5 Reasons You Need To Know Your Credit Score

Whether you are positioning yourself to make a major purchase or you are looking to avoid unwanted credit card disputes, there is no shortage of concerns that necessitate a knowledge of your credit score. By regularly taking the time to review your credit score, you are taking the proactive approach that will keep you from having to address the aforementioned concerns. Let’s take a closer look at the five most crucial reasons why your credit score should always remain top of mind.

Identifying Faulty Information

Knowing how to dispute incorrect information that is currently displayed on your credit report is pivotal. That’s why you will want to take all of the proper steps to ensure that the credit report is 100 percent accurate at all times.
Once you have noticed information on your credit report that is not correct, it is easier to contact the credit bureau that is responsible. This is especially important when instances of fraud have occurred.

Preparing For Hard Inquiries

When creditors and lenders are tasked with taking a closer look at your credit report, they will often rely on third parties to assist them with this endeavor. This is what is known as a hard inquiry. In these instances, the inquiry company name may be one that is not immediately familiar to the lender in question.

Fortunately, those who have remained fully up to date with their credit report will be able to handle these potential pitfalls with ease. If you have applied recently, it is in your best interests to see if a third party was utilized to pull the credit report.

Placing Yourself In The Lender’s Shoes

It helps to be able to view your credit score through the same eyes as a lender. Before you decide to purchase a home or a vehicle, you will need to make sure that you are fully prepared for everything that comes with it. Are you looking at your credit score through the eyes of a lender and have you taken all of the necessary steps?

Putting in the time and effort to look at your credit score regularly is where it all begins. You should also be well aware of how a hard inquiry is going to work in these instances, as this is a key step during the process.

Proper Payment History Reporting

Your payment history is going to play a massive role in your credit score and how lenders view your overall viability. If your payment histories are not reporting properly, this is going to put a major damper on your credit score. Are lenders and creditors accurately reporting all of this information? This is a question that needs to be asked sooner rather than later.

There is also old information that may have lingered on your credit report for too long and this can cause your credit score to be lower than it should be. Once the correct amount of time has passed, all of the information should be removed. Otherwise, you will be left scrambling once it has come time to make a major purchase.

Better Loan Interest Rates

Everyone knows that their credit score will affect their ability to apply for a loan. It also has a profound effect on your ability to obtain a favorable interest rate. In fact, an applicant who is already up to date on their credit score will already know what to expect before they even apply.

While the difference between a 3.5% interest rate and a 4% interest rate may not seem noteworthy when you are looking to finalize a major purchase, buyer beware. This seemingly minor difference can add up to tens of thousands over the life span of the loan. A failure to know where you stand before a loan is applied for could be quite costly.