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Your credit score is a three-digit number that’s meant to reflect how reliable you are as a borrower. Lenders and creditors use this number to determine if you should be approved for loans or credit and at what interest rate and terms. You often hear about the importance of maintaining a healthy credit score, but you may not be clear on why.
A high credit score opens new financial (and other lifestyle) opportunities. Additionally, good credit can save you money—often large amounts when it comes to bigger loans such as mortgages. Keep reading for the seven most influential good credit score benefits you should know.
There are two major credit scoring models: FICO® and VantageScore®. When a lender or creditor needs to evaluate your credit score, they’ll pull it based on one of these models. While FICO scores and VantageScores are determined by similar factors, such as payment history, each scoring model gives different weight to each factor. This means a person’s credit score might differ depending on the scoring model used.
A FICO score ranges from 300 to 850. The good and higher credit score rankings for FICO are:
A VantageScore score also ranges from 300 to 850. The good and higher credit score rankings for VantageScore are:
If your score falls into one of these ranges, the following good credit score benefits may apply to you. And if your score is below these ranges, don’t worry—you can work your way up to a better credit score over time.
Here are the seven most influential benefits of maintaining a good credit score:
The most significant benefit of having a great credit score is often getting more favorable interest rates. The higher your credit score is, the lower your interest rate will be on loans and credit, including mortgages, credit cards, auto loans and personal loans.
Let’s look at an example. According to FICO, someone with an exceptional FICO score in the range of 760 to 850 could have secured an average mortgage interest rate of 6.19 percent in December 2023. During the same time, a person with a fair FICO score between 620 and 639 could only secure an average mortgage interest rate of 7.78 percent.
Let’s assume both people took out a $400,000 mortgage for 30 years. The individual with an exceptional credit score would have a monthly payment of $2,428 and would pay $474,080 in interest over the life of the loan. In comparison, the person with poor credit would have a monthly payment of $2,841 and would pay $622,665 in interest over the mortgage term. That’s a noteworthy difference of over $148,585 in interest alone.
In addition to better interest rates, a good credit score can secure better loan terms in other ways. For example, you might be able to negotiate to have loan fees waived or receive more leniency when making late payments.
Individuals with better credit are often offered higher credit limits. Higher credit limits can help individuals make big purchases or cover emergency expenses if necessary.
Additionally, a high credit limit can also help keep a person’s credit utilization low. Credit utilization is one of the five factors that make up your credit score, accounting for 30 percent of your FICO score. Your credit utilization ratio is the amount of credit available to you versus the amount you’ve used.
Someone with a $500 balance on a credit card with a limit of $1,000 will have a credit utilization of 50 percent, which will likely bring their credit score down. In comparison, someone with the same balance and a $5,000 credit card limit will only have a credit utilization of 10 percent and may see their credit health benefit as a result.
Along with better interest rates and higher credit limits, a good credit score can help you access more prestigious cards with better perks and reward programs. Some of the credit cards with the best reward or cashback incentives require a minimum credit score—often a score of 650 or higher.
The right credit card program can mean hundreds in cash back over the year, free goods, gift cards or even a fully funded vacation. You just want to make sure to take advantage of any credit card rewards available to you.
Your credit can play a role in helping you secure housing—both when buying and renting. When it comes to renting, some landlords run a credit check and only approve tenants with a strong credit score. If you have poor credit, your landlord may worry that you’ll have trouble making rent payments on time and deny your application.
A strong credit score also plays a significant role in acquiring a mortgage approval. Having good credit can help your mortgage loan in the following ways:
Insurance companies review your credit score when deciding if they’ll accept you as a customer and what rate they’ll give you. Solid credit can help you save money on your homeowner’s insurance, renter’s insurance or car insurance.
One study found that having poor credit increases a driver’s insurance rates more than if they have a speeding ticket, get in an accident or have a DUI. On average, drivers with bad credit see their rates increase by 76 percent annually. In comparison, a driver who receives a speeding ticket will only see a 21 percent annual rate increase.
Note that using credit scores to determine insurance packages has been deemed an unfair practice in some states. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan have all banned insurance providers from using credit scores to set car insurance rates.
Some states let employers request a credit check from job applicants. No job prospect is ever guaranteed, but your credit score might be the deciding factor against you for a potential employer. Someone with a low score, missed payments and delinquencies may be seen as a risky hire. This is especially true for specific industries like banking and the financial sector.
The good news is that you’ll know when a potential employer runs a credit check, as they need your approval to do so. We recommend you check your scores and reports beforehand to know what they might see.
When you sign up for utilities, such as electricity and water, the company will often run a credit check to see your track record with payments. If you have good credit, you can get utilities turned on quickly and potentially avoid utility deposits.
In contrast, those with poor credit may find it more challenging to get their utilities turned on, be asked to pay a deposit or even be asked to provide a cosigner who’ll be responsible for missed payments.
There are several steps you can take to improve your credit. These include:
A healthy credit score can save you money and open the door to many financial opportunities. While it may take a while to see some improvements, building better credit habits will be an asset that will help you in the long term. Try to prioritize improving your credit as soon as possible so you can start seeing the benefits sooner. You don’t have to do this alone if you’re unsure where to start. Consider using the professional credit repair services Lexington Law Firm offers to get assistance with your credit repair journey.
Note: The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, reviewers, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective agents or employers.
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