Credit 411

Your credit report is only compiled when you or a lender makes an inquiry. Information supplied by lenders, you and court records is gathered from the credit reporting agency's file and presented in report format for the requester. Credit grantors send updates to each of the credit reporting agencies, usually once a month. These updates include information about how their customers use and pay their accounts.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you may be entitled to receive a free copy of your personal credit report if you have been declined credit, housing or employment in the last 60 days.

To request your free copy, ask your mortgage company or contact one of the credit reporting agencies directly:

Basically, it is a picture of how you paid back the companies you have borrowed money from and how you have met other financial obligations.

There are usually five categories of information on a credit profile:

Credit scores only consider the information contained in your credit profile. They do not consider your income, savings, down payment amount or demographic factors like gender, race, nationality or marital status. Past delinquencies, derogatory payment behavior, current debt level, length of credit history, types of credit and number of inquiries are all considered in credit scores. Your score considers both positive and negative information in your credit report. Late payments will lower your score, but establishing or reestablishing a good track record of making payments on time will raise your score.

Different portions of your credit file are given different weights. They are as follows:

Recent changes minimize the negative effects that rate shopping can have on a mortgage applicant. If there is a consumer originated inquiry within the past 365 days from mortgage or auto related industries, these inquiries are ignored for scoring purposes for the first 30 calendar days; then, multiple inquiries within the next 14 days are counted as one. Each inquiry will still appear on the credit report.

Every score is accompanied by a maximum of four reason codes. Reason codes identify the most significant reason that you did not score higher. The reason codes can help a lender describe the reasons for higher than expected rates or loan denial. Scores are not part of the credit profile and are not covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Your credit report must contain at least one account, which has been open for six months or greater, and at least one account that has been updated in the past six months for you to get a credit score. This ensures that there is enough information in your report to generate an accurate score. If you do not meet the minimum criteria for getting a score, you may need to establish a credit history prior to applying for a mortgage.

Some examples of those who can access your credit files are:

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the federal law regulating credit reporting companies like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It has been in effect since 1971 and undergoes periodic revisions by the Federal Trade Commission. This law protects consumer rights such as the right to review and contest information in their credit profiles. It also specifically defines who can access the information in a credit profile, and how you are notified of this activity.

If you have services in your name (telephone, gas, and electric), make sure you pay them in full and on time. Pay any loans and credit accounts on time each month. At least pay the minimum, if there is one.

Applying for a credit card and using it responsibly can help you build a good credit history. If you have been denied a credit card in the past, you may want to investigate a secured credit card, where you put a pre-determined amount of money in an account as a deposit in the bank. The secured card can be used in the same way as a credit card with the same convenience and payment flexibility. Gasoline companies and retail stores also offer their own credit cards

For items in your credit profile which you feel deserve further explanation (such as an account that was paid late due to the loss of job, military call up, or unexpected medical bills), you can send a brief statement to the appropriate credit reporting agency. The information will be placed in your credit profile and will be disclosed each time it is accessed.

You may be denied credit for various reasons, including not meeting the creditor's minimum income requirement or not being at your address or job for the required amount of time.

If your loan application was rejected because of insufficient income to afford the house you want or you have insufficient funds for closing costs and a down payment, you could consider loan programs for low to moderate income borrowers with lower down payment requirements, such as an FHA loan or VA loan.

If you requested the loan amount which is larger than 95 percent of the appraised property value, the chances are that loan will be denied. In this situation:

Once you have a copy of your credit report, you should check for errors and fix any errors by disputing them with the credit report agency. If you believe that mistakes on your report led to the rejection of your application, you can ask the credit bureau to send a corrected copy to the lender. Follow up with the lender to find out if your application can be reevaluated.

Finally, you can try again. All lenders have different approval standards. Just because you did not get a loan from one financial institution doesn't mean you can't get one somewhere else. Try again with another company. Just don't apply for more than four or five loans in a six-month period.

If your credit isn't in terrible shape, can you reduce your other expenses, even if it means making hard choices or just change your lifestyle to fit your income?

Some ways to do this:

Selling the second car
Pulling equity out of your home
Applying for a non secured signature loan
Obtaining a loan from a relative
Selling your home and paying off your debts with the proceeds and then renting
Cashing out your 401K/retirement benefits
Selling family heirlooms, jewelry, etc…

If your credit is already gone or one of the above isn't an option, go through Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS). Check your yellow pages for the local number. In this way you're paying off your debts as if you were in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, but you don't file a bankruptcy.

If CCCS won't take you, you may want to consider bankruptcy. Filing a Chapter 13 takes longer, but your credit is in a little better standing than if you file a Chapter 7. In Chapter 13 you are given up to 5 years to pay off your debts. The disadvantage is that you're in bankruptcy for up to 5 years plus your credit report shows your bankruptcy for 7 more years after you have finished paying off your debts.

If you are so far in debt that you can never repay it, then the best solution may be a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Chapter 7 is the least desirable credit wise, but you are typically out of bankruptcy in 6 months and you don't have to repay any debt. The disadvantage is that this shows on your credit report for 10 years from the date of filing your bankruptcy, and creditors are starting to tighten their credit requirements, and you may have a tough time getting future financing.