Credit scores play an integral part in your financial life, yet navigating all the available information about them can be complex – particularly with regards to myths surrounding loans and credit cards.
Some myths can have significant repercussions for your finances, so we want to help you distinguish facts from fiction when it comes to credit scores and stay one step ahead.
Myth 1: You Only Have One Credit Score
No one denies that having an excellent credit score is essential when applying for loans and other financial products, yet many people harbor misconceptions about what affects it – leading them to make poor financial decisions that could cost them in the long run.
Myths such as believing that checking your own credit report will damage it or closing a credit card account will improve it can have serious repercussions, preventing you from taking advantage of many financial opportunities available to you. Therefore, it’s essential to identify which aspects of credit score facts can be trusted versus which may just be wishful thinking.
Are you ready to learn the truth about how your credit score is determined? Read on and discover seven common credit myths, along with why they’re false.
Myth 2: Your Credit Score Is Determined by Your Credit History
Credit scores are used by lenders to assess how risky it would be for them to lend you money. They don’t presume you are bad; even good people can have low credit scores. You can improve yours by making payments on time and keeping credit card balances below 30% of available credit.
However, there’s often confusion surrounding which factors affect a credit score and it can be easy to get lost in all the opinions shared by experts on what really matters. Here is what’s really essential.
Myth 3: Your Credit Score Is Determined by Your Credit Utilization Ratio
One of the biggest myths surrounding credit scores is that carrying a balance on your credit card improves it, however this simply isn’t true – although lenders do like seeing activity on credit cards to demonstrate responsibility in repaying debts.
An effective credit utilization ratio (the percentage of your available credit you use relative to what’s owed) is key for building up an excellent score; it should ideally remain below 30%.
Other factors that impact your credit score include length of history, payment history, and amounts owed. While certain employers like those in financial industries and the military check credit scores before hiring candidates, your income does not factor into their decision.
Myth 4: Your Credit Score Is Determined by Your Credit Card Balances
As credit scoring is such a vital aspect of our finances, it’s vital that we understand its facts. Believing falsehoods about credit scoring could cost us dearly in lost funds.
Carrying a balance on your credit card does not benefit your score and may actually harm it if your credit utilization ratio exceeds 30%, so paying off any outstanding balance and keeping credit utilization under 30% are both top priorities.
Not every lender uses the same formula when evaluating your creditworthiness; lenders might use FICO scores, PLUS scores or VantageScore to assess it instead. While job title and income can play a role, scores focus more heavily on your history of borrowing and managing debt than anything else.
Myth 5: Your Credit Score Is Determined by Your Credit Card Payments
Credit card balances have only a minimal impact on your credit score; what matters more is how your spending compares with your available credit limit and not whether or not debts are paid on time. Nonetheless, carrying a balance can negatively impact your utilization ratio; to protect it and ensure maximum utilization below 30% it’s best to pay off cards fully every month and minimize carrying them over.
Understanding the truth behind common credit score myths can help you make wiser financial decisions and navigate the complex world of credit with more confidence. Beliefs such as checking your score will negatively affect it or that demographic factors like race or sex impact your score are common misperceptions that could put your finances on a dangerous course.
