Insurance credit score
September 12th, 2008
Insurance companies may look at your credit history when you apply for auto and home insurance. Here is some valuable information that may help you understand how insurance companies use your credit history.
What is an insurance credit score?
A credit score is a snapshot of your credit. Insurance companies enter information from your credit history and your insurance application into a credit-scoring computer model to calculate a specific insurance credit score. Your insurance credit score ranges from 0-999, with a higher number conveying a better score.
What kind of credit information do insurers use?
Each insurer decides what information they use in the credit scoring model. Some of the more common credit factors used by insurers are:
* Major negative items – bankruptcy, collections, foreclosures and liens;
* Past payment history – number and frequency of late payments, and days between due date and payment date;
* Length of credit history – amount of time a consumer has been in the credit system.
* Homeownership – whether a consumer owns or rents property.
* Inquiries for credit – number of times a consumer recently has applied for new accounts, including mortgage loans, utility accounts and credit card accounts.
* Number of open credit lines – number of major credit cards and department store credit cards.
* Type of credit in use – major credit cards, store credit cards and finance company loans.
* Outstanding debt – how much a consumer owes compared to how much credit is available.
For more information visit http://www.autoandhomeinsurance.org/
[Keywords: auto and home insurance ]
Entry Filed under: Money Management, Credit Repair, Consumer Issues