‘Tis the season to do shopping — and get bombarded with offers to open credit cards.
The deals are tempting, too. ”Open a charge card today” and save up to 20% on your purchase. Considering that the average Black Friday ticket was $343, that’s $68 saved per store.
For big-ticket items like televisions, the savings are even bigger.
But for people in the market for a new home — or looking to refinance — taking advantage of in-store savings could be a long-term money loser.
Every time you apply for a credit card, your credit score drops.
According to myFICO.com, “new credit” accounts for 85 out of 850 possible credit scoring points. New credit is defined by such traits as:
Shoppers with few open credit cards are more likely to see their scores drop than shoppers with many cards.
Regardless, a credit score is worth protecting because of how mortgage rates are calculated. A conventional mortgage applicant with 20% equity whose FICO is 720-739 will be offered rates 0.125% higher than a comparable applicant at 740.
Having a low credit score can be expensive.
It is okay to take advantage of in-store savings during the holiday shopping season, but it’s also important to be aware of how your credit score may be affected.
If you’re not applying for a mortgage in the next six months, you’ll likely be alright. But, on the other hand, if you know you’ll need your FICO soon, consider whether saving 15 percent on a $343 ticket is worth the long-term cost of a higher mortgage rate.
The basis of most mortgage lending is credit scoring. In general, the higher a person’s credit score, the lower his offered mortgage interest rate.
Despite the many credit scoring models in use today, however, just 3 are relevant to American homeowners:
Generically, these scoring models generate what are commonly known as “FICO” scores.
FICO scores are measurements of probability. The higher a person’s credit score, by definition, the less likely a person is to default on his home loan. This is one reason why credit scoring has added importance lately — mortgage lenders are very careful about what they’re lending and to whom.
Notably, minimum FICO thresholds have been added to all types of mortgage loans.
FICO scoring has 5 main components as listed above. Payment history and credit capacity are two of the largest pieces, but a myriad of other factors contribute to a credit score, too. For example, the longer your reported history of managing credit, the more favorably your credit score will respond.
This is one reason why closing a credit card can damage your credit score — it wipes out the “reported history”.
The myFICO.com website does a terrific job with credit education, explaining in plain language the ins-and-out of credit scoring and ways to boost your score. It also makes a free, 20-page PDF available for download.
Whether you’re a homeowner or lifetime renter — this is good stuff to know. Call me with any questions.
During the holiday season, retailers bombard shoppers with at-the-register offers to “open a charge card and save 15%”.
It’s an immediate money-saver, but for Americans in the market for a new home loan, taking advantage of the in-store savings could be a long-term loser.
This is because new credit card applications are damaging to credit scores. According to myFICO.com, “new credit” accounts for 10 percent of a credit score; recent applications may signal weakness in a borrower’s profile.
Meanwhile, conforming mortgage lenders make rate adjustments for low credit scoring applicants. As an example, a home buyer with a 20 downpayment and a 715 credit score would face an interest rate adjustment of 0.125%.
Below 700, the adjustments are even worse.
It’s okay to take advantage of in-store savings during the holiday season, but be aware of how it may impact your credit score. If you’re not applying for a new home loan in the next six months, chances are that you’ll be alright.
But, if you will need a new home loan, consider whether saving 15 percent on a $200 purchase is worth it if the long-term cost is paying an extra 0.125 percent on your new mortgage.
First Heritage Mortgage, LLC
6550 Rock Spring Drive, Suite 260, Bethesda, Maryland 20817-1131
Direct: 240.223.1730 • Toll-free: 866.833.LOAN • Fax: 240.223.1703
