If you are in the process of taking out a mortgage or refinancing your current mortgage there are steps you can take to get a better interest rate. Here is what you need to do before applying to improve your interest rate.
Clean Up Your Credit
The interest rate you will qualify for largely depends on the state of your credit. At least six months before you start applying for a mortgage you need to tune up your credit. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) in the United States you can dispute any information found in your credit reports.
Obtaining your credit reports is the first step. Recent legislation in the United States requires the three credit agencies to provide one free copy of your credit report every year. The three agencies are Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian. You can request the free copies by visiting the website annualcreditreport.com.
If you find errors on any of your credit reports you need to dispute them. The credit agency has thirty days to investigate the error once you report it to them. If they are unable to verify the accuracy of the information in question the agency is required by law to delete it from your file.
Some experts state that nearly eighty percent of the records maintained by the credit agencies contain inaccurate information. It is however, your responsibility to ensure your individual records are accurate. If you find errors the credit agencies are required to forward your claim to the creditor in question. If the creditor believes the information is accurate they may resubmit it to your credit; if his happens you will need to settle the dispute with that creditor.
Once you have verified that the information found in your credit reports is accurate you need to concentrate on your repayment history. It is important to have a record of making on-time payments. For at least six months before applying for a mortgage or home equity loan make sure you are making your mortgage and credit card payments on time.
The information found in your credit reports, including your repayment history, is used to calculate your FICO score. By taking the steps outlined in this article you will improve your FICO score and the mortgage interest rate you will qualify for.
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Louie Latour is a mortgage professional and the owner of RefiAdvisor.com, a mortgage resource site offering a free gift for homeowners: "Mortgage Refinance - What You Need to Know." This guidebook helps homeowners avoid common mortgage mistakes and predatory lending practices.
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