About the FICO Credit Score

Because we live in an automated, it's probably not that surprising that your ability to repay virtually any loan comes down to one number. This score is built by credit agencies. They use the payment history from your various loans: credit cards, mortgages, car loans and the like.

The three credit reporting agencies use slightly different formulas to build a credit score. Fair Isaac and Cooriginally developed this score. . Experian uses this model and calls its score FICO. Equifax's model, based on FICO, is called BEACON, while TransUnion, which also uses a slightly modified FICO, calls its score EMPIRICA. While each of the models considers a range of data available in your credit report, each agency uses the following to calculate a credit score:

• Credit History - Have you had credit for many years, or for a short time?
• History of Payments - Do you have any payments later than 30 days?
• Credit Card Balances - How many accounts? How much do you owe?
• Credit Inquiries - How many times have you had your credit checked for a loan?

These factors are assigned weights based on the formula being used. The result is one number. FICO scores range from 300 to 800. Higher scores are better. Most home buyers have a score above 620.

Not just for qualifying

Did you know? FICO scores are used for more than just determining whether or not you qualify for a mortgage. Lenders give lower interest rates to individuals with higher scores.

Can I raise my FICO score?

What can you do to raise your FICO score? Very little in the short term. Some companies promise quick fixes, but they can't do anything different than what you can do — for free. (Of course you can and should remove incorrect data on your credit report.)

How do I find out my credit score?

Before you can improve your FICO score, you have to know your score and be sure that the credit reports from each credit reporting agency are correct. Fair Isaac, the corporation that invented the original FICO credit score, offers scores on its website: myFICO.com. It's inexpensive, fast, and easy to get your credit score as well as credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies. Also available are information and tools that help you analyze what actions might have the greatest impact on your FICO score.

You can get a free credit report every year from all three credit reporting agencies when you visit AnnualCreditReport.com. You won't get a free credit score from AnnualCreditReport.com, but getting it is fast and inexpensive.

Armed with this info, you'll be a more informed consumer and you'll be better positioned to obtain the right mortgage for you.

Want to know more about your FICO score? Give us a call: 504-866-5626.