| We all like to think of ourselves as fairly responsible | | | | or any debt claims, any negative reference of debt |
| and trustworthy people, especially when it comes to | | | | collector agencies, any declaration of bankruptcy. All |
| financial commitments. But the fact of the matter is | | | | these records provide the lenders more clear view to |
| that some people are more reliable and responsible | | | | decide what kind of borrower the applicant is and his |
| than others and banks and other lenders know this. | | | | her attitude towards the debt in question. |
| The one thing and universal question, all lenders are | | | | So your credit report also contain a section listing |
| interested in, is will you be able to pay back the loan? | | | | your past habits and behavior. Previous loans from |
| For all their complicated methods and computer | | | | other lenders will be put up on the report by those |
| databases, that one question is really all they are | | | | lenders and they will record if you have paid them |
| worried about at the end of the day. The only real | | | | back in full and on time or if there have been |
| way to find out this out is to speak to the person | | | | problems with getting you to meet repayments. For |
| individually, get to know them, do business with them | | | | the same reason, past court judgments against you |
| and see how they pay you back. However, in | | | | in debt claims, references to debt collection agencies |
| today's market with online banking, bigger and bigger | | | | and if you have ever declared bankruptcy will also be |
| customer bases and less personal relationships | | | | recorded. This will give lenders a far fairer and more |
| between bankers and their clients, banks and lenders | | | | accurate picture of what kind of borrower you are |
| have had to come up with alternative ways of | | | | and your attitude towards debt. |
| assessing the credit worthiness of customers. lenders | | | | The applicant background: Your Background Counts |
| are vary much interested in applicant intention or | | | | Finally, information such as your level of education, |
| motives and capacities to repayment, at the same | | | | your employment, and your income will be in the |
| time they also rely on their own skills to make the | | | | report. The reason for this is to show how much |
| bad creditors to make repayments. | | | | money you earn or are likely to earn, and therefore, |
| Credit assessment | | | | how much you will be likely to be able to afford to |
| The universal and most reliable method they have | | | | borrow and pay back. If we take the example of the |
| come up with for assessing credit capacity of the | | | | poor mother above, who always repays her debts in |
| applicant is the credit rating, or credit report. This is a | | | | full and on time, no matter how could her intentions, |
| file that exists on pretty much every adult in the | | | | if she only earns fifteen thousand a year, no bank will |
| country that stores all sorts of relevant information | | | | be able to justify lending her five hundred thousand |
| that might give lenders a clue as to how you will act | | | | to buy a yacht and a nice house in the country side. |
| if they lend you money. Their prime concern to know | | | | Therefore, as long as they are satisfied that you are |
| any thing which might give any clue relevant to yours | | | | someone they want to lend to in the first place, your |
| repayment capacity. | | | | earnings will be significant in deciding how much the |
| The credit report will contain all your personal | | | | bank can safely lend you, and that you will be able to |
| information such as your name, address, age, gender | | | | pay back. |
| and so on. This type of information will already start | | | | The last section of credit report usually focuses on |
| to give them a picture of how you are likely to act | | | | applicant's personal information such as educational |
| with credit. Generally speaking, a fifty five year old, is | | | | qualification, current employment salary structure, |
| more likely to act responsibly then an eighteen year | | | | liabilities family background and other information. This |
| old, however, when you start to increase the age | | | | section helps the lenders finding out how much the |
| past sixty five or seventy, the risk increases that the | | | | applicant earns and what amount the applicant can |
| borrower will not be around long enough to fully | | | | pay comfortably as monthly installment, after |
| repay the loan. As well as your age, you address | | | | subtracting the liabilities. To make it clear, let us |
| may give them a similar picture. It is a fact that | | | | assume, an applicant earns 10 thousand unit monthly |
| people living within certain postcodes will be far more | | | | and his personal expense comes at 5 thousand |
| likely to repay loans then people living in other | | | | monthly and also pays a monthly installment of 2 |
| postcodes. So even before looking at any of your | | | | thousand towards any other loan-It means his total |
| financial particulars, the bank will be able to give you | | | | monthly expense comes at 7 thousand and his saving |
| some sort of score based solely on your personal | | | | is 3 thousand, which is the amount he can |
| details. | | | | comfortably pay towards any other loan. Now, If he |
| However, this will be a very rough picture and there | | | | wants a loan of X amount of which the monthly |
| will be literally millions of exceptions, for example, the | | | | installment comes at, say, 6 thousand to be paid for |
| wealthy business man on Park Lane who has avoided | | | | 48 months, very clearly he can't pay 6 thousand |
| millions in loan repayments using clever lawyers will | | | | monthly. In this case the options are either to reduce |
| not be an attractive person to lend to no matter | | | | the loan amount from X or increase the payment |
| what his details say, and in the same way, a poor | | | | duration from 48 months. |
| single mother struggling to make ends meet but who | | | | The credit report will compile all of this information |
| has paid every debt she has ever had in her life, in | | | | and present to lenders as a single score, with |
| full and on time, is likely to continue with this habit | | | | generally speaking, the higher the score, the better |
| and so will be quite an attractive person to lend | | | | the chance that you will repay the loan. If all the |
| money to.so the credit report also contains the past | | | | information compiled on you leads to a low score, |
| financial habits , previous loan and repayment from | | | | you will be classed as a bad credit loan applicant and |
| other lenders, lender experience and their remarks ( | | | | the terms at which lenders will be willing to lend to |
| like whether the applicant has paid them back in full | | | | you will be less attractive, if they will lend to you at |
| and on time or there have been difficulties in | | | | all. You can see your credit report for yourself and if |
| repayment schedule). The credit report has a | | | | there are any mistakes on it that you think will |
| separate section financial - legal activities of the | | | | worsen your score, you have a right to have them |
| concerned like any past court judgment in money suit | | | | corrected. |