Why is my credit score so low?

Your credit score is calculated by using several different key factors. Any one of these factors could be the reason that your credit score is lower, than you would prefer.

You may have a high balance to limit ratio. This means the combined balances of your outstanding debt is greater than 50% of the combined high credit limit. The greater toward 100% of your combined high credit limit you get, the more negative the affect on your credit score.

You may want to pay attention to closing old accounts and opening new accounts. In other words when you pay off a credit card account, do not close that account-keep it open. The length of time your accounts are open and the total number of accounts that you have can negatively affect your credit score. If you have 15 credit accounts open and they are all within 24 months old this may lower your credit score as opposed to someone who has 6 credit cards open that have all been open for 7+ years.

Often times a credit report is showing incorrect information that could be detrimental to your credit rating. Insuring that all information is reporting accurately can help keep your credit scores at a higher level. If you find any incorrect items on your credit report you should contact all 3 credit bureaus and work on correcting them.

Sometimes just the date itself can play a factor in a low credit score. If you pull your credit right after running your card balances up but before paying them off or down, then your score will be affected. There can be many reasons for a low score.

One of the easiest ways to improve your credit score is to keep all of your credit cards under 33% of the available balance, and to use them on the regular basis. An account used and paid off monthly will lead to a higher score than an account which carries a zero balance and rarely used.

If there is an item on your credit report that negatively impacts your credit scores, which you disputed with the vendor and to no avail, you may want to dispute the item with the credit bureaus. Write a letter to each of the three repositories to state your reasons. The credit bureaus will place the burden on the reporting vendor to prove their case.

Always pay your bills on time. Late pays on credit cards and especially mortgages will drag your credit scores down.

Any negative activity on your credit accounts will affect your credit score for 7 years. This includes late payments, repossessions, defaults, foreclosures and bankruptcy.

If you have co-signed a loan for someone else, their late payments or a default on that loan will affect your credit score.

The length of time in which you have had credit also affect your score.

When applying for a mortgage loan, the first credit report inquiry will be reflected as one "hit" on your report. Any other mortgage inquiries run on your credit report will not be reflected until 30 days later at which point all inquiries will be reflected on your score.

Lates on your mortgage payment will also take a heavy toll on your credit rating.

The type of credit accounts you have will also play a part in determining your scores. You should maintain a variety of credit lines such as Auto loans, Credit cards, Mortgage, etc.

Having so many inquiries on your credit report will have negative impact on your score. Always reconsider when applying for any financing, including the departmental cards, because each application will cause one more inquiry on your credit report.

If you have older collection or charged off accounts with balances, consult your mortgage professional BEFORE paying them. If these tradelines have not been updated in a while, they actually affect your score for the better. Once you make a payment on them, the creditor will update the tradeline resulting in a dramatic decrease to your score.

If you have a good history of making your credit card payments on time you should consider requesting a credit limit increase.
An increased credit limit can have a positive impact on your credit score because the increase in amount of available credit is given consideration by the credit bureaus.
Requesting a credit limit increase is as easy as calling the toll free number on the back of your credit card.

monthly online credit monitoring services and programs are a great way to stay up to date on your credit score, learn how to manage it, and maintain an intelligent financial balance and borrowing power

One reason why your credit score can be low is because of an authorized user on your credit card. If your child is an authorized user on your credit card, and your child declares bankruptcy, this will affect your credit negatively.

» DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article on 'Why is my credit score so low?' is a collection of contributions by licensed mortgage professionals and is not the opinion of Broker Outpost LLC. Always consult a licensed professional before applying for a mortgage.