How to Increase Your Credit Score

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Increasing one's personal credit score is a long-term process.

Following are some of the most important steps to a better credit score:

Pay bills on time. Late payments and collections can have a serious impact on the FICO score.

Do not apply for credit frequently. Having a large number of inquiries shown on your credit report can lower the score.

Reduce credit-card balances. Persons who are "maxed out" will find their score declines.

Be certain to obtain enough credit to establish a credit history. Not having sufficient credit can negatively impact the score.

How to increase a personal credit scoreFreddie Mac has found that borrowers with credit scores above 660 are likely to repay the mortgage, and underwriters can do basic reviews of the files for completeness. For applicants with scores between 620 and 660, the underwriter is required to do a comprehensive review. A very cautious review would be made for persons with credit scores below 620.

The secrecy surrounding credit scores is inherently anticonsumer. Because a prospective borrower doesn't know his score, he might be charged far in excess of what he might get at another lender. Predatory lending is a term used to describe a lender who takes advantage of less sophisticated borrowers to charge unconscionable interest rates and points.
Borrowers who are quoted higher-than-market rates should shop among many lenders for the best terms. If borrowers had access to their scores and more knowledge of the lending process, they could obtain better loans. In this endeavor, a real estate licensee can be very helpful.
While most consumers have full credit bureau reports used by lenders to evaluate credit risks, approximately 54 million Americans (young people, recent immigrants, or newly divorced or widowed consumers) have no reports on file. Because these situations make it difficult to qualify for mortgages, FICO has developed a new credit score program that lenders may elect to use. This program evaluates "nontraditional" data, such as how well consumers handled payday loans and retail payment plans. The FICO score will also review how responsibly individuals used their checking accounts' overdraft protections.
Is credit scoring valid?With credit scoring, lenders can evaluate millions of applicants consistently and impartially on many different characteristics. To be statistically valid, the system must be based on a big enough sample. When properly designed, the system promotes fast, impartial decisions.

FICO has recently completed NextGen, designed to more precisely define the risk of borrowers because it analyzes more criteria than the old model. Using the new model, lenders can evaluate credit profiles of high-risk borrowers in terms of degrees, rather than lumping them into the same category.

What are the future uses of credit scoring?
Many experts believe that residential lending will begin to use credit scoring the same way it is used in automobile financing and consumer loans. Freddie Mac is currently conducting a pilot program with large lenders. Interest rates on home mortgages may be based on the credit score. Today's "6 percent mortgage" may be tomorrow's "5¾ percent for A+ borrowers, 6 percent for A, and 6¼ percent for B+."

Web Link Fannie Mae Home Page: http://www.fanniemae.com/
Freddie Mac Home Page: http://www.freddiemac.com/
FHA Single Family Insurance Page: http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/insured.cfm.
Federal Reserve Board: http://www.federalreserve.gov/
U.S. Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: http://www.va.gov/