What Credit Score Do You Need For A Mortgage?

When it finally comes time for you to find a house after years of saving, you may well be met with the need to apply for a mortgage and with this comes the question of what credit score do you need for this? To help you further understand this, we have written a very simple guide to understanding a credit score as well as how you can improve it should it not be good enough to be approved the first time.

What Is A Credit Score?

A credit score is a score that many banks, as well as lenders, use to determine on whether or not you are eligible for the loan that you are applying for. It is a numerical score that represents whether or not the representative has good credit or not. This information is found through the three main credit bureaus and is updated regularly for lenders to check when an application comes through.

How Is The Credit Score Affected?

A credit score can be affected by a wide range of variables such as incorrect date of birth or address as well as any outstanding debts and too many applications to short term loans bad credit companies for some alternative finance. However, by limiting the number of applications and paying off all your debts on time, you can build up a credit score that will enable you to be accepted for loans much easier than ever before. Though it will take time to see your credit score improving, taking these smaller steps will lay a foundation to strengthen your credit score.

Understanding The Credit Score System

When looking to apply for a mortgage you need to make sure that you are aware of the credit score that you have as this is what the lenders will be used to determine if you are eligible for the loan or the mortgage that you are applying for. Your credit score can be checked through a number of the leading credit checkers and will break your credit score into five brackets these are as follows according to Experian:

Rating Numerical Score
Excellent 961-999
Good 881-960
Fair 721-880
Poor 561-720
Very Poor 0-560

 

To qualify for a mortgage, your bank or chosen lender will be looking for a credit score typically within the top two brackets, meaning that a credit score lower than this will need to be improved.

How To Improve Credit Score Before Applying?

Though there is no one simple formula for improving your credit score, there are several ways that you can go about bettering your line of credit for long-lasting results. By starting with checking for incorrect information, you can then rule out if this is the issue, if not, you can then begin to pay off any of the debts that you have and go from there. You will find that making these small but significant steps can prevent your credit score from being damaged and will improve your line of credit when it comes to applying for a mortgage or other form of alternative finance.

Regardless of whether you are just starting building your credit score or you have been building it for a while now, it is always important to make sure that you are on top of everything as this will benefit you in the long term.