Credit Information

Credit Report - How to Improve Your Credit Score


One of the great mysteries of life is how the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union) score credit. They all have secret statistical formulas for determining your credit score, but they are unwilling to divulge exactly what, exactly, constitutes your score. This can make it difficult for people with problem credit to try to improve their score in hopes of obtaining a home or car loan later.

While the exact formula is a secret, there are a few things you can do that will undoubtedly improve your score:

Pay off a home equity line of credit. These loans, which allow you to borrow more than once against your home's equity, are considered revolving credit, much like a credit card. Pay it down or pay it off; either should help your score.

Check your credit report regularly; you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year. By looking over your credit report, you can make sure that debts you have paid on time are shown on the report, such as student loans, or auto loans that have been paid in full. You can also make sure that your credit limits on your credit cards are reported correctly. Lenders look at the ratio of debt to available credit, and if your reported credit limit is low, it could make it appear as though you are nearly at your credit limit.

Check for duplicate information on your credit report. If your mortgage has been sold to another firm, make sure that your report doesn't show your mortgage twice.

Keep balances on credit cards and other revolving accounts low. You do not want to be seen owing too much money to too many different lenders.

Don't have too many open credit accounts. Ten Visa cards will not help your credit rating. Try to keep a maximum of three revolving credit accounts.

By checking your credit report regularly, and by eliminating unusual entries, you should be able to increase your credit score. And with credit, every little bit helps.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.End-Your-Debt.com/ and http://www.HomeEquityHelp.net/


MORE RESOURCES:

GM, Chrysler, credit unions expand loan programs
Forbes, NY - 2 hours ago
AP , 01.07.09, 03:29 PM EST General Motors and Chrysler say they're both expanding deals that offer low-cost loans and special pricing incentives to credit ...
GM, Chrysler, credit unions expand loan programs The Associated Press
GM, Chrysler, credit unions expand low rate plan nationwide DetNews.com
GM To Expand Credit Union Discounts Nationwide CNNMoney.com
WWJ - Automotive News
all 114 news articles


S&P Lowers Credit Ratings on PNC
Wall Street Journal - 52 minutes ago
By JOHN KELL Standard & Poor's Ratings Service lowered its credit ratings on PNC Financial Services Group Inc. because of concerns about the size of its ...
Market Report -- In Play (PNC) MSN Money
all 4 news articles


US consumer credit worsens in December: Fitch
Reuters - 5 hours ago
NEW YORK, Jan 7 (Reuters) - US consumer credit deteriorated in December as credit card defaults rose and cardholder payment rates suffered the largest one ...
Credit card defaults rise again in December Forbes
Credit-Card Charge Offs Jump Wall Street Journal Blogs
Fitch: US Credit Card Defaults Rise, Payments Slow as Consumers ... Earthtimes (press release)
all 16 news articles


Lear Trying To Amend Credit Pact On Poor Industry Conditions
CNNMoney.com - Jan 6, 2009
(LEA) is seeking an amendment and waiver under its primary credit facility, citing current and longer-term industry conditions, after fully borrowing ...
Lear Corp. seeks to amend credit agreement Forbes
Lear seeks to amend credit facility Reuters
Lear seeks credit facility waiver urethanes-technology-international (subscription)
PR Newswire (press release) - Automotive World (subscription)
all 35 news articles


Carbon Credit for Reprocessed Coal Ash?
New York Times, United States - 5 hours ago
Dominion wants its reprocessing of coal-ash to generate credits for carbon-emissions reduction, which it hopes to use in the Northeast’s carbon-reduction ...


Free Credit Repair Guide Offers Hope for Homeowners
MSNBC - 3 hours ago
LOS ANGELES, CA - With the current state of the economy it's becoming increasingly difficult to qualify for a loan -- even if you have perfect credit. ...


The Age

Russia's Gas War Gets Credit-Crunched
Wall Street Journal - 55 minutes ago
In the credit-crunch era Ukraine cannot afford this game, and increasingly neither can Gazprom. There is a deal that can be done to ensure safe passage of ...
Video: Ukraine has shut all gas pipelines to Europe - Gazprom RussiaToday
Hungary, Slovakia Most at Risk as Gas Halt Hinders Industry Bloomberg
No immediate Ukraine gas row rating impact-Fitch guardian.co.uk
all 5,357 news articles


CNET News

The TL100: Samsung's 12-megapixel credit-card-sized camera
CNET News, CA - 1 hour ago
I opted to use a big picture of the Samsung TL100 camera frankly because there's not much going on with it besides its small size. The 12-megapixel camera ...


Financial Post

Canada Budget Will Seek to Ease Credit, Flaherty Says
Bloomberg - Jan 6, 2009
6 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said he may use his budget later this month to help ease tight credit markets and reverse a slowdown ...
Canada budget to address credit access: minister Reuters Canada
Canada to work with banks to provide credit Reuters
Credit availability key economic issue: Flaherty CTV.ca
Toronto Star - Bloomberg
all 492 news articles


FinFacts Ireland

S&P projects credit losses will rise into 2010
BusinessWeek - Jan 6, 2009
Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's said Tuesday it expects nonperforming loans to continue to rise through 2009 and into 2010, forcing banks to add to ...
S&P says US banks face credit quality decline Reuters
Banks’ Credit Quality Expected to Worsen Wall Street Journal Blogs
Credit-card delinquencies rising Asbury Park Press
Seeking Alpha - Barron's
all 71 news articles

Credit - Google News

Good Credit Loans | home | site map | School Bus Clothing | Florida Pool Heating
© 2006