Admin

So You Make More Money Now - Why Doesn't Your Credit Score Go Up?

By
Mortgage and Lending with Mortgage Advisory Group CL-36130

Simply put, your income does not affect your credit score.  Whether you make 30k per year or 200K - you may share the same scores.

So that opens up the question - "What are the factors that affect my score?"

Here they are:

  • 35% is based on your payment history for both old and new accounts.
  • 30% is based on the amount you owe.  High balances are a negative in the eyes of a credit bureau.  As a rule of thumb, add up all of your 'limits' for your credit cards and compare the total to the total of your balances.  50% should be the maximum.  30% is ideal.  This is why it is better to ask a creditor to report the correct limit or request a raise as opposed to asking them to lower it.
  • 15% is based on how long you have used the credit - payment history is very important.  Don't continue to jump on the newest credit card offer as tempting as it can be.
  • 10% is based on recent inquiries, or new applications.  Inquiries will affect your score for six months and drop off in two years.  Now more than ever, lenders are asking for explanations for every inquiry on your report - make sure you have explanations when applying for a mortgage.  If you have new credit that does not show yet, do your loan originator a favor and let him know.  It will make things easier for your closing.
  • 10% is your credit mix.  You should try to have a good mix of credit, such as installment loans and revolving debt.

Even a single late payment can have an adverse effect on your credit.  There are ways to repair credit report 'mistakes' and we are a company that can help with that on your mortgage application.

Please contact me with any questions and make every day your best!

Sincerely,

Kevin Nelson

Show All Comments Sort:
Renae Bolton
Marketing 4 Realtors - Garfield Heights, OH
I'm your Professional Real Estate Marketing VA!

Thanks for sharing this. Regular people usually have no idea what makes the credit score go round and round.  Not that mortgage people aren't regular people.  They just know different stuff than the rest of the world!

~Renae

Sep 02, 2008 11:54 PM