Improving Your Credit Score

Bill Fraser • Jun 17, 2020

Along with employment stability, and downpayment/equity, your credit score and how you manage your credit is a huge factor in qualifying for a mortgage. If you want the best interest rates available on the market, the higher your credit score the better.

However, if you've had credit mishaps in the past, don't let it stop you from improving your score now. Everyone has a credit score, and regardless of where it is on the scale of 300-900, there is always room for improvement. So here are some things to consider that will help boost your credit score.

Make all your payments on time. This is so important. Probably the most important factor. When any lender extends credit to you, you agree to make payments on a schedule. When you break that schedule, you show the lender you can't be trusted. The lender reports the missed payments to the credit reporting agencies, and your credit score is lowered. It's that simple. So what if you miss a payment? The second you realize it, or have the money, make the payment. It's also a good idea to contact the lender, let them know what happened and tell them that the payment has been made. Although lenders only report after payments have been missed for 30 days, don't let that stop you from making all your payments on time.

Stop acquiring new credit. Assuming you have at least 2 different trade lines with a minimum $2500 balance each, you shouldn't just go out and acquire new credit. Now, if you need a car loan, that's fine, make an application, but having more credit available to you just for the sake of it doesn't help your credit score. In fact, each time a lender looks at your credit report, it will lower your credit score a little bit.

Keep a reasonable balance. The more credit you use compared to the limit, the less credit worthy you will appear. So it's better to carry a minimal balance compared to maxing out your credit cards, and just making the minimum payments. It's a good idea to keep your spending to 20%-30% of the limit of the card or line of credit. That shows good utilization.

Check your credit report periodically. Did you know that roughly 20% of credit reports have misinformation on them? Mistakes happen all the time, lenders misreport information, people with the same names get merged reports, you miss a final bill from a utility and it gets sent to collection without you knowing. By checking your credit periodically, you can stay on top of everything and correct any errors before they become a problem. Equifax Canada has a great program. As does Transunion.

Pay out collections immediately. It happens more than you would think. Closed cell phone contracts with a small balance owing, or a utility final billing that got missed, parking tickets, or wage garnishments, or spousal support payments. They can all show up on your credit bureau, and they won't drop off until they are handled. So if you have any of these on your credit report, you should consider taking care of them as soon as possible. Then make sure to follow up, and ensure they have been removed.

Use your credit card. On the other side of the coin, you want to make sure that you at least periodically use your credit at least every three months. Loan payments are great in that they come out of your account on a schedule, if you only have credit cards, and never use them, there is a chance the lender might not report your usage, and that won't help your credit score. A simple way to go is to use a credit card for gas and groceries, and pay it off every month.

So there you have it, regardless of what your credit looks like now, if you follow the points outlined above, you will continue to increase your credit score.

If you would like to work through your credit report with me, and put together a plan so you can qualify for a mortgage, please don't hesitate to contact me anytime!

BILL FRASER
OWNER / MORTGAGE EXPERT

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT CONTACT ME
RECENT POSTS

RRSP As A Downpayment

By Bill Fraser • 14 May, 2024
Did you know there’s a program that allows you to use your RRSP to help come up with your downpayment to buy a home? It’s called the Home Buyer’s Plan (or HBP for short), and it’s made possible by the government of Canada. While the program is pretty straightforward, there are a few things you need to know. Your first home (with some exceptions) To qualify, you need to be buying your first home. However, when you look into the fine print, you find that technically, you must not have owned a home in the last four years or have lived in a house that your spouse owned in the previous four years. Another exception is for those with a disability or those helping someone with a disability. In this case, you can withdraw from an RRSP for a home purchase at any time. You have to pay back the RRSP You have 15 years to pay back the RRSP, and you start the second year after the withdrawal. While you won’t pay any tax on this particular withdrawal, it does come with some conditions. You’ll have to pay back the total amount you withdrew over 15 years. The CRA will send you an HBP Statement of Account every year to advise how much you owe the RRSP that year. Your repayments will not count as contributions as you’ve already received the tax break from those funds. Access to funds The funds you withdraw from the RRSP must have been there for at least 90 days. You can still technically withdraw the money from your RRSP and use it for your down-payment, but it won’t be tax-deductible and won’t be part of the HBP. You can access up to $35,000 individually or $70,00 per couple through the HBP. Please connect anytime if you’d like to know more about the HBP and how it could work for you as you plan your downpayment. It would be a pleasure to work with you.

Selling Your Property? Let's Talk

By Bill Fraser • 30 Apr, 2024
If you’ve been thinking about selling your existing property, for whatever reason, it would be in your best interest to connect with an independent mortgage professional before calling your real estate agent or listing it yourself. And while talking with your mortgage professional might not sound like the most logical place to start, here are a few scenarios that explain why it makes the most sense. If you’re buying a new property If you’re selling your property, chances are, you’ll have to move somewhere! So, if you plan on buying a new property using the equity from the sale of your existing property, chances are you’ll need a new mortgage. Don’t assume that just because you’ve secured mortgage financing before, that you’ll qualify again. Mortgage rules are constantly changing; make sure you have a pre-approval in place before you list your property. Also, by connecting with a mortgage professional first, you can look into your existing mortgage terms. You might be able to port your mortgage instead of getting a new one, which could save you some money. If you’re not buying a new property Even if you aren’t buying a new property and want to sell your existing property, it’s still a good idea to connect with a mortgage professional first, as we can look at the cost of breaking your mortgage together. Unless you have an open mortgage, or a line of credit, there will be a penalty to break your mortgage. The goal is to work on a plan to minimize your penalty. Because of how mortgage penalties work, sometimes it’s just a matter of waiting a few months to save thousands. You'll never know unless you take a look at the details. Marital breakdown The simple truth is that marriages break down. When that happens, often, people want closure, and unfortunately, they make decisions without really thinking them through or seeing the full picture. So, instead of simply selling the family home because that feels like the only option, please know that special programs exist that allow one party to buy out the former spouse. The key here is to have a legal separation agreement is in place. If you’d like to discuss the sale of your property and your plans for the future, connect anytime. It would be a pleasure to work with you!
More Posts
Share by: