Before going into the dealership to apply for a car loan, you should check your credit score to make sure you have good standing with lenders. Lenders will look at your credit score, which is a three-digit figure, to determine how probable it is that you will be able to repay debt such as a mortgage or an auto loan. A higher credit score makes it simpler to be approved for a loan, which may also result in a lower interest rate for the loan. The majority of credit ratings fall somewhere between 300 and 850. Although a credit score is a good depiction of an individual's creditworthiness, a single number does not reveal all of the relevant information about a person's financial history. Car dealerships have access to a number of different scores, including the FICO auto score, the Vantage Score, and other models, which customers may be unaware of when the dealership is researching and approving loans.
The Elements That Go Into Calculating Credit Scores
Credit-scoring organizations, in general, try to avoid informing their customers about the existence of several credit scores for each individual, which is why the vast majority of consumers are unaware of this reality. Customers need to know exactly how their credit scores are made and how they are evaluated so they can avoid being tricked or sold something that isn't what it seems to be. In 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an order requiring Equifax and TransUnion to make restitution payments to consumers totaling more than $17.6 million. This was due to the fact that the companies had misled customers regarding the accuracy of their personal credit scores. Both Equifax and TransUnion had stated that the credit scores that they would be issuing would be the figures that lenders would use when making choices, but this turned out to be a deception when it was investigated. In addition, the CFPB demanded that the two credit bureaus pay a total of $5.5 million in fines. The credit score that customers receive from services such as CreditKarma.com and CreditSesame.com is a general, educational credit score. Its goal is to give customers a rough idea of how good or bad their credit is. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says that credit scores are based on the following: Your record of payment for past due bills Your current outstanding debt:- The variety and number of loan accounts you currently have
- How long have you had your loan accounts available to you?
- What percentage of your total credit is currently being used?
- Fresh submissions of credit applications
- How long ago was the last time you filed for bankruptcy, whether or not you had a debt sent to collection, or whether or not you had a foreclosure?
- Recent filings for bankruptcy (especially including a car loan or lease)
- Warnings that you may soon have to file for bankruptcy
- Previous credit history is limited.
- Indications that a credit restoration process has been carried out
- Previous missed or late payments made on a car loan
- has a history of repossessions or collection efforts over car loans.
Auto FICO Scores
A score designed only for use by vehicle lenders, the FICO Auto Score can be obtained via FICO. If you purchase the FICO Score 1B Report from myFICO.com, you will have access to 28 different varieties of your FICO score, including your Auto Score. This report will provide you with access to all of your FICO scores. Because the FICO Auto Score covers a range that goes from 250 to 900, it is possible that the credit score used by the auto lender will be significantly higher or lower than the score you check. There are four distinct iterations of the FICO Auto Score that might be utilized by a lending institution. The most recent generation, known as the FICO Auto Score 9, is the one that is currently being utilized by each and every credit bureau.Other Credit Scores Used in the Industry
CreditVision is a product offered by TransUnion that is geared specifically toward the needs of auto lenders, finance businesses, and dealers. The score can vary from 300 to 850 and is used to help determine the risk that a new vehicle loan will be 60 days or more past due within the first 24 months of the loan's term. There are other industry-specific scores that FICO offers to firms in addition to the auto score. Additionally, the organization offers a score for mortgages, a score for medication adherence, an insurance risk assessment, a bankruptcy score, and even a forecast score for the potential amount of money that your loan may earn. Lenders could use any one of these scores when determining whether or not to grant your application for a loan.Alterations Made to the Information in Your Credit Report
Because the information contained in your credit report is subject to frequent upheaval, your credit score is susceptible to wide swings from one day to the next. It's possible that your credit score will have changed slightly from the time you checked it and the time the lender checks it, especially if there are a few days in between the two checks. Your credit score will reflect the quality of your credit history regardless of the credit-scoring algorithm that is used by the lender to determine whether or not your application for a loan will be approved. Listed below are some pointers to keep in mind if you want to maintain the same FICO score:- Be prompt with your payments.
- Maintain modest balances on your credit cards.
- Never open new credit accounts unless absolutely necessary.
- Performing a Check on Your Credit Score
- Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, and WalletHub all offer free credit scores that are very helpful for keeping an eye on your credit and figuring out where it stands right now.
