We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our
goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you
with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original
and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare
information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with
confidence.
Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to,
American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and
Discover.
How We Make Money.
The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate
us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this
site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear
within the listing categories. But this compensation does not
influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on
this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial
offers that may be available to you.
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions.
While we adhere to strict
,
this post may contain references to products from our partners.
Here’s an explanation for
Editorial Integrity
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that
we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and
reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the
right financial decisions.
Key Principles
We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with
accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards
in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters
thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information
you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our
advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not
receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
Editorial Independence
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader.
Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart
personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure
that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our
editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers,
and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So,
whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that
you’re getting credible and dependable information.
How We Make Money
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have
been helping you master your money for over four decades. We
continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and
tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that
our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and
reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the
right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial
staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our
advertisers.
We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content,
competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we
make money.
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher
and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for
placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking
on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation
may impact how, where and in what order products appear within
listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary
website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at
your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and
where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a
wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about
every financial or credit product or service.
Which bank should I choose?
Get personalized bank recommendations in 3 easy steps.
Your monthly principal and interest charges are determined by the rate and the amount of the loan. The rate and loan amount, in turn, are affected by several factors. The rate depends on your credit score, discount points you pay and whether the down payment is less than 20 percent. The loan amount depends on the size of the down payment and the home’s price.
There is also the matter of mortgage insurance, which is levied on borrowers who make a down payment of less than 20 percent.
What determines your mortgage payment?
Mortgage lenders closely scrutinize your financial history to determine whether to approve your loan application.
Of primary concern are:
Your credit report, which details your payment history on all loans, bankruptcy filings and other financial information.
Your credit score, which uses your credit report to arrive at a numerical representation of your overall creditworthiness.
Credit scores (sometimes called FICO scores, after Fair Isaac Corp., the firm that created the most commonly used form) range from the 300s to about 900, with most homebuyers falling in 600s and 700s. Bankrate and FICO offer a free way to approximate your credit score via the FICO Score Estimator.
Factors used to determine your credit score
Past delinquency:
Those who have failed to make payments in the past tend to do so in the future. The more recent a delinquency, the more it counts against you; a 30-day delinquency within the past 12 months hinders your chances of getting favorable mortgage terms.
Length of credit:
The longer you’ve had credit, the better.
Credit use:
If you’re maxed out or close to your credit limits, you’re viewed as risky.
Mix of credit:
Someone with a combination of revolving and installment debt is considered less risky than one with only a secured credit card.
The higher your credit score, the less risky you appear to a lender. A good credit score will help you qualify for a mortgage loan and obtain better terms.
Cleaning up your credit report
Why check your credit report before your lender does?
Because an estimated four out of five credit reports contain some kind of misinformation — errors you’ll want to clear up before approaching any lender.
Obtain copies of your credit report from all of the big three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Each probably will differ from the others in small ways.
Tips for cleaning up your credit report
Look closely for any errors and correct them.
Note late payments and credit balances; you may have to explain them to a lender.
Compare account numbers to make sure they’re yours.
Share