What Is Credit History?
Your credit history is like a financial report card. It details how you’ve handled borrowing money in the past, including things like:
- Loans you’ve taken out: mortgages, car loans, personal loans, etc.
- Credit cards you’ve used: payment history, credit used, etc.
- Certain bills you pay: utilities, internet, etc. (not always included)
- Public records: bankruptcies, foreclosures, etc.
Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRA), specifically the credit bureaus such as Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, collect this information from lenders, creditors, and public records.
They then organize this data into detailed credit reports summarizing your financial obligations and payment history. Based on these reports, credit scores are calculated, which provide a single numerical assessment of your creditworthiness.
Importance of Credit History
Credit history is crucial as it shows how well you handle money. A good history makes it easier to get loans with better terms. A bad history may limit your options and make borrowing more expensive.
Lenders, credit card companies, landlords, utility companies, insurance companies, and employers access your credit reports and scores through authorized channels, which helps them understand your credit history.
This allows them to assess your potential risk and make decisions about loans, credit cards, insurance policies, housing applications, security deposits, and employment opportunities.
Good Credit History: What It Means for You?
A good credit history paints a positive picture of your financial past. It shows lenders you pay bills on time, borrow responsibly, and manage credit well.
Why does it matter? Good credit unlocks financial doors. You’ll qualify for better loan terms with lower interest rates and credit cards with attractive rewards. Even renting an apartment or getting a job gets easier with a strong credit history.
A positive credit history typically results in credit scores of 670 and higher.
What Is a Good Length of Credit History?
No single “ideal” age exists, but the longer the credit history, the higher the credit scores tend to get. Studies suggest 8-11 years (average credit history length of high scorers) can be beneficial, but consistent on-time payments matter more than raw length.
Bad Credit History: What You Need to Know
A bad credit history paints a different story. It tells lenders of missed monthly payments, high debts, and irresponsible borrowing habits. Think of it as a financial red flag.
Why does it matter? Bad credit slams shut financial doors. You’ll face higher interest rates on loans (mortgage loans, car loans, personal loans, etc), struggle to secure new credit, and even renting an apartment or getting a job can potentially become difficult.
A poor credit history often translates to credit scores below 670.
>> Read: How to finance a car with bad credit
How To Repair (Bad) Credit and Boost Credit Score?
If you already have a credit history that’s weighed down by negative marks like missed payments or high debt, your focus should be to repair the damage and gradually improve your credit score.
This might involve strategies like paying off debt strategically, removing negative items from credit reports, decreasing credit utilization (credit usage), incorporating credit mix, and maintaining responsible credit use.
Rebuilding bad credit typically takes longer than establishing new credit, often 1-2 years to see significant improvement.
>> Read up on 10 Proven Ways To Improve Credit Score
No Credit History: Is It Worse?
Having no credit history isn’t inherently bad; it just means you haven’t borrowed before. But for lenders, it’s like you’re ‘credit invisible.’ This can make getting loans, credit cards, and even rentals tougher.
Is a Lack of Credit History Worse Than a Bad Credit History?
Having an insufficient credit history (or none at all) isn’t necessarily worse than having a bad credit history. While lenders may find it difficult to assess you without existing data, a clean slate offers the potential for rapid credit score growth with responsible borrowing.
What Credit Score Is Usual for Those With No Credit History?
While it is technically possible to have a score within the “poor” range (300-579) without any history, most scoring companies won’t generate a credit score without sufficient data.
How Can You Build Credit When Starting With No Credit History?
Building credit with no history is like starting from scratch. You’re essentially constructing your credit file from the ground up.
Your main focus should be establishing positive credit entries and demonstrating responsible credit habits.
This might involve options like:
- Secured credit cards
- Authorized user accounts
- Credit-builder loans for responsible borrowers
- Getting credit for utility bills and rent payments
How Long Does It Take To Establish a Good Credit Score From Scratch?
Getting a score takes 3-6 months; this is the minimum time it takes for enough credit activity to be recorded for a FICO score, the most widely used credit score type.
But a “good” score (700-850) can take 1-2 years. Responsible credit use and consistent on-time payments can accelerate progress.
>> Read up on 10 Proven Ways To Improve Credit Score
How To Check Your Credit History?
To access your credit history, refer to your credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, the main credit reporting companies in the country.
Fortunately, you can obtain free weekly online credit reports from all three through annualcreditreport.com. Sign up or log in to request a report. This will help you understand and review information about your credit background.
How Do Credit Scores and Credit Reports Differ From Credit History?
Your credit history is the raw data, the credit report/record is the organized document presenting this data, and the credit score is the numerical assessment based on the information in the credit report.
In other words, credit history is a track record of how well a borrower repays debts. This information is compiled in a credit report/record from various sources such as banks and credit card issuers.
The credit score, derived through an algorithm using primarily the credit report information, predicts future payment behavior.
What Is a Credit Report?
A credit report is a condensed overview of your credit history, which is compiled by credit reporting agencies like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It holds significant importance in influencing your credit score.
What Information Does the Credit Report Contain?
- Personal info: Name, address, Social Security number.
- Credit accounts: Types (cards, loans), open/closed dates, credit limits, balances.
- Payment history: On-time, late, missed payments, collections.
- Public records: Bankruptcies, foreclosures, tax liens.
- Inquiries: Recent credit check requests can slightly drop your score.
How Do I Fix Mistakes on My Credit Report?
Upon inspection of your credit report, if you find any errors, you can deal with them in two ways:
- Contact the credit bureau: Dispute the error online or by mail, clearly explaining the mistake and attaching evidence.
- Notify the creditor: Tell the company that provided the wrong information to fix it on their end. This ensures future reports are accurate.
>> Learn more: How to remove negative items from your credit report
What Is a Credit Score?
A credit score is a 3-digit number that predicts your borrowing risk based on past debt repayment behavior.
Multiple companies like FICO and VantageScore create these scores using data from credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion).
While the range is usually 300-850, there are various versions and slight variations between scores, though they generally move together.
The following are the typical score ranges and ratings:
- Below 580 (Poor): High risk, loan approvals unlikely.
- 580-669 (Fair): Below average, some lenders may approve loans.
- 670-739 (Good): Average or slightly above, considered good by most lenders.
- 740-799 (Very Good): Above average, demonstrates high dependability.
- 800+ (Exceptional): Well above average, very low credit risk to lenders.
The 4 Most Popular Credit Myths
Myth #1: Checking your credit score hurts it.
Checking your credit report through an authorized source (like AnnualCreditReport.com) doesn’t affect your score, as it is considered a “soft inquiry.”
Only hard credit inquiries, typically initiated by lenders during loan applications (student loan, auto loan, etc.), can slightly negatively impact your score for a while.
Myth #2: Closing unused credit cards improves your score.
While closing unused cards is tempting, it can potentially hurt your score. Closing accounts reduces your total credit available, increasing your credit utilization ratio and negatively impacting your score.
Myth #3: You need a high income to have a good credit score.
Your income isn’t directly considered in credit score calculations. While it may factor into lenders’ decisions about loan amounts, your score focuses on your past credit behavior and payment history.
Regardless of income, anyone can build a good credit score through responsible credit management.
Myth #4: A single missed payment ruins your credit forever.
While a missed payment can certainly hurt your score, it doesn’t ruin it forever. The impact depends on factors like your credit history and the severity of the late payment. One slip-up can be rectified by consistent on-time payments in the future.
