Sunday, August 10, 2014

Are You Over Your Head With Your Finances?

By Armando Maxie Ii


In times gone by, bankruptcy was a major social stigma and spelled the death knell for individuals and businesses, in so far as reputation and future credit went. It was a matter of honour for many. You had to be at rock bottom financially with very little option but to declare yourself a bankrupt and all that it entailed.

Sometimes you get turned down because you don't have a credit history. Additionally, you may have just arrived in the country or you have never applied for a loan before and you have paid your bills on time every time. The reason you are usually turned though is because your credit rating isn't good enough or there have been too many entries or notations on your credit rating file.

A credit rating is held by credit rating agencies on every one of us who apply for loans and credit. There are no formulas to calculate your credit rating. Every time you apply for a loan, the lender asks the agency about your credit rating and based on the content of your file, the agency will provide an evaluation report to them about your credit risk.

If you have entries such as default of payments from previous loans or you are and existing bankrupt or a discharged bankrupt, lenders will probably refuse your loan application. Be aware that if you make inquiries about a loan from several lenders at the same time by way of comparison, your credit file will now have several entries in it. The lender may turn you down for a loan because of that. By the same token, while one lender may refuse your application, another lender could just as easily accept it.

It's all about profit, after all.You can apply to see the contents of your credit file for a fee. There are usually several credit rating agencies and a quick Google will often provide you with the contact details for each agency. Check the contents of your file from the report that you receive from them. Inform the agency of any errors so that they can amend your file. I once noticed an entry which was obviously my son's application for a loan and the agency had mistakenly added it to my file. Even if the agency refuses to amend your file, it is your right to have your comments as a "note of correction".




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