Laura Evert asked:




Have you wanted to buy a house or a car but you have a low credit score? You can fix that by checking your annual credit report to see if all information is accurate. However, if you have been missing bill payments or have been going over your credit limit then you can consider counseling. Remember, the interest rate you will pay for the money that you borrow will be determined largely by the three-digit number generated from your report.

You are lucky if you have a good report and score from credit report companies but if you have a poor one, you will have big problems. Most lenders have rules that are carved in stones about handling out the best terms. These rules always place a major emphasis on your score. For instance, if their best rates are offered to borrowers with a score of 700 or higher and you have a score of 698, those two points could cost you thousands of dollars.

As FICO said, the interest rate difference between those two ratings is bout one-third of a percentage point. FICO or Fair Isaac Corporation created the FICO rating and is the most commonly used rating. You should consider understanding FICO if you want to know how to raise your credit rating. On 30-year fixed rate mortgage of $165,000, that third of a point could cost you more than $11, 172 in interest charges, assuming 629 percent is the lowest rate available. If you fall below 660, the rate goes up another.81 percent.

Of course, the numbers mentioned are averages. Today, most lenders practice tiered pricing with interest rates rising as ratings go down. You annual report should be monitored if you want your level not to go down. However, each ender chooses its own “break points” between tiers. While one lender may increase the interest if the level falls below 700, another lender might not charge higher rates until the level is 690 or lower. The picture being painted here is that if you stick with one lender whose break point is 700, raising your level from 698 to 701 can be vital.

This underscores the importance of not only doing means on how to improve credit level but also shopping thoroughly when looking for a mortgage. From a mortgage broker’s point of view, who can choose among a sea of many lenders, no sharp break points exist. As a consumer, you should do what a good broker does and look for a lender that offers the best rate to a specific level.

Henry