New Visitors Privacy Policy Sponsorship Contact Us Media
Baby Boomers Family Green Home and Auto In Critical Condition Just Starting Out Lifestyle Money
- advertisement -
Bankrate.com
News & Advice Compare Rates Calculators
Rate Alerts  |  Glossary  |  Help
Mortgage Home
Equity
Auto CDs &
Investments
Retirement Checking &
Savings
Credit
Cards
Debt
Management
College
Finance
Taxes Personal
Finance

How it all adds up


Most people never even see their credit score.
Credit scoring industry pioneer Fair, Isaac and Co. provides this peek of how someone with good credit and someone with bad credit might be treated under its system. While the company was willing to run the calculations for Bankrate.com , it was not willing to share information about those calculations.

Example 1: Low/average-risk person with good credit score
(Date of report: 7-15-96)
This profile presents a certain degree of risk for the lender. First, the payment history raises some concerns due to the collection item and serious delinquency on the second bank card. Because these items are a few years old, they do not raise the level of risk of concern as much as they would if they had occurred recently, but they do affect the score. The balances outstanding also represent a certain level of risk. Although only a fairly small portion of the available credit has been used, it is still higher than optimal. However, the long file history and lack of recent inquiries or credit line openings are positive indicators. This profile would probably represent an acceptable risk level to most credit grantors.
Type of loan Date reported Date opened High credit Balance Current rating Historical delinquency
Bank card 6-96 3-85 $5,000 $1,500 Current None
Auto loan 6-96 7-92 $8,000 $2,000 Current None
Retail 5-96 9-87 $  300 $0 Current None
Retail 3-96 6-88 $1,000 $0 Current None
Bank card 5-94 11-84 $3,000 $0 Current 120+
4 years ago

Inquiries: None

Public record/Collection items: 1 collection item, 4 years ago, for $500

CREDIT SCORE: 706


Example 2: High-risk person with poor credit score
(Date of report: 7-15-96)
Most lenders would agree that this profile represents a high level of risk. First, one of the bank cards was delinquent the last time it was reported. Although the delinquency is minor -- only a 30-day rating -- it points to potential risk, given that the file history is quite short. The ratio of balances to high credit is also indicative of significant risk. The balances are quite large relative to their high credit amounts and the amount of time the accounts have been open. Also telling is the fact that all trade lines have balances. This profile, along with the short file history, strongly contributes to the high-risk ranking.
Type of loan
Date reported
Date opened
High credit
Balance
Current rating
Historical delinquency
Bank card 6-96 10-95 $3,000 $2,700 30 days
None
Retail 5-96 11-95 $  750 $   300 Current
None
Bank card 5-96 2-96 $1,500 $1,600 Current
None
Retail 3-96 1-94 $  500 $   450 Current
None
Inquiries: Bank: 7-1-96; Retail: 6-13-96; Bank: 2-7-96; Retail: 11-2-95; Bank: 3-23-95
Public record/Collection items: None

CREDIT SCORE: 585

-- Posted: July 21, 1999

top of page
See Also
Main story: Credit scoring secrecy remains controversial

Print   E-mail

CDs and Investments
Compare today's rates
NATIONAL OVERNIGHT AVERAGES
1 yr CD 0.70%
2 yr CD 0.87%
5 yr CD 1.46%



RELATED CALCULATORS
  How long will your savings last  
  How to reach a savings goal -- with scheduled payments  
  Watch your savings grow with regular deposits  
VIEW ALL 
BASICS SERIES
CDs and Investing Basics
Set your goals with an investing plan.
Develop a savings plan
Every kind of CD explained
Treasury bonds and more
Pros and cons of annuities
All about IRAs
Bank or credit union?
Best rates for CDs, more

MORE ON BANKRATE
CD rates in your area  
Bankrate's Top Tier Award for best quarterly CD and MMA performers  
Track the prime rate, other leading rates  
Savings basics


- advertisement -
 
- advertisement -

About Bankrate | Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights | Online Media Kit | Partnerships | Investor Relations | Press Room | Contact Us | Sitemap
NYSE: RATE | RSS Feeds |

* Mortgage rate may include points. See rate tables for details. Click here.
* To see the definition of overnight averages click here.

Bankrate.com ®, Copyright © 2012 Bankrate, Inc., All Rights Reserved, Terms of Use.