Credit Scoring

Before they decide on the terms of your loan, lenders must discover two things about you: your ability to pay back the loan, and your willingness to repay the loan. To figure out your ability to pay back the loan, they look at your debt-to-income ratio. To assess your willingness to repay, they use your credit score.

The most widely used credit scores are called FICO scores, which were developed by Fair Isaac & Company, Inc. The FICO score ranges from 350 (very high risk) to 850 (low risk). For details on FICO, read more here.

Your credit score is a direct result of your history of repayment. They don't consider income or personal characteristics. These scores were invented specifically for this reason. Credit scoring was envisioned as a way to assess a borrower's willingness to repay the loan while specifically excluding any other demographic factors.

Your current debt load, past late payments, length of your credit history, and a few other factors are considered. Your score comes from the good and the bad in your credit report. Late payments count against you, but a record of paying on time will raise it.

For the agencies to calculate a credit score, borrowers must have an active credit account with a payment history of at least six months. This payment history ensures that there is enough information in your report to calculate a score. If you don't meet the criteria for getting a score, you might need to work on a credit history prior to applying for a mortgage.