5 Common Factors That Affect Credit Score
If you’re just learning to manage your finances, you must know what credit score is and why it should be managed. Credit score is a parameter used by lenders to determine whether you’re eligible for a credit card or loan, and it also determines the interest charged on these financial tools. Several things can influence your score both positively and negatively, so let’s look at a few common factors that affect credit score: Payment history This is the most important component of your financial portfolio and has a 35% contribution to your credit score. To achieve a good credit score, you must ensure that all your debts are paid on time. In the case of late payments, how late the payments are made also makes a difference in how severely it affects your credit score. To prevent this, you can approach creditors to get the due dates moved so that you can make timely payments. Credit utilization Credit utilization, one of the common factors that affect your credit score, is the amount of credit you currently owe, either to a lender or credit card company. It contributes 30% to your FICO score, and it is recommended that your credit utilization be no more than 30% of your total available credit.