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It should not come as a surprise that an individual is no more than a number to a loan officer. They do not care about how nice a person is or why they need to borrow the money. All that truly matters to them is the FICO score. What is a FICO credit score? This is an algorithm that calculates how much of a risk a person is for defaulting on the loan. It combines several different factors that will give a person a risk factor rating. This rating will often determine how much money will be lent and at what interest rate.
It will not help a person to know what is a FICO credit score if they do not understand the factors that affect it. Since this is an algorithm, it is based on a variety of factors. These factors include the punctuality of payment, overall debt ratio, length of credit history, type of credit used and recent credit search history. The majority of the score is determined by the first two factors. A person that is more than 30 days late on a payment will affect their score as well as a person that has a high debt to credit ratio. There is no set number for acceptable debt but many sources say anything over 30% is not acceptable.
If a person knows what is a FICO credit score, how can they change it for the better? The first, and most obvious answer, is to make their payments on time. It is better to make the minimum payment on time than to pay off the entire debt more than 30 days late. Second, try and keep debt below the 30% threshold. This would mean having less than $3,000 in debt if they have a credit line of $10,000. The other three factors are harder to control. Getting a credit history started at the earliest possible age is about the only way to increase the length of credit history. Also, do not make too many inquiries into your credit score in a short period of time. This would include applying for several cards, opening multiple bank accounts or taking out loans on several items at a time.
Understanding what is a FICO credit score and how to raise it are two important lessons for everyone. A higher FICO score can literally save a borrower thousands of dollars on a purchase. This is especially true for an individual that is considering buying a home. A person armed with this information should find it easier to manage their score and keep it at an acceptable level.
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