everything about other person, and we stop asking—and listening. This is beginning of death of romance.

So, if you really want to feel close again, shut off television, put down book, forget laundry and dishes for night. Sit down, put your arm around your mate, and talk. Get to know each other again. I guarantee you both will feel romance return. It doesn’t take a myriad of candles, flowers, and candy. It takes two people who want to spend time together and get to know one another better. That’s true romance.