What is Credit Score?

With so much information at a consumer’s fingertips it can be tough to know what’s fact and what’s fiction, so it comes as no surprise that I recently came across three myths about credit scores that are misleading and inaccurate.

Myth 1: You have to be in significant debt in order to have a good credit score.

Fact: There are several ways to achieve a high credit score which include: paying your credit card bills by the due date 100% of the time, using credit cards that you have had for a long time (about ten years) in order to show credibility, and having a fair amount of credit cards (6 is plenty), with little to no debt on those cards.

Myth 2: People with more money have better credit scores.

Fact: The amount of monetary funds a person has is not a factor in determining a person’s credit score. Instead, looking at the credit card holder’s payment history, the amount of money that they owe, the length of their credit history, new lines of credit that they open, and the types of credit that they use are the factors in credit scores.

1) Accounts that have been open less than three years. Having long term credit accounts that you consistently pay on time is an important indicator of stability. As your credit history ages, your score should increase.

2) Anytime your credit report is pulled. This is if you apply for a loan and the lender requests a copy of your report, or you order a copy of your credit report yourself directly from the credit bureau. This is when an inquiry is added to your report. Hard inquires are bad, soft inquiries are ok. Hard inquired are from creditors and lenders with whom you have applied for credit or a loan. A Soft Inquiry is when you request your own copy of your report or when an employer checks your credit history. Lenders and creditors do not see these inquiries. Inquiries remain on your report for up to 2 years.