Frequently Asked Questions

• Is it possible to check your credit sco꧑re without affecting 🌱it?

  Yes, it is often possible to check and monitor your credit score without having to pull a full credit report. Many credit card ജissuers now offer free credit sco🅺res and even put cardmembers’ credit score on their billing statement each month.

  Learn More: How to Check Your Credit Score Without Hurting It
• Can someone get credit after declaring bankruptcy🐭?

  It is often possible to get additional credit after declaring bankruptcy but it depends on the lender and their credit underwriting poli𒐪cies.  Any credit that is made available will typically b𒅌e considered subprime, however, and likely carry much higher interest rates due to the enhanced risk to the lender for someone who has defaulted on previous credit obligations.

  Learn More: How Bankruptcy Affects Your Ability to Secure Credi♍t
• Do you have to pay to see your credit score?

  There are options available to see one’s credit score without 🐼paying. Many major banks and credit card issuers such as American Express, Barclays, Bank of America and Chase make cre🔯dit scores available for free to their account holders and even print the current score on their billing statements each month.

  Learn More: Free Credit Score: Is It Really Free?
• What is on my credit report?

  Credit reports contain credit-related information between the borrowe🌼r and ꦗvarious lenders such as the lender name, account number, age of the account, late and on-time payment status, credit amount and current balance information.

  Learn More: What do Cr💖edဣitors Have to Report to Credit Bureaus?
• When should you begin trying to build you🌠r credit?

  Establishing cred♎it and building a positive credit history should begin as soon as the teen years and can take the form of a young person being added to a parent’s credit card acc🎶ount as an authorized user. Then, once a child turns 18 they can be eligible to get credit in their own name, though this still may require a parent or adult over 21 to serve as a co-signer unless the young person can show sufficient income to service the account.

  Learn More: The Bestܫ Time f♈or Young People to Get a Credit Card
• What do different credit score ranges mean?

  Lenders consider credit score ranges when assigning credit limits and interest rates on a risk related basis. The highest FICO credit score range, which lenders designate as excellent credit, typically runs between 740 and 850 and the lowest range for bad credit is usually below 600. Credit score ranges for ꦏfair and good cred🎃it can be between those extremes at levels set by individual lenders.

  Learn More: Credit Score Ranges: What Do They Mean?