First of all, let’s examine exactly what credit worth means and how it affects your financial life.Your credit worth, as defined by
financial industry, is
overall picture of your financial health that is used by lenders to determine your ability to repay debt. By looking at a combination of factors, lenders, such as banks, credit card companies, and utility companies, estimate how worthy you are of receiving a line of credit or regular services based on a payment schedule.
The most common factor used by lenders to determine credit worthiness is your credit score. Your credit score is a number generated by a mathematical formula that estimates how likely you are to pay your bills. Based on
information in your credit reports from
three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, your credit score is a factor affecting your ability to get loans and good interest rates. Lenders compare your credit report with millions of others to determine your score.
But your credit score is not
only thing that lenders look at to decide whether or not to give you a loan or a good interest rate. They also evaluate
individual entries on your credit report and
information you provide on your loan application. Some creditors consider your occupation, length of employment, and whether or not you own a home.
Each creditor creates a credit scoring system based on factors important to that institution, so you may receive different results with different lenders. For this reason, it is also important to talk to
credit manager about why you received
credit limit and interest rates that you did. You may have mitigating circumstances that affect how your credit history is viewed, or you may be on
margin between two score categories. Negotiation may be possible if you are open with
creditor about your ability to pay.
If you are turned down for credit, law states that you are entitled to a free credit report if you request it within 60 days. A few steps you can take to improve your credit worthiness include paying your bills on time, paying down your existing debt, and refrain from taking on new debt. But
points awarded by creditors for each factor varies, and an increase in your credit score depends on how one factor relates to another factor in their particular scoring model.
Collections, bankruptcies, and late payments have
greatest negative effect on your credit score, and, therefore, on your credit worthiness. Paying your bills on time may seem like a small thing when you’re writing that monthly check, but an accumulation of timely payments says a lot to a potential lender looking for a reliable client. Prompt payments in recent months can actually make a big difference in your credit score.
Your debt is a factor as well. Keeping your account balances between 25% and 50% of your available credit signals a responsible borrower. For example, if you have a credit card with a $2000 limit, keep your debt below $1000. For this reason, consolidating your credit card debt can actually lower your credit score, as it raises your debt to available credit ratio. The best solution is to simply pay off your existing cards as quickly as possible.