Credit Report

What a Credit Report Contains

Everyone who has taken out a loan has a credit report. These are like continuous school reports that monitor your debt paying activities. They record positive actions like paying on time regularly, complying with rules etc, but they also take note of irresponsible behavior.

Credit reports are viewed by creditors (credit card companies, banks, etc) and using it they determine how much credit they will give you at what price, this is your credit worthiness. The factors that play a role are varied throughout the wold but the guidelines are the same, exact methods vary from company to company too.

Payment

Payment on time is a big factor in determining your credit status. If you have a lot of overdue bills throughout the years you may downgrade yourself. Always remember that banks are not stupid. If you have no overdue bills for some time and then you hit a very bad period for a few months but are able to get back on your feet and continue well this will not be a problem, but if you never pay on time they will notice.

Debt Amount

Responsibility is measured by banks and other companies by looking at the ratio of loans to your disposable income. In general your loans should not exceed 15% of your total disposable (after taxes) income. In many countries this only applies or non-mortgage loans, but to be sure check this where you live.

Stability

This point also shows that banks are smarter than you think. They are more likely to give a loan to person who has been working as a marketing assistant for 2-3 years than to someone who has changed jobs a few times throughout that time. They see a stable job as a positive thing, a sign of stability. What you do may also be important, banks prefer highly respected jobs, people holding one such job will have a better chance.

Re-aging

Re-aging is a process where the due date of a loan is set back by the creditor so that you credit report is rewritten in a more desirable way. This is by no means their duty so this is up to the individual organizations although I would put a safe bet on it that the biggest companies will help you out because it is in their interest to see you happy. There are legal guidelines in all countries so don't expect to reage your account every month. The general rule is that creditors are allowed to re-age once every 12 months and twice every five years. Be careful when applying though! Only do so if you will be able to comply with the due dates in the future, as if you don't it will be a wasted opportunity.

Overall

Debt judging is not a precise mathematical formula that banks have at the ready. Be polite and helpful anyway, but in these cases this may also help you so be careful, especially when trying opting for reaging. Be sure to be on time and exact, but don't freak out if you miss a few deadlines.