Your credit reports provide a detailed overview of your borrowing and payment history. Negative information on your credit report can be a red flag to prospective lenders and creditors.

Believe it or not, some people don’t experience serious debt problems until after they start making more money and experience lifestyle inflation.

Your credit score is what lenders will use when making decisions about you, so it’s rather important. There are several different credit scoring models, but FICO is chief amongst them. The majority of lenders use FICO scores, so it is the one you’ll want to focus on.

If you are able to obtain a security clearance, you will be eligible for a number of jobs that are out of reach for many candidates. But, unfortunately, financial issues may cause you to fail the background check that is necessary for a security clearance to be issued.

When you apply for auto financing with Auto Credit Express, we ask that you please refrain from applying for credit anywhere else until after you meet with the dealership. Why? Having too many credit inquiries can be a red flag for the lenders they work with.

The FICO credit score is used by most lenders when making credit decisions. The FICO score is the one you want to familiarize yourself with before applying for credit. However, there are many different credit scoring models, and consumers can easily get confused about the score they are receiving from some sources.

Many of us know very little about our own credit. Knowing this, the three national credit bureaus set out to educate the public in a recent Twitter chat they dubbed What to Know About Credit.

For those with spotless credit, shopping around for an auto loan isn’t that big of a deal. But when you have credit that is less than perfect or in recovery, you should be more concerned about submitting a bunch of applications. When you submit a loan application, the dealership Finance and Insurance, or F&I, department will check your credit. This is known as a hard credit inquiry. When you are looking for a car, the credit agencies know that you will want to shop around, so any auto loan inquiries that take place within a 14 to 45 day window will only count as one, and typically won't negatively affect your score.

Upon submitting an application for a credit card or loan, you grant a potential lender permission to ask or inquire for a copy of your credit report from a credit bureau. How does this affect your credit score?

Only a lender can tell you if you qualify for an auto loan. In addition, filling out an application to pre-qualify usually results in a hard inquiry.