"Science is for those who learn; poetry, for those who know."Joseph Roux
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Home Equity Loans vs Home Equity Line Of Credit - Which Option Should You Choose?
Tapping into your home equity loans qualifies you for low rates with the potential benefit of tax write offs. Lenders have developed a number of financing solutions for you, each with their own pros and cons. Home equity loans provide low rates with some ...
Kill OFf Your Evil Credit Cards with a Home Equity Line of Credit.
Ok, tired of those ridiculous credit card statements? Time to refinance! If you own a home chances are your bank will help you out with your bills...and at rates that at a fraction of what your existing credit card rate. If you are paying the minimum ...
Student Loan Debt Cannot Be Wiped Out Through A Bankruptcy Filing
Recent legislation passed by Congress has brought about the most sweeping changes in U.S. bankruptcy law in twenty five years. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 will eliminate the opportunity for most Americans with debt ...
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If you have never heard of a FICO score before, you should become familiar with the term. Named for the firm that invented it, Fair Isaac Corp., the FICO score is the three-digit credit summary that, in essence, reduces your entire financial life to a simple set of numerals.
The score represents a distillation of information gleaned from the three main credit-reporting bureaus – Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian, regarding your loan and payment history, as well as any bankruptcy filings you may have made. Andy liens or payment defaults will be incorporated into the score as well. The score, which can vary from a low of 300 to a high of 850, represents an attempt to quantify a lifetime of financial dealings into a single number. It has been quite successful. In fact, most people would be surprised to see just how important that score has become and how many businesses use it for reasons that aren't entirely obvious.
Most people would assume, correctly, that lenders would check the score of a potential borrower who was applying for a car loan or a home equity line of credit. Many would be surprised, however, to see that the score is often accessed by potential employers, landlords, or even insurance companies. While some states have strictly forbidden the use of FICO scores as a guideline for setting insurance prices, some insurance companies still access the scores in order to assess risk for potential customers. Employers access the scores to see if a possible employee might be a security or theft risk, and landlords may use the score to determine whether or not a tenant should post a high security deposit prior to moving into a rental property.
A substantial argument can be made that there is no way to accurately reduce someone's financial status to a single three-digit number. That said, it is simply a whole lot easier for most companies that need a financial “snapshot” of a customer to look over their credit report, look at the score, and offer a “yes or no” response based on the score alone. Fair or not, this is the way things work today, and it is probably unreasonable to expect lenders, employers and landlords to start looking deeper into their customers' and employees' finances.
The best solution for anyone who is concerned about his or her credit score is to examine their own credit report, which can be obtained for free at annualcreditreport.com. Report any errors to the appropriate credit bureau, and try to check your report once or twice a year. Fair or not, we are our credit score. Making sure that the number is accurate is an important step towards a solid financial future.
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.
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HELOC, Car Loan Delinquencies At Record HighsU.S. News & World Report, DC - Jan 7, 2009In the latest sign that consumers are under financial stress, indirect auto loan and home equity lines of credit (HELOC) delinquencies reached their highest ... |
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Credit Cards: You Asked, We AnsweredNow - Jan 8, 2009There's no better feeling than being HELOC free! Question: I request credit reports, but have not been able to find any way to find out my credit score. ... |
PersonalFinance: Should you refinance?Reuters - Jan 8, 2009Home equity lines of credit (HELOC) currently are charging rates as low as 3.5 percent; they are cheaper than regular mortgages now. But that may not last. ... |
Home DepotExaminer.com - Jan 2, 2009... thing this downturn has taught us: you need liquidity and you can almost always borrow that money back if you need it through a 2nd mortgage or HELOC. ... |
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