Showing posts with label trade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trade. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Credit scores, credit history & credit qualifications... is it really that complicated?

Credit when used as a financial term, used in such terms as credit card, refers to the giving way of a loan and the formation of debt. Any movement of financial capital is in general quite reliant on credit, which in turn is dependent on the reputation or creditworthiness of the entity that takes responsibility for the funds. An identical treatment is in commercial trade, where credit is used to refer to the approval for overdue payments for goods purchased. From time to time if a person has financial instability or difficulty, credit is not granted.

Companies regularly offer credit to their customers as part of the terms of a purchase agreement. Organizations that propose credit to their customers frequently provide work for a credit manager. A unit of account provides denomination of credit. Not like money credit itself cannot act as a unit of account. Credit is as well traded in the market.

The purest form is the Credit Default Swap market which is for all intents and purposes a traded market in credit insurance, i.e. a credit default swap represents the price at which two counter parties will exchange this risk - the protection seller takes the risk of default of the credit in return for a payment, commonly denoted in basis points of the notional amount to be referenced, at the same time as the protection buyer pays this premium and in the case of default of the underlying (a loan, bond or other receivable), delivers this receivable to the protection seller and receives from the seller the par amount.

Credit history
Credit history or credit report is, in a lot of countries, a record of an individual's or company's precedent borrowing and repaying, together with the information about late payments and bankruptcy. The term credit reputation can also be used synonymous to credit history or to credit score.

Once a customer fills out an application for credit from a bank, store or credit card Company, their information is forwarded to a credit bureau, along with regular updates on the condition of their credit accounts, address or any other changes you may have made in view of the fact that the last time they applied for any credit. This information is used by lenders such as credit card companies to settle on an individual's or entity's credit worthiness; that is to say, determining an individual's or entity's means and willingness to repay indebtedness. This helps concluding whether to extend credit, as well as on what terms.

With the adoption of risk based pricing on more or less all lending in the financial services industry, this report has become even further vital since it is more often than not the sole element used to choose the APR (annual percentage rate).

Credit score
In the United States, a credit score is a three-digit credit rating that represents a calculated approximation of an individual's financial creditworthiness as intended by a statistical model. A credit score attempts to calculate the likelihood that a potential borrower will fail to repay a loan or other credit obligation satisfactorily over a specified period of time. A credit score is characteristically based on the information in an individual's credit report.

Lenders such as banks and credit card companies use credit scores control the risk posed by lending money to consumers. Examples of such uses take account of determining who qualifies for a loan, assigning an interest rate, assigning credit limits, and managing accounts that are already open. For instance, treatment of accounts those are in default. The use of credit or identity scoring prior to authorizing right of entry or granting credit is an implementation of a trusted system.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

5 Tips For Improving Your Credit Score

Here are 5 tips to help improve your credit score.

1. Get copies of your credit report —then make sure the information is correct.

Go to the Annual Credit Report web site. This is the only authorized online source for a free credit report. Under federal law, you can get a free report from each of the three national credit reporting companies every 12 months
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You can also call 877-322-8228 or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) web site and mail it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

2. Pay your bills on time.

One of the most important things you can do to improve your credit score is pay your bills by the due date. You can set up automatic payments from your bank account to help you pay on time, but be sure you have enough money in your account to avoid overdraft fees.

3. Understand how your credit score is determined.

Your credit score is usually based on the answers to these questions:

Do you pay your bills on time? The answer to this question is very important. If you have paid bills late, have had an account referred to a collection agency, or have ever declared bankruptcy, this history will show up in your credit report.

What is your outstanding debt? Many scoring models compare the amount of debt you have and your credit limits. If the amount you owe is close to your credit limit, it is likely to have a negative effect on your score.

How long is your credit history? A short credit history may have a negative effect on your score, but a short history can be offset by other factors, such as timely payments and low balances.

Have you applied for new credit recently? If you have applied for too many new accounts recently that may negatively affect your score. However, if you request a copy of your own credit report, or creditors are monitoring your account or looking at credit reports to make prescreened credit offers, these inquiries about your credit history are not counted as applications for credit.

How many and what types of credit accounts do you have? Many credit-scoring models consider the number and type of credit accounts you have. A mix of installment loans and credit cards may improve your score. However, too many finance company accounts or credit cards might hurt your score.

To learn more, see the Federal Trade Commission’s publication on credit scoring at their web site.

4. Learn the legal steps you must take to improve your credit report.

The Federal Trade Commission’s “Building a Better Credit Report” has information on correcting errors in your report, tips on dealing with debt and avoiding scams—and more.

5. Beware of credit-repair scams.

Sometimes doing it yourself is the best way to repair your credit. The Federal Trade Commission’s “Credit Repair: Self-Help May Be Best” explains how you can improve your creditworthiness and lists legitimate resources for low-cost or no-cost help.