It is easy to get loans today, but not easy to get low-interest loans. Today banks charge a huge amount of money in the form of interest, which will give you cold feet even before you meet the bank manager to approve your loan.
The truth is that lower your interest rate, the easier it gets to pay off your loan. There are certain loan strategies that you need to learn if you want to save up on your loan interest amount.
Read on to find out how you can get low interest on loans.
Repair your credit score
One of the best ways to get low-interest loans is to have a decent credit score. If you have bad credit and are planning to apply for a loan soon, try to repair the score as much as you can. You can do so by catching up with past payments that you are yet to clear. Another way to do so is by limiting your credit card use and spending less.
Irrespective of where you take the loan from, it is in your best interest to keep your credit score good from day one.
Pay attention to whom you borrow from
A common mistake many people make is that they go to big banks to get a loan from and settle for the first quote that they come across. This is the worst thing to do. Most of the times, big banks charge a fortune in the form of interest on small mortgage loans. Instead, you should check with local credit unions and small banks that are most likely to give you better low-interest loans.
Consider setting up an automatic payment
Banks appreciate when you as a customer sign up for automatic payment option. Thereby, you do not have to worry about the payment deadlines and personally making the payments. It is noticed that because the banks want people to pay their money on time, they come up with beneficial offers that will give you a lower interest rate if you set up an automatic payment option while taking a loan.
Search for online lenders
Today, there are many digital lenders who give you a loan at a much lower interest rate compared to the traditional lenders like banks and credit unions. Search for an online lender who is affiliated with a reputed physical financial institution if you are planning to consider online lenders as your option.
Take your time to do thorough research before you sign the fine print and take the loan.
There are companies that work on collecting and maintaining credit information of consumers. These are known as credit reporting agencies (CRAs). There are three such major CRAs in the country, namely Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Apart from these, there are other smaller-scale agencies too that specialize at the job. If you’re worried about “where to get my credit score?,” the larger CRAs are the most reliable bets.
These major CRAs obtain information from companies that you hold business and transactions with. People or companies that lend you money regularly report to these CRAs on your repaying status. There is also detailed information on the amount you are indebted and whether you have ever defaulted on your payments. Aside from the reports obtained from lenders, these companies also tally your general records based on certain other aspects. Some of these aspects are your public records from the local and state judiciary. These include your tax records and bankruptcy information. This information makes up an important chunk of your credit score and its report.
Equifax
Present in 24 countries, Equifax is an agency that offers consumers protection against identity theft and credit fraudulence. They also sell credit reports and credit monitoring assistance to businesses.
Experian
Experian started off in London and is now a trusted agency in 39 different countries. It provides you with a credit score, credit report, and even credit tracker on subscription. The agency uses FICO 8 system of credit score calculation. Experian was a part of Forbes’ “World’s Most Innovative Companies” in 2018.
TransUnion
Based across 30 countries with a database of over 1 billion consumers, TransUnion is another CRA giant. The agency, like the other ones, will provide you with your credit score and your credit reports. In case you decide to freeze your TransUnion credit report, it will also go the extra mile to notify Equifax and Experian, which frankly is a big help especially in case of identity theft and credit fraud.
So, the next time you are sat wondering “where to get my credit score?,” think of these three giants that provide you with an annual credit score and credit report for free once each year. However, if you are looking for more frequent updates, you can subscribe to their services and receive your monthly updates.
Did you know that you have more than a single credit score? Agencies calculate your credit score based on the data in your credit reports. If you are wondering, “where to get my credit score?,” there are three main credit reporting agencies. These can have different credit scores for you if your information on each of their credit reports is different. Also, these agencies charge a fee to reveal your credit score.
Recently, it has become easier to track and get hold of your credit score without paying any fees. You can get it from your credit card company, your loan provider, and even from a non-profit counselor. Here are a few tips you can use to check your score.