If you can’t answer these questions, you have some homework to do — especially if you’re planning to apply for a mortgage loan in the near future.

Here are some step-by-step instructions to help you obtain your credit reports, review them for accuracy, and correct any errors you come across.

Step 1 – Understand how your credit affects you.
When you apply for a home mortgage loan (or some other major purchase), you can be sure your credit will go under the microscope. Mortgage lenders will analyze your credit to find out what risk category you fall into.

When your credit score is high, your risk factor is low. In this scenario,you’ll have a good chance of qualifying for a loan. But when the opposite is true — low credit score and high risk factor — you could have trouble obtaining a loan.

Credit reports are maintained by three credit reporting companies (sometimes called credit bureaus or agencies): Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Your credit score is based on the information contained in these credit reports. Three agencies, three reports, three credit scores … all about you!

Step 2 – Request copies of your credit report.
According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To request your credit reports from all three companies, visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com, or call 1-877-322-8228.

If you request your report online, you should have access to it immediately. If you request your credit report through the toll-free number, it will be processed and mailed to you within 15 days.

Your credit report will not come with a credit score, so you’ll need to purchase this separately. You can obtain your credit score by visiting www.MyFICO.com. This website is owned by Fair Isaac’s, the organization that converts your credit reports into credit scores. Here’s a quote from Fair Isaac’s:

“FICO scores are your credit rating. Most lenders base approval on them. You have three FICO scores, one for each credit bureau, and you can only get all three from myFICO.”

Step 3 – Review your credit reports for errors.
Examine your credit reports closely for any errors or inaccuracies. Make sure your personal information is correct and up to date. Check for loans or lines of credit that aren’t yours, as this could be an indication of credit fraud. Anything at all that seems out of place, write it down for further investigation.

Step 4 – Start the correction process immediately.
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), credit reporting companies are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your credit report. So don’t hesitate to exercise your rights under this law.

If you only find errors on one report (for example, the one provided by Experian), you only need to contact the company associated with that report. Visit the company’s website to find instructions on how to begin the correction process. By law, each credit reporting company must publish their correction requirements.

You can find these instructions on each company’s website:

* www.experian.com
* www.transunion.com
* www.equifax.com

Tell the company in writing what information is inaccurate. File a copy of your initial request, as well as any subsequent communication (such as their response to you). Start a folder and label it with “credit report” to keep your documents together. Keep the folder secure, as it will obviously contain sensitive information.

Step 5 – Follow up thoroughly.
The credit reporting company will investigate your claim within 30 days of receiving it. But why wait? I recommend contacting them after 10 business days, at least to make sure they’ve received your correction request. Follow up regularly after that. Don’t allow your issue to “slip through the cracks.”

Step 6 – Continue your education.
If you believe your credit report contains errors, educate yourself on the correction process. This article provides a good overview, but an important issue like credit deserves a more complete education.

Websites worth a visit:

The FTC’s Credit Center:
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit/index.html

Credit Advice from the Better Business Bureau:
www.bbb.org/Alerts/article.asp?ID=616

Credit Section of About.com:
www.credit.about.com

Credit Learning Center at Home Buying Institute:

http://www.homebuyinginstitute.com/credit.php

* Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett. You may republish this article if you keep the byline and author’s note, and also leave the hyperlink intact.

Brandon Cornett is the editor of HomeBuyingInstitute.com, the Internet’s largest library of home buying advice. To learn more about credit reports, visit the credit learning center at http://www.homebuyinginstitute.com/credit.php

Becoming an authorized user (AU) on an established credit account that has a long and positive history has been effective for years in establishing good credit for your children, a stay at home spouse or significant other. The account holder could simply have a card issued to you and you would inherit the history of the account. The card holder could even keep the card in a sock drawer or cut it up. You, as the AU, would not have to use it even once. The AU would not be financially responsible for the debt if it were not a joint account. The only draw back was if the account holder missed payments, the AU report would reflect the 30, 60, 90 day late payments.

Well, this was one of the tools available to people to accelerate the increase of their credit score after a negative credit event. Probably not even a well known or often used tool, comparatively. It was, however, one of the methods that I have, for years, suggested to consumers as a way to increase scores or off set the bad items. Not to go out and rent someone’s credit for a fee (which is reportedly why this once useful avenue is being shut down). No, I would encourage people to network with their family and friends to look for a hand up, not a hand out.

It has been my experience that the vast majority of people that suffer their way through a negative credit situation ended up there as a result of unforeseen events. Things like divorce, job loss and health related issues (their own or a loved one). To experience any of these is difficult, at best. Then, to be placed in credit purgatory for 7 plus years only adds to the frustration. Some of life’s trials are brief, some longer term. Depending on the severity, credit reports are the last thing on your mind.

At some point, though, when you are on the road to financial recovery, you will undoubtedly find that re-establishing credit or getting credit on good terms is a valuable asset. If you can jump start it with the help of someone close to you, I often encouraged it.

Starting in September of 2007, Fair Isaac Corp., who provides the FICO score model the vast majority of lenders use in calculating credit risk, is reportedly going to implement code that will cease the factoring of AU accounts. AU trade lines will still show up on the credit report, it just won’t show up in the credit score.

The Vantage score model that was rolled out last year as a collaborative effort by the 3 major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Transunion and Experian, is said to currently not include AU accounts into its scoring model.

The news reports state the growing industry of selling ones good credit to a stranger as the reason for the change. So, essentially, a few entrepreneurs looking to turn a profit have cancelled out the option for all. But, how does this action conform to the laws that require the reporting of AU accounts in the first place? The Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and other laws that require AU for spouses are there for a reason. Perhaps since the AU trade line will still show in the report the law is still being adhered to. Maybe this action by Fair Isaac could somehow be proven to be prejudice or non compliant in their action. Time will tell. For certain, they plan on moving forward with the plan to stop factoring the AU account into the score beginning next month. This will mean one less tool in this credit coach’s tool belt. For now.

There are many other tools to use when approaching debt and credit issues. Taking a proactive and informed approach is the best strategy to start with. Get educated!

Contact Consumer Recovery Network for a free debt consultation today.

Because Debt Happens.

I have been working in the debt and credit industry for over 10 years helping consumers to deal with the influx of issues associated with this industry. Needless to say, I’ve learned alot over the years and use that knowledge to continue to assist consumers on a daily basis.

Please feel free to contact me personally at michael@consumerrecoverynetwork.com or you can fill out our online free debt consultation form.

Most people are not aware that most credit scores sold online are not the same credit scores that lenders use in making lending decisions. The score used by lenders is called the FICO score and it is the only score that counts. Unfortunately, the companies that sell non-FICO scores do not make it clear that these scores may vary widely from real FICO scores. Worse yet, the three credit bureaus that provide FICO scores to lenders are among the worse offenders in selling non-FICO scores to consumers!

One Score Three Names

The FICO score has been re-branded by each of the three bureaus for their own marketing, hence you will hear of three scores, although they are all driven by the same software. Equifax calls it a BEACON score, TransUnion calls it an EMPIRICA score, and Experian calls it the EXPERIAN/Fair Isaac Risk Model. The scores may be different because each bureau gathers information from a slightly different mix of creditors. If you look at your three reports you will notice that some accounts are missing on each bureau. Timing also plays a roll. A recent change in your credit may be picked up sooner at one bureau than another. You can purchase your real FICO score at MyFico.com.

Improve Your Credit Score Fast

So what makes your FICO score tick? And what can you do about it? Here are a few strategies that everyone involved in the credit repair process should know.

Check Your High Credit Limits

The relationship between your current balance and the available credit limit on your revolving accounts has a major impact on your credit score. Every revolving account on your report should be examined. If the high credit limit is understated send a dispute letter to each of the three credit bureaus asking them to update the information. If you have extra cash, pay down those balances and watch your score go up!

Increase Your High Credit Limits

There is one additional course of action that you should consider that can also reduce the ratio of your current balance to your high credit limit. Call each and every credit card company and ask them to increase your limit. They may or may not agree, but you might be surprised. Please keep in mind that you are doing this to improve your credit. Having a higher credit limit does not mean that you should use it.

Check the Age of Your Accounts

New accounts count against your credit score. Conversely, the credit bureaus will reward you for the accounts that you have maintained over time. When reviewing your three credit reports be sure to look carefully at the initial reporting date for each revolving and installment account. If the age of the account is incorrect on your credit reports send dispute letters to the bureaus. This is a great credit repair trick and well worth the effort.

Resurrect an Old Account

It is not unusual to discover an account on your credit report that you forgot about years ago. If you don’t have much credit please don’t cancel the account. If you no longer have the card in your possession I suggest that you call the company and obtain a replacement card. When you get it you should make a small purchase. The exact algorithm used in the FICO score is a secret, but based on our observations it is best to have some occasional activity on a credit card.

Double Trouble! Eliminate Duplicates

Look at your credit reports carefully. If you see the same account more than once it is probably hurting your score unless it is over three years old with a perfect history and a low balance. If it does not meet these criteria get rid of it now! Collection agencies are notorious for causing duplicate reporting errors. Only one collection agency can own a debt at a time. Essential credit repair tip! If a collection agency no longer owns the debt they are not allowed to report it. That’s the law!

Post Bankruptcy Cleanup

If you have had a bankruptcy you should take action to clean up your credit with all three bureaus immediately upon receiving your discharge. If you don’t feel up to the task of dealing with the paperwork I suggest that you hire a reputable credit repair company. A reputable credit repair company will be inexpensive and be able to do this for you very quickly. If you don’t take action to clean up your credit report it will not happen by itself. A comprehensive post bankruptcy clean up can have a dramatic impact on your credit scores within as little a sixty days after your discharge.

Copyright © 2007 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Jim Kemish is the president and founder of Power Mortgage, a Florida mortgage broker based in Delray Beach, Florida. Power Mortgage Corp was established in 1989 and serves the states of Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Jim is also the President of Sky Blue Credit, a national credit repair business. For great mortgage and credit tips visit the Florida Mortgage Blog.

FICO score which is commonly referred to as your credit score will determine whether you are eligible to receive credit. It is also responsible for the type of terms and interest rates you will pay on that credit.

So…. Don’t be left in the dark when it comes to your credit score. Just a few points here or there can make a big difference on whether you are approved for that loan you are looking for.

Credit scores use to be a mystery to us all… Now we are all able to obtain copies of our own credit reports. There are 3 major agencies that do this reporting – Experian, Equifax & TransUnion. The information from each of these agencies is considered your financial history. While these reports don’t explain how your FICO score is computed — you can see in these reports what accounts you have and what is considered favorable or unfavorable to you.

Your FICO score is calculated from the credit reports of the 3 agencies. The areas that are important are;

• Payment History – 35% of your score.
• Existing Debt – 30% of your score
• Age of your Credit History – 15%
• New Credit / Inquiries – 10%
• Types of Credit – 10%

So – what can you do about your credit score? First off get a free report from each of the major agencies. You are entitled to a free report once every 12 months from each one of them. You can do this right on the internet and be able to download your report. You can do that is AnnualCreditReport.com

Take the time to go through each of these reports. You will see some information is different with each agency.

First thing to check for is to make sure all of the information is accurate. Many times there is inaccurate data in your report which will adversely affect you!

Payment History – If you reports are showing that you pay your bills late – that really hurts your score. Remember that payment history makes up 35% of your score. I know people who were shocked to find out their score was being lowered because they paid their electric bill late every month! They had no idea this was happening! They thought that since they did indeed pay the bill it was no big deal. Many utility companies do report late payments and it certainly does affect your credit score.

Pay your bills on time! If you have due dates on bills that come right before a pay period for you. Get in touch with those credit companies and explain your situation and see if you can change your payment date to a week or so later.

Existing Debt – If your debt is high in ratio to your income your credit score is lowered. Start paying off some of those bills. Some folks have racked up a high existing debt because they have gotten deals from lenders of zero or low percent interest. If you want a higher FICO score you will need to start lowering your existing debt.

Age of Credit History – Well you can’t change any of this but – if your credit history is fairly young – the most important thing you can do is make sure you are paying your bills on time and keeping your debt to income ratio at an acceptable level. Stay on top of these and as time goes on you will be rewarded with an excellent FICO.

New Credit / Inquiries – Lenders look at any recently opened accounts and they also look at how many inquiries on your account. If a bunch of inquiries show up that could adversely affect your score as it could indicate you are frantically searching for credit.

Types of Credit – Lenders look at the types of financing you have acquired through your history.

Now – knowing how lenders and banks look at your credit report and the areas that are the most important – you can take charge of your credit score.

For more information on your FICO Score, Credit Report, and what lenders look for – visit: CreditTipsAndSecrets.com – where you will find valuable information on Credit Repair, Credit FICO, Business Credit, Home Mortgage, Credit Cards.

Credit card issuers have the ability to bring your account current and wipe out your entire record of late payments using a procedure called “re-aging”. Re-aging, if managed properly, can be a fantastic credit repair tool. The re-aging guidelines were set by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) in June of 2000 for the purpose of helping “borrowers overcome temporary financial difficulties, such as loss of job, medical emergency, or change in family circumstances like loss of a family member”.

The Policy Background

The FFIEC is a formal interagency body empowered by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and others, to prescribe principles and standards in the supervision of financial institutions. The re-aging guidelines are observed by all credit card issuers with the understanding that they can take a more “conservative” stance at their discretion. Credit Unions did not opt to adopt this policy, but if you have a credit card with a credit union it does not hurt to ask if they have a re-aging policy.

Some Plain English

It sounds great so far! But how does it work? Re-aging is defined as “returning a delinquent, open-end account to current status without collecting the total amount of principle, interest, and fees that are contractually due”. And it means what it says. If you meet certain, very reasonable, guidelines your credit card issuer will wipe out your bad credit. What are those guidelines?

Nuts and Bolts

There are a few basic rules. The account has to have existed for at least 9 months, you have to offer to make three on-time payments or an equivalent lump sum payment before the re-aging will be finalized, you cannot re-age an account more than one time in any 12 month period and no more than 2 times in any 5 year period. Working on credit repair? Please note that there is no limit on the number of accounts that you can re-age. But I suggest you complete one effort first to get comfortable.

Your Part of the Deal

Just so you understand, this process is designed for cardholders that have a renewed willingness and ability to make payments in a timely manner. Like any credit repair effort there is no point if you fall behind again. It is also designed for cardholders that have experienced a financial hardship. Remember the list of hardships that constitute acceptable causes of past financial problems: loss of job, medical emergency, and change in family circumstances like loss of a family member. There may be other equally acceptable events. But since the re-aging process is taken seriously you should not expect that your request be honored if you say that you just didn’t want to pay your bills!

Getting Started

Are you ready to get started? Call the credit card issuer and ask them to explain their re-aging policy. Some issuers use the term, “curing”. If the person on the phone does not know what you are talking about you should ask for a supervisor. You will want to organize your thoughts in advance. Remember that you need to communicate the reasons for your past delinquency and your renewed willingness and ability to pay on time from now on.

The Deal

Re-aging deals can differ from one issuer to the next. You will want to make sure that all derogatory information will be deleted from your account. It is also a good idea to get the details in writing. Anyone who has made a credit repair effort knows that verbal agreements with creditors have a pretty poor record of success. If they won’t put it in writing, at least take careful notes including the name and direct phone number of the person that you are speaking with.

A Caution

Removing derogatory information from your credit is a great thing. It is the goal of every credit repair effort. But it is important to keep your FICO score in mind as well. If the issuer resets the opening date on your account when they remove your derogatory information you may lose points, depending on the number and age of other accounts on your report. Ask the issuers specifically if they will reset the open date. Some do and some don’t. If they will, you’ll want to consider the impact on your scores. FICO loves old accounts. If you have plenty of accounts with many years of history there is no problem. But if your credit is young and limited resetting an older account could be a set back, at least temporarily.

Jim Kemish is the president and founder of Power Mortgage, a Florida mortgage broker based in Delray Beach, Florida. Power Mortgage Corp was established in 1989 and serves the states of Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Jim is also the President of Sky Blue Credit, a national credit repair business. For great mortgage and credit tips visit the Florida Mortgage Blog

Your next step is to run your current credit report and get your credit score. One place to do this is at www.myfico.com. You will get your FICO score and a credit report from each of the 3 credit agencies: Experian (www.experian.com), Equifax (www.equifax.com), and Trans Union (www.transunion.com). If this list (not including the persons you owe money to) is different from your credit report, your credit report is the list to go by, unless you know for a fact there is a mistake on your credit report.

The next step is to consolidate all your debt and lower your interest rate as much as possible. Before you do that, call your credit card company today (ask for a supervisor) and ask for a lower rate. Most of the time they will work with you. If they give you a hard time, let them know you are switching your card to another company. This will lower your interest payment right away. Consolidate your credit cards to as few cards as possible. To look for permanent low-interest rate credit cards, check out www.bankrate.com. I am not a fan of the “balance transfer game”; transferring your balance from one card to another, specifically 0% cards that then jump up to a higher percentage rate (i.e. 14%) after a period of time. Most of us end up missing that transfer period time and lose everything they saved by having a 0% interest rate for a short period of time. If you can, stick to a permanent low-interest rate credit card, preferably under 7-10%.

This is the most important step you can do to pay down your debt. Setup a payment plan to pay off your debt and stick to it. For example: If you owe $10,000, have a current interest rate of 6%, and pay $400 monthly, it will take you 2.3 years to pay off your debt. To find out your debt repayment plan, visit www.kiplinger.com/tools/ debt calculator. You also need to find the $400 a month to pay off the debt and the only way to do this is to change your spending habit. Find a budget that works for you and stick to it.

There are a few more points that are essential to paying off your debt. Stop using your credit card and debit cards – now! Get yourself on a cash only basis. I can’t stress enough how important this is. This is the key to keeping your budget! If you are paying off different credit cards, pay off the ones with the highest balances first. Save your student loans for last. If you are not able to pay off more than the minimum balance on your credit cards and are truly in over your head, you might need to work with a debt consolidator. There are many unethical ones out there, so visit the National Foundation for Credit Counseling www.nfcc.org. They are a government agency that can recommend one in your area.

Finally, enlist a friend or family member for support during this debt repayment time. Having their moral support will really help you towards being debt-free in no time!

Galia Gichon, Founder of Down-to-Earth Finance, demystifies personal finance – particularly to women – through unbiased financial education. With over 14 years experience in financial services and an MBA in Finance, she does not manage money or sell investment products. You can subscribe to her weekly e-mail newsletter at DownToEarthFinance-On@zines.webvalence.com for smart tips to save more money and independent advice about mutual funds and retirement. She can be reached at 212.734.0433 and http://www.downtoearthfinance.com

Our nation is in chaos and the root of it all stems from good graces of man. Credit is deeply rooted into our history, it stems from a person’s or merchant’s product or service is priced too high for the average consumer. When payment from the patron for the item(s) was not convenient at the current time arrangement could be negotiated. This was the birth of the consumer credit program.

Let’s look at a typical California House priced at $395,000. The builder, in order to make a profit, needs to sell many of these homes at this price. How many of us have $395,000 to plop down in one lump sum?

If the builder only sold homes to people who could pay the lump sum, they would not sell many homes and the price would skyrocket to $3,395,000 due to the need for the builder to earn an equitable profit. On the other hand the builder would not make any profit if the homes were sold at $4000 or even $40,000.

2. What’s it going to cost you?

The homes must be sold at a price that is consistent with perceived value and quality, but still needs to make it available to the average consumer. This is the reason the mortgage business is so huge.

Let’s look at another example. This trend is deeply rooted in our history. Have you ever gone to a store and realized you didn’t have the money to purchase an item? Remember asking the store clerk to put it onto your account?

Actually you can still find this type of system where the merchant would allow the consumer a period of up to 30 days to repay the debt; when payment for the goods or services is not convenient.

3. How did this all begin

This began back in the days of the general store where a patron would come by and pick up a few items, charge them to a personal account and the patron would agree to pay the entire account by the end of the month.

4. Does this all still exist?

You can still find this type of environment but it’s gone for the most part replaced by the modern day credit card and department store card. This is a system designed with the theory that you never have to pay off the balance in full. This is called a revolving credit or charge account; pay off some, then spend it to the limit.

5. What happened to the people

This is where people get in to trouble everyday, late payments piling up, and debt occurring from interest added stress. I don’t know of anyone who wants or needs this. As an evolution of this process, it was natural that some type of credit reporting system would be created. Then suddenly the dawn of the credit bureau began.

Creditors or merchants were concerned about doing business with bad debtors; they needed a way to report problem consumers and a way to get the information about them before they established an account for them.

6. With the dawn of the credit bureau trouble had only just begun.

Now that the bureau had been born they began tracking information on individuals and businesses, selling that information to subscribers (creditors) and receiving information as well.

Late payment and other types of errors started occurring on peoples personal credit reports. After a while the errors were so bad that certain individuals were forced to go bankrupt and lose their families to divorce or worse.

People were always in a hurry and rushing to keep up with the Jones’………………or should I say

(___________________________________________________flat line)

Does this sound like you? Do you need help in mastering the ownership of your credit?

We can help; we have the proper solution for you. If you need a free credit report you can get one here at www.raise-my-fico-score.com/freecreditreport.html. Finding out where you stand is the 1st part of understanding your credit history. Knowing your credit history is easy especially since you know your financial situation. If you want to find out more on how to fix your credit, boost your scores and stay on the safe side of the credit barrier.

While bad credit may be obvious to someone who looks at credit reports all day, many times a customer may not realize what their credit issues may be. Credit counseling is an effective way to maintain control of the special finance sales process. If the process is done correctly, an applicant’s expectations will be kept at a reasonable level.

So first of all, what exactly is bad credit? Numerous types of credit report problems are considered a sign of bad credit and could cause a lender to reject an application for a loan. Such problems include: missing a credit card payment, defaulting on a prior loan, filing for bankruptcy in the past seven years, or not paying taxes. Other black marks on a credit report include a judgment filed (perhaps for non-payment of spousal or child support) or any collection activity. To many special finance customers, these may be regular occurrences which they do not consider to be bad credit.

The credit counseling process begins with the customer interview. The credit application should be reviewed during the customer interview. Take the time to find out if there are any potential pitfalls. Look for gaps in residence or employment. Find out the particulars regarding the customer’s living arrangements. Do they rent or own; is the monthly expense split with anyone else? Is the income correctly stated and is it verifiable. This process starts the conversation in a non-confrontational manner. Not only do you get to know your customer better, but this process gets customers talking freely about themselves.

Once the application has been fully reviewed, it’s time to move onto the credit report. Remember the objective here is to keep the customer focused on the “credit decision” and away from a “product decision”. Take the time to explore their credit file to see if there is an explanation for any issues which may present themselves.

All too often, reviewing a credit report with a customer consisted of simply marking all derogatory information with a big, red magic marker. Raise all the red flags possible and beat the customer into submission. Public humiliation was supposed to get customers to acknowledge their bad credit, and make them accept that fact. All this is the name of big profits!

Effective credit counseling involves getting a customer to acknowledge their credit issues without the humiliation. Review the complete credit report, mentioning not only the derogatory information but the positive accounts as well. Look for a positive credit reference which can be used to build a case to present to a lender. A previous auto loan paid reasonably well, or even an auto loan that was paid well for long period of time before it was repossessed can be used as a positive reference. Look for patterns of good credit that may have preceded their current credit problems.

Ask your customer if there was something that happened to them that led up to their credit problems. A catastrophic event, such as a major illness, an employer closing or going out of business, a military call-up, or any number of personal tragedies can lead to credit issues. Now is the time for your customers to tell you their story, so you can relay it to your lenders. Review each line on the credit report with the customer. Ask for explanations and make notations where appropriate.

This may take a little longer than you’re used to but it helps set the stage for reasonable expectations from your customer. It also shows them how much work you’ve got ahead of you to get a loan approved for them.

Take some time to explain the process. After the credit review, explain how a lender determines whether to approve an application. Review the S.A.W. principle most lenders use to consider an applicant. – Stability, Ability and Willingness to Pay. Remember that many “D” tier lenders look at more than just the credit score of an applicant, and in many cases, these lenders do not consider the FICO score of an applicant in their approval process. Marginal lenders look at the total applicant picture to determine if the will approve a deal. An applicant with a stable employment and residence history and a decent income stands a better chance of getting approved for a loan, even with a spotty credit bureau, because the lender knows they will be able to collect the payments, even if they are a little late each month!

Explain “debt to income” and “payment to income” ratios to your customers and how lenders use them to determine what vehicles they will qualify for. Many customers want much more vehicle than they can qualify for, their logic being “I can afford to pay that much”. Explain how lenders, using all the data available form the vast number of loans they make, have determined which loans are most likely to be repaid and base their decisions using this date. They know that any payment which is more than 20% of an applicant’s income has a much more likelihood of leading to a default and repossession. Lenders want to collect payments, and structure their approvals based on the data they have. This is especially true if a customer has had a history of slow or late payments on their previous auto loan. The lender figures “if they couldn’t make that payment without some problems, I want my payment to be lower than that!” Explain that excessive monthly obligations eat up a substantial portion of their income, and most lenders will only consider applicants with less than 50% of the income being used to pay their monthly bills, including rent. This is especially true with a customer that already has an open auto loan and was not planning on trading it in. In either case, explain that the lender typically will ask for a co-signer, but you will submit the application and see what they say. Place the decision in your lenders hand, and let your customer bear the burden of meeting the lender’s requirement for approval.

Take a few minutes to explain how equity can help an approval along. Lenders like to loan less than the book or wholesale value of a vehicle to marginal customers. Sometimes a large down payment can convince a lender that an applicant will make the payments, since they have a stake in the loan. Remind your customers that, while many lenders may consider a loan with no down payment, they typically like to see the taxes, tags and fees paid upfront by the customer. Many customers, who say they don’t have any money available for a down payment, will have cash set aside to pay these fees. They do not view these as down payment, so make sure to ask how they plan to pay the taxes, tags and fees for the vehicle they are trying to buy.

Many customers will go from dealer to dealer trying to get a loan. Often times, they apply to multiple web sites touting easy credit approvals for bad credit customers in the hopes that someone will approve a loan for them, or give a better approval than they may already have gotten elsewhere. As a credit counselor, explain that, for the most part, dealers work with all the same lenders. While there may be one or two new lenders out in the market, you know and work with virtually all available lenders. Explain that the call back from these lenders is based on the information provided, and as such, will not vary from dealer to dealer. As a matter of fact, explain to them that multiple applications can lead a lender to turndown an application due to “excessive inquiries”, which may cause a lender to think that the customer is trying to buy multiple vehicles at different dealers.

Setting customer’s expectations to reality is sometimes the hardest part of the counseling function. Explain to a customer that lenders aren’t in it just to help a dealership sell a car, but to insure that they can collect on the loan. Giving a customer a loan that a lender thinks the customer can’t afford does no one any good. Lenders don’t want to make a loan today only to repossess the vehicle tomorrow; they make their money only if they can collect the payments. Explain that, in order to help rebuild their credit; customers with credit issues must “crawl before they walk”. This is all part of the process of rebuilding their credit. There has to be a strong foundation to build on; no one builds a house from the roof down!

Lenders realize that credit challenges usually result in setbacks for these customers. Your job is to help them overcome these setbacks. This is typically the beginning of the process to rebuild their credit. They have to start out with a vehicle that not only will fit their budget, but provide reliable transportation while they rebuild their payment history. Once favorable payment history is on their credit bureau, they can move up to a better vehicle with more favorable terms.

Let you customers know your dealership will be there in the future to let them know when the time is right to make that move. As their automotive credit counselor, you are in touch with to help move them along the path to better credit! Not only will they get an auto loan with your help, but by paying this loan on time, they are well on their way to a credit card and maybe even a mortgage. You can even provide them with a list of banks that provide Visa or MasterCard accounts to folks with credit challenges, or with information which may help them improve their credit reports for free, instead of throwing money away on a scam “credit repair” company.

To review the credit counseling process:

• Review the credit application
• Review the credit bureau
• Look for positive as well as negative references
• Explain the process
• Explain SAW and how a lender looks at the application
• Review debt-to-income and payment-to-income ratios
• Determine the available down payment
• Set the customer’s expectations to reality
• Review the qualifying vehicles
• Review how to improve the loan
• Explain the credit rebuilding process
• Explain “credit shopping”
• The effect of excessive inquiries

Being a credit counselor before the sale will help you close that many more special finance sales. Take the time to talk to your customers about their credit situation and show that you can provide some answers to their problem. If you do this up front, you will establish a relationship with these customers that will allow you to maintain control over the sales process, which is essential for special finance. Not only that, but it prevent you from educating a customer you thought was a no sale, only to send him somewhere else to buy a vehicle.

Geoff Cohen is a seasoned auto professional, with over 30 years experience. He has done it all, from sales rep to F&I Manager, New Car Manager, Used Vehicle Manager, up to GSM and GM. He has also worked as an area sales manager for a major sub-prime lender as well as run his own BHPH and Auto Leasing/Brokerage company.. He is the National Accounts Manager for AutoLending Network and is a contributing author to several blogs about Special Finance solutions for auto dealers as well as F&I Magazine and World of Special Finance Magazine