CREDIT SCORE ADVICE

Credit Score and Report Advice

The Credit Score and Report section is aimed at addressing frequently asked questions on credit score, credit reports and how it impacts your loan and credit card eligibility. It is aimed at helping you understand your credit history and any issues which impact your credit score.

A credit score is provided by credit bureaus. The credit bureaus are CIBIL™, Equifax, Experian and Highmark™. In India, amongst the bureaus, CIBIL™ is more commonly known since they have been around in India for a long period of time. Lenders such as banks and NBFCs use the credit score (be it CIBIL™ score, Equifax Score or Experian score) to value the potential risk posed by every customer. Lenders use this credit score to determine who is eligible to avail loans and credit limits.

Your credit score is a 3 digit number and the credit score ranges between 300-900. Generally 750 is considered the best score. If you don’t have a credit history, your credit score will be a no-hit or NH.It usually takes 18-36 months to build your credit history.

Importance of checking your Credit Score

Your credit score directly impacts your ability to obtain a credit card, buy a car or home, rent an apartment, or even get a new job. Knowing how to read your credit Report, correcting falsely reported information and ensuring accuracy of your credit report are in your best interests.

If you are applying for a loan or a credit card, banks check your credit score to view your credit worthiness. It is advisable that you check your credit score before approaching the lender to avoid the risk of rejection. Keep in mind, rejection of a loan application only knocks down your credit score by a few points.

CreditMantri helps you understand the status of your credit health. You can upload a credit report and we provide an online analysis. If you don’t have your credit report handy, we have tied up with Equifax to offer you a free credit score online. At CreditMantri, we offer a free score and ap free credit health check.

This credit report analysis by CreditMantri helps you improve your credit score and history, discover loans and credit cards best matched to your credit profile and helps reduce EMI and borrowing costs.

A FEW SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO NOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT SCORE

If you have a low credit score, banks and NBFC’s will probably reject your loans or credit card applications. So, in order to get a loan approved, you must improve your credit score. Following are some of the ways you can adopt to improve your credit score:

• Stop Applying for Credit: If you apply for a loan with a low CIBIL™ score, you will either be rejected by lenders or might get an approval but at a higher interest rate. Each rejection will cause your CIBIL™ score to drop further. Therefore it is advisable to improve your CIBIL™ score to 750 before you apply for a loan or a credit card.
• Make payment on time: Avoid late payments on loans and credit cards. Not repaying dues on time will lead to a negative effect on your credit score. If you don’t repay your loans on time, it impacts your credit score and hence your application might get rejected.
• Don’t use too much of your credit limit offered: Always keep your credit utilisation at a level which is really required. Avoid using more than 50% of the total credit card limit consistently. Lower your credit balance, the easier it is for you to repay them. If you use much of your credit limit, it becomes difficult to repay them.