credit report comparison

August 24, 2009

Where Will you Find the Best Credit Card Deal?

Trevor Taylor asked:


There are more than one billion credit cards in use in the USA alone and it is quite probable that many of these card holders believe they found the best credit card deal… and it could be they have.. for their own personal requirements. But everyone has different needs and the best credit card offer for one person may not be the best offer for another.

Your credit card deal can only be regarded as the best if it works for you, personally. So, if a credit card fits your lifestyle in such a way that it offers you the maximum benefits, then that is more than likely the best credit card deal you will find. The most important word for you to consider here is the word ?your? as in ?your lifestyle?. The lifestyle of each individual differs in many ways, and it is important that you choose the best credit card offer to suit your own personal lifestyle needs, which may be completely different from those of your friends and/or colleagues.

There are hundreds of differing types of credit cards on offer by the many card suppliers who are generally made up of banks, building societies and lending institutions across the world, and if you are to find the best credit card deal to suit your own personal needs, take the time to do your research well. Your first decision will be about which type of card will best suit your lifestyle. Next, you should access one of the many online comparison charts to help you to decide which card issuer is making the best credit card offers, the ones which you personally find most appealing.

There are many questions you should ask when searching for your best credit card deal and here are ten of the most important ones.

1/. Are any introductory rates on offer with this card? What are they and how long will they last?

2/. After the introductory rate period elapses, what will the new rate be?

3/. Are there any processing fees connected to my application?

4/. Is there an annual fee with this card, and if so how much will I be paying?

5/. Will I be expected to pay any late fees or over-the-limit fees?

6/. Are there other fees charged, like balance-transfer fees or account termination fees?

7/. When and how is a variable rate altered? Will I get prior notice?

8/. Will the card company inform me if I am close to going over my limit?

9/. What is the card issuer’s policy if I have trouble paying my bill?

10/ Am I able to access my credit card account online?

So, as you can well imagine, lifestyles, needs and credit scores all differ from individual to individual (which is exactly the reason why credit card issuers offer such a wide variety of credit cards). For your own part it is simply a matter of evaluating your own personal needs. For instance, if you travel a lot by air, either for work or pleasure, a card which offers you good rewards/rebates/benefits on travel could easily be considered your best credit card deal. However, sometimes the airlines themselves will have their own credit card issuing company, and it would pay you to find out about their best credit card offer. For those people who regularly shop at a specific retail store, their best credit card deal would probably be one that offers discounts, rebates and rewards on shopping purchases. Again, the retail stores themselves may have credit cards on offer that could benefit you. Then there are some credit cards that are linked to gasoline stores or large grocery or electrical chains. Now, if you do not have any specific needs, you might apply for a general purpose credit card that will typically offer reward points on every purchase you make on your card. These reward points can then be redeemed for cash or gifts. A general purpose card would likely provide the best credit card offer for those people with no particular requirements.

So, when you are studying the online credit card comparison charts, check out the answers to the above questions for each credit card. You will need to be totally happy with the answers you get from each of the questions so that then, and only then, can you consider yourself to have found the best credit card deal on the Internet! Remember also that your application progress will rely heavily on your credit score, salary and possibly value of collateral. In trying to secure the best credit card offer, don’t apply for a credit card that you are unlikely to qualify for. A Card Finder Report will establish which credit cards you are most likely to qualify for and may well save you a great deal of time in the process.

So, in summary, phrases like ‘best credit card deal’ or ‘best credit card offer’ should be regarded simply as relative terms as there are no specific credit card offers which will be equally good for all individuals.

Trevor Taylor



Renee

August 23, 2009

Recover Your Credit After Bankruptcy With a Loan

Amanda Hash asked:


Once you have gone through a bankruptcy process you can be sure that your credit will be ruined. In order to raise your credit score and improve your credit history there are many things you can do. Among them, one of the most effective ones is to obtain a bankruptcy loan and let the lender report the timely monthly payments to the credit bureaus.

However, getting a loan after bankruptcy is not an easy task and it requires a lot of information to understand which steps you need to take in order to prepare yourself for a loan application after your bankruptcy has been discharged. This article intends to provide some guidelines as to this matter and help you obtain your loan.

Prepare Yourself For Applying

In order to apply for a loan after bankruptcy you need to think ahead and prepare yourself for the application. You need to start at least a couple of months prior to applying (six months is better). Within this period of time you need to make sure that no delinquencies are recorded into your credit report as your recent credit history will be verified even if the lender already knows that you have gone through a bankruptcy.

For most lenders, recent credit history implies the last six months accounted in your credit report. Within this period there must be no late payments, missed payments or defaults on your loans, bills or debt balances. You need to try to keep your credit cards and lines of credit (if you have) with a small or null balance in order to show the lender that you are making an effort to improve your credit behavior.

Loan And Credit Recovery

Bankruptcy loans have an additional benefit apart from providing finance. These loans can help you improve your credit score and history. Since each timely payment of your loan gets recorded into your credit report, it will help you build up a good credit history and enhance your credit score so you can recover from bad credit sooner.

You need of course to avoid late payments and missed payments as otherwise you will affect your credit negatively. With patience, your payments being reported to credit bureaus sooner than later will get you a significant improvement in your credit and you will be able to obtain financing with more advantageous terms than before.

Where To Apply For A Loan

Knowing where to apply is a big part of the process of obtaining a bankruptcy loan. The smartest way to go is to search the net for bankruptcy loan lenders. You can use whatever search engine you prefer and you will soon be presented with many results. Just make sure not to go for the first offer you receive as you should do some comparison prior to applying.

Just request loan quotes from as many lenders as possible and compare what they have to offer to you. Then, once you have decided which loan you prefer, you can fill the online application or apply by other means. The lender will soon make contact with you and let you know if you where approved.



Adam

August 22, 2009

Credit Score Mythology

Mike Clover asked:


There is so much information out there on improving your credit score that it is hard to know what really works. Because most people never take a class or fully understand the credit system, a host of myths and misinformation has developed regarding the subject. Some of these misnomers may seem logical or possible, but really have no grounds for proof. Sadly, much of this information is coming directly from sources that should know what they are talking about, such as bank representatives or mortgage lenders. For this reason, it is important to be aware of the basic credit score myths to keep from wasting your time or even hurting your credit score.

Perhaps the most common piece of bad information that people receive concerns their current accounts. If a broker or other individual claims that closing accounts will improve a credit score, they are completely flawed in their logic. Yes, having too many open accounts will reflect negatively on a credit score, but closing existing accounts is another matter. Once the accounts have been opened, the damage is done, and it is best to keep them open. Shutting accounts can actually hurt your credit score. The amount of credit available to an individual is one factor affecting credit scores. When accounts are closed, the amount of available credit shrinks, making account balances seem larger by comparison. Paying down debt is an excellent idea, but in the process, leave opened accounts open.

Many people believe that checking your FICO score can actually hurt your credit. This is another common confusion due to the fact that certain inquiries can hurt your credit while others do not. Applying for new credit will often hurt your score, but ordering a copy of your credit report will not. Mass pre-approval inquiries also go unpunished. When a credit score reduction is caused by an inquiry of some kind, it will only change the score by 5 points or less, so even in this event, this is not a huge factor in your score.

Your ability to qualify for certain loans may be impacted by the use of credit counseling, however, many people think that credit counseling will scar your credit score in the same way as bankruptcy. This is simply not the case. The most current FICO formula actually ignores credit counseling all together. This was a change that occurred due to a research study conducted three years ago that supports the fact that people using credit counseling did not default on their debts any more than other people. However, take note that using credit counseling might impact your ability to qualify for certain loans. Sometimes, counseling agencies make late payments to your creditors or settle for lesser amounts, and these things will show up on your score, but the use of credit counseling in general will not negatively change your credit score.

These myths are some of the most widely accepted misnomers about the credit industry. Understanding their falsehood will help you to manage your credit more knowledgably or seek the right kind of help to repair your credit. If a broker, counselor, lender, or agent tries to feed you one of these myths, you might seriously consider how knowledgeable they really are about everything else involving your credit.



Evelyn

August 19, 2009

if i signed up for a credit card online but then immediately cancelled it, does that hurt my credit report?

Filed under: Credit — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 3:46 am
NO asked:


i applied for a credit card online but the limit was way to low in comparison to my other cards. i cancelled it right away but im afraid it will make my credit score look bad due to the inquiry for no good reason. what do you think??

Andrew

August 17, 2009

What’s Your Credit Score? Not Knowing Could Cost You

Rebecca Spitzer asked:


When you go online and apply for a credit card, how can you get your results in a matter of seconds? The answer is your credit score. This little number packs a big punch and can make the difference between getting approved for a car loan, a great rate on your mortgage, or getting turned down for everything credit related that you apply for in life.

The credit score ranges from 300 to 800. Your specific score is result of a special formula, called an algorithm, which compares your credit information to the credit information of tens of millions of other people. The number that they get as a result is a very accurate prediction of how likely you are to pay your debts.

This may seem unfair, but your credit score is based on a number of factors. They look at your payment history for every listing on your credit report, the total amount of outstanding debt you have, and the length of your credit history. They also check to see if you have had any derogatory credit information, such as bankruptcies, charge-offs, and collections. And finally, they calculate how much credit you have used in comparison to how much credit you have available.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act has made it possible for you to get a free copy of your credit report every twelve months from all three major credit bureaus. Unfortunately, your credit score is not usually included in this free information. But for additional five or ten dollars, you can get your credit score included.

Knowing your credit score can help you get a better picture of what the information on your credit report means. For example, a credit score of 720 or higher will get you the best rates on home loans. And a credit score of below 500 will cost you hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars in high interest rates, if you can qualify for a loan at all.

If your credit score is very low and you do not have any significant derogatory entries on your credit report, it’s time to take a good look at that report and find any inaccuracies. Be sure that all the debt you have paid off shows up as a zero balance, and double-check your available lines of credit



Jamie

August 15, 2009

Check Your Credit Score Before Buying a Car

Stuart Hunter asked:


Most people acknowledge that maintenance and repair costs are a necessary compromise for the independence they gain from owning a car. But there is one important maintenance task everyone should undertake before buying a car; repairing their credit report.

A poor credit score may not prevent you from getting a car loan, but it can force you into a much higher interest rate. Over the life of a five-year, $20,000 vehicle loan, a low credit credit can cost you between $4,000 and $8,000 in additional interest payments when compared to what you would pay with good credit. Paying your bills on time does not necessarily ensure a good credit score, either. Research by the National Association of State Public Interest Research Groups indicates that four out of every five credit reports contain errors. These errors can bring down your credit score, and your borrowing power.

The experts at Lexington Law, a law firm that focuses on helping consumers dispute the negative items in their credit reports, offer the following credit maintenance tips to take care of before you go car shopping:



Pull your credit report once a year. You can get a free copy of your credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com, the only site authorized by the Federal Trade Commission to provide these reports. If you already received your free report earlier in the year, pay for another, more up-to-date copy, since your credit report, and credit score, are constantly changing.

Check for inaccuracies. Check for out-dated information. Make sure everything that appears on your report actually refers to your credit history, and not someone else with the same name.

Reduce your debt as much as possible. Paying off credit cards with low outstanding balances is helpful because it lowers your debt to available credit ratio. Lenders look at this comparison to see if you’re at risk of over-extending yourself.

Remove as many negative items from your credit report as possible. Negative items can have a significant impact on your credit score. There is no law that states that a negative item must remain on your credit reports for seven years. You can have it removed long before that.



 

By performing a bit of credit score maintenance before applying for that auto loan, you can help to ensure you get the best possible loan.



Anna

How Credit Score Works For You

Paul Hata asked:


It is natural for us to resort to credit when we are in great financial need, yet we are running out of cash. Instead of pawning our precious assets in exchange for the amount that we need (which is commonly minus the applied interest), we can apply for different types of loans with convenient terms of payments and affordable interest rates.

In addition, there are also instances when the lender provides rebates and other forms of financial incentives to their clients, thus making credit an advantageous alternative when you are in great financial need.

However, there are individuals who do not understand the limitations that must be followed when resorting to credit. Since credit allows them to make purchases in the absence of cash, they tend to spend more than what they can afford to pay later on, thus resulting to piles of debt at the end of the billing period. Though credit limit is strictly enforced, there are individuals who manage to slip away from their credit limits, thus they are acquiring more debts until the time comes that they cannot repay such debts anymore.

It is important that you are aware of your limitations when you avail of credit when making purchases or payments, especially with regards to their credit score system. There are many individuals who are practically ignorant of what credit score system is. As a matter of fact, they do not even know what credit score is and how it works. The credit score system has already been in effect for quite some time now, and many lenders use this as one of the basis to determine whether your loan application is accepted or rejected.

How can credit score system works for your financial needs? To start with, let us define first what credit score is, and understand the system itself as a whole. Keep in mind that it is a vital report that you must be aware of that is, if you want to have your loan application to be accepted.

Credit score is a statistical manner of assessing the credit worthiness of a borrower. It possesses every inch of information about your credit experiences your loan paying history, the accounts that you own, the age of each accounts, late payments that you have made prior to your latest loan application (if there is any), and existing outstanding debts that you failed to pay (if there is any).

The credit score system works through a statistical method which is used to make comparison of your credit profile with other borrowers with similar profiles. Points would be awarded for every factor that manifests debt repayment. These points will be summed up, and it will tell how likely you will be able to make the payments when it is on due. This will now be your credit score a three digit number.

Each time you will borrow or use credit for purchases or payments, you will get a credit score which shows how you managed your past credits. Lenders rely on credit scoring system that gives grades to your credit performance. For instance, once you have an excellent credit performance on your previous loans, you will be able to attain a credit score of 600 or above. In case your credit rating is ranging from 500 to 535, expect that you will experience difficulties of securing loans with affordable interest payments.

Your score is recorded in your credit report, which is managed by credit reporting agencies such as Equifax and Trans Union. Your credit report is divided into four major sections, which is the following:

- Personal history;

- Identifying information;

- Inquiries; and

- Public records.

A good credit score needs continuous hard work. Thus, it is important that you understand what you are dealing with to avoid complications later on. Keep in mind that it is your limitation in terms of using credit and you are bounded to stick with it. Or else, suffer the adverse consequences.



Robert

August 13, 2009

No Credit Check Secured Loans: Forget Bad Credit History

Kenneth Robert asked:


 

Mostly, credit checks are done to verify the default history of a borrower. A large number of people hesitate to disclose their credit history to the lenders. As regular defaults are a barrier towards availing the loan facility, borrowers usually avoid them. The frequent credit checks are avoided by the lenders as they are flexible in this case. The risk factor is greatest for the lenders in this case, as the past records of the borrower aren’t known by the lender. No credit check secured loans are therefore designed for the borrowers who have an irregular payback schedule since a long time. As collateral isn’t required in this case, the borrowers have to be extra careful while sanctioning the loan amount to the borrower. This explains the need for strict conditions imposed upon the borrowers by the lenders.

A bad credit report can be improved if the borrower is willing to go that extra mile to pay back the borrowed amount on time. A proof of job stability needs to be put forward by the borrower with a salary that is sufficient to pay back the amount. No credit check secured loans sanctioned are lesser in comparison with other loan packages and it depends upon the salary of the borrower. In case the borrower isn’t able to convince the lenders about his repayment ability then collateral should be offered. In this way, the borrower ensures that the lender is able to cover some of his risks. No credit check secured loans have been designed by the lenders for those borrowers who are unemployed. Important details like identity of the person concerned and his account information are verified by the lender before the loan amount is sanctioned.

The process of loan approval is time-consuming and therefore the borrowers usually shy away from approaching the lenders. And with a bad credit report it is nearly impossible for the lenders to grant the amount because of the lack of trust. Any lender is willing to offer the amount by getting somehow convinced that the borrower will return the amount within agreed time frame. Higher interest rates accrue on the no credit check secured loans because of the presence of collateral. Since credit history of the borrower is hazy one, the lenders hike the rates of interest. The lenders provide no credit loan amount up to 70% of the collateral’s value and the borrower should be ready to pay back the loan amounts in higher monthly installments. The amount sanctioned is usually lesser in case of no credit check than what could have been if credit check would have been done.

No credit check secured loans are used for a variety of purposes. These range from career, repairing the house, medical emergencies and so on. It pays to look for the lender who understands your requirements very well and customizes the loan packages accordingly. This has to be done to ensure that you secure the best deal package around which saves you from unavoidable worries. It is important to go ahead with the same to avoid debt mess which can occur once again if the borrower isn’t careful. Because of the higher risks involved, the lenders proceed cautiously and any default renders the borrower unfit for any loan package. Therefore, one should always try to maintain a perfect repayment record as this helps the borrower to get in the good books of the lender.

 

 

 



Jason

August 11, 2009

What is wrong with my Vantage credit score in comparison to my FICO credit score?

Filed under: Credit — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 1:46 pm
unarica27 asked:


I have purchased both of these reports on the same day. My Vantage Experian score is 677. However, my FICO Experian score is a 663. I thought that my Vantage score would be much higher. This means that my FICO score is fair (and has potential) and my Vantage score is is terrible. Can someone please explain this to me? I really want to obtain a mortgage. THANKS!

Cindy

August 9, 2009

Credit Card Debt, Giving A Credit Rating

Stephen Campbell asked:


Numbers of credit reporting bureaus or agencies gather information on the subject of the debtor’s credit history or files from reliable private and public credit data sources. They also get data from the creditors who extended the loan to the debtor.

Accordingly, the information is divided into five sets or categories with the corresponding percentages which reflect the significance of each category in the final computation of scores for your credit card debt, namely: (1) Owed Amount–30%; (2) History of Payments–30%; (3) Duration of Credit Record–15%; (4) Nature or Kinds of Credit Currently in Use–10%; and lastly (5) Latest Credit Inquiries –10%.

In general, these credit bureaus compute the debtor’s credit score using a three figure number which range from 300 up to 850. The higher the credit score, the better opportunity of acquiring low interest rates for the loan being applied for and a better opening for wealth accumulation.

The industry of credit-scoring has been making different opinions and wide-spread reactions to the public. The consumers fear that credit-based rating or scoring will pose a negative impact or unjust rating to them and will affect their economic standing and other monetary transactions.

Some credit bureaus justify their reason of gathering information and making credit rating or scoring. For them, their work is to help lending businesses formulate efficient and effective economic decisions.

Others create a distinction between the credit-based scores of insurance companies which predicts the loss of propensity and the credit scores which is just to predict the worthiness of a particular person to pay.

Each of different companies should develop its own credit-base rating or scoring algorithm to serve better the consumers. Below are some of the techniques adopted in credit scoring:

– Forming a Credit Assistance Group/Team–they are the quick response team that will give assistance to consumers calling through toll-free numbers. The public would certainly like to know the effect of credit records or rating to their application of loans, mortgage, employment and/or insurance transactions.

Also included to the team’s responsibility is the making of reports on the personal credit insurance of the consumers or client. This report will show the consumer’s variable score and the comparison with the aggregate rating or score

–Revising a New Method in Credit Scoring- this simplified way utilizes nine variables instead of the usual sixteen. Their algorithm will calculate the credit scores by assigning 100 as a foundation score.

–For those consumers with no credit records or whose credit histories are lacking, they will establish a program which will particularly cater to these groups of creditors to somehow uplift their credit ratings.



Andrew
Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress
credit fraud prevention service | online credit card | net meeting | price comparisons