What is Credit Scoring?

Credit scoring is a system creditors use to help determine whether to give you credit.

Information about you and your credit experiences, such as your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, late payments, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit application and your credit report. Using a statistical program, creditors compare this information to the credit performance of consumers with similar profiles. A credit scoring system awards points for each factor that helps predict who is most likely to repay a debt. A total number of points – a credit score – helps predict how creditworthy you are, that is, how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments when due. Because your credit report is an important part of many credit scoring systems, it is very important to make sure it’s accurate before you submit a credit application. Your credit score is a snapshot of your financial history and lenders will use your credit score to help them determine whether or not you are a risky borrower. Your credit score helps to determine if you will be approved for a loan or line of credit and what type of interest rate you will receive on the loan.