Understanding Your Credit Score
To improve your credit, the first thing you need to do is understand how your Credit Score is calculated.
35% of your credit score is Payment History. Companies offering financing want to make sure you have a history of making your payments. If companies don’t report payments you made, or don’t report them properly your credit score could be adversely affected.
Missed payments will stay on your credit score for 7 to 10 years.
30% – Debt to Limit Ratios – Financial companies don’t want you to have a high level of debt, or more debt than you can handle. Don’t have a credit card maxed out. Raise your limits, or even better pay down your debt so that no more than 30% of your cards limit is used. 10% or less is best. If you raise your limit, don’t use it. Have some discipline. This same principle applies with home equity lines of credit and other revolving credit lines.
With credit cards you can call and ask to have interest rates lowered and credit limits changed.
Empty credit cards that are never used also aren’t good. Try to use each credit card or line of credit once a quarter. This shows the credit bureaus that you know how manage your money.
15% Age of Credit lines. The older the better. This shows the credit bureaus that you have been responsible over the years. Don’t cancel an old credit card.
10% – Types of Credit. Credit bureaus like to see a little bit of everything. They want to see revolving debt, instalment debt, mortgage debt, unsecured loans, as well as secured loans for a really high credit score. Paying for everything with cash isn’t necessarily good when you’re trying to get I high credit rating.
Car loans and Home loans actually pull a different score. Car loans will pull and ‘Advantage Score’ whereas home loans will pull the ‘True Fico Score’
10% – Credit Inquiries – The credit bureaus don’t like to see that people are seeking credit regularly. These queries only count when you you personally apply for credit. If shopping, and comparing loans do them all at the same time, that way they will only act as one inquiry rather than multiple queries. Credit inquiries last for 2 years on your credit report.
via Credit Scores and Home Buying « Logan Real Estate Blog.
Once you understand your credit score you’ll have lots more success buying a new home whether you’re looking for real estate in Orange County, or in Fort Lauderdale FL.