If you are considering buying a home or refinancing, the subject of credit scores has undoubtedly come up. So, what is a credit score and how does it impact you?

Understanding the Credit Score and Mortgage Relationship

In the 1960s, the concept of credit scores came to fruition. A company by the name of Fair Isaac Corp developed a system whereby credit reports could be summarized as a score. This score, known as a FICO score, could be used by lenders to determine the credit worthiness of a potential borrower. The highest FICO score you can have is 850 while the lowest is 350. Where you fall on the scale determines the type of loan you will get.

Cutting the chase, a credit score is a factual summary of your credibility. What it tells a lender is how you have behaved from a financial perspective over a period of years. If you have regularly missed credit card payments, the lender is going to consider it an indication you will be likely to miss mortgage payments as well. Obviously, that is going to result in a denial of your loan application or vicious terms in the lender