(BPT) - It’s always a good time to reassess financial goals and work toward improving your overall financial health. No matter what your financial goals may be, having the right information and tools in place is key to getting you on track to take control of your credit.


Taking the first step towards financial wellness can provide a sense of empowerment as you get rid of everyday financial stressors, which is why many see a positive connection between financial control and self-perception. Though increasing your credit score might seem daunting, following these healthy credit behaviors can help you make positive changes to your financial health and even your personal well-being.


Understand your credit: When starting on your journey to better financial health, begin by familiarizing yourself with your current credit standing, as well as understanding what factors may be negatively impacting your credit score. A great place to start is with your Annual Credit Report, which provides one free credit report each year from all three nationwide credit reporting agencies. The information in these reports directly impacts credit scores, so it’s important to carefully review for any factors that could cause your score to be lower than it should be. This TransUnion Credit Score Overview is also a helpful educational resource and provides tips towards building a healthier credit standing.


Review your report and take action: While assessing your credit report, carefully review for any inaccuracies or problem areas that may negatively affect your credit score. For instance, high accumulations of debt such as maxed out credits cards and unpaid bills will likely be reflected in your credit report. Unpaid collections are also commonly reported delinquencies that can cause a big hit, even when as low as $100 or less. Prioritize addressing these smaller problem areas first before they get worse. Inaccurate information caused by identity theft can also lower your credit score and should be disputed online.


Create a plan for better credit: After resolving any outstanding issues identified while reviewing your credit report, create a plan towards improving your financial health, which should include:


1) On-time payments: Paying your bills on time and in full each month is key as it builds a positive history of on-time payments and responsible credit use.

2) Credit utilization: It is recommended to maintain a low credit utilization ratio, that is, how much of your available credit you’re using at any given time. It is recommended that you use no more than 30 percent of the available credit, otherwise, your score could be suffering.

3) Evaluate your credit cards: Before opening or closing any credit cards, do your research on the different types of credit cards and the benefits they have. Do one or more of your cards have an annual fee that you could live without? Strategize which cards you use regularly and keep daily spending concentrated to one or two cards total. However, don’t close an old account just because you aren’t using it. Longstanding credit accounts are vital for building credit as this demonstrates a responsible credit history.


Remain vigilant about credit monitoring and protection: Once you’re in control of your credit, the next step is to be diligent about monitoring your credit and cautious about your personal information, which includes fraud protection. Fraudsters may take out loans, lines of credit, or rent apartments in your name, which can negatively affect your credit if it results in a non-payment. If you think your information has been compromised, you can protect your credit by freezing it at all three credit reporting agencies. With TransUnion, you can simply freeze and unfreeze your credit with the touch of a button through the myTransUnion app at any time.


Understanding and managing personal information is vital to achieving life goals such as owning a home, financing your education or having the convenience of credit cards for everyday purchases. With responsible financial behaviors, discipline and consistency, you’ll be on your way to improving your credit, and in turn, feeling more confident about your overall financial health.


For more information, visit TransUnion.com.

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(BPT) - Are you feeling good about your finances? Or do phrases like “account balance,” “credit score” and “retirement savings” give you a twinge of anxiety?

Don’t worry, you’re in good company. Only 24 percent of millennials have basic financial literacy, according to the National Endowment for Financial Education. When it comes to getting their financial house in order, most millennials would prefer not to set foot in that proverbial house in the first place. Getting yourself out of debt and building enough savings to cover your expenses in an emergency is a marathon, not a sprint. Small, incremental changes in your financial habits today can make a big difference in your financial health months or even years from now.

Take these steps today to spruce up your money management process and get yourself on the path to financial health.

* Check your credit score. Before you start the work of realigning your finances, you should check your credit score and review your credit report. It helps to know where you stand financially, and the good news is, even if your credit score is not as high as you’d like it to be, you can take steps to improve it. Establishing a history of on-time payments and maintaining a healthy credit utilization ratio are two things that could improve your credit score quickly. One way to access your credit score without any cost is to find out if your bank or lender offers your VantageScore through their website.

* Knock down your debt. Track down all your accounts — checking, savings, investment, credit cards and other loans — and do the math to find out your net worth. That’s your benchmark to help you track your progress. In the beginning, the truth can hurt, however, knowing how much you have in savings and knowing how much you owe gives you a valuable blueprint for where you need to direct your energy. From there, put together a household budget, and figure out where you can trim expenses, so you can pay ahead on your debts, one account at a time.

* Automate your savings. You’re much more likely to accumulate savings when you make the decision once and let the rest happen automatically. Log onto your bank account and set up an automatic transfer from checking to savings, starting with a small amount, preferably timed with your regular pay day. If you can manage to set aside $85 a month, in a year’s time, you’ll have set aside a full $1,000. That’s a decent emergency fund for things like car repairs and doctor bills.

* Open a retirement account. Here’s another way to automate savings. If you haven’t done so already, start contributing to a retirement plan. Even better, if your employer makes a plan and a match available to employees, sign up as soon as you can. If you can’t afford to contribute the full amount to get the full match, start with a small percentage, and slowly add on.

Taking the first steps to gain control of your finances isn’t easy. Setting up good financial habits today can leave you in a better place tomorrow. Test your credit score knowledge at CreditScoreQuiz.org, and be sure to visit VantageScore Solutions to learn what things influence your score, and what you can do to improve it.

(BPT) - By now it is something of a cliche to call homeownership the American dream. But even if sitting on your own deck, looking over your picket fence and sipping lemonade doesn’t move you, homeownership is still one of the best ways to build wealth.

For many, owning a home is cheaper than renting and, in the long run, the biggest investment they will ever make. It is also a practical financial move thanks to the fact that you're likely building equity while getting a mortgage interest tax break.

So although it is perfectly fine to dream about backyard barbecues and the smell of fresh-cut grass, the path to owning your own home should also involve taking the time to do some financial sightseeing.

As a leader in creating credit scoring models, VantageScore Solutions has made it a priority to educate consumers on the important role a good credit history plays in buying a home.

Whether you’re about to set out to buy your first home or if you are getting ready to sell and buy another home, here are the basics of how credit impacts the home-buying process.

Basics

If you are like most people, you will probably need to take out a loan. If you are able to pay cash for your home instead, count yourself among the lucky few!

A huge part of taking out a loan involves your credit history and credit score. Basically, you must prove to lenders that you can be a responsible borrower and can be trusted with a mortgage of many thousands of dollars. A strong credit score may provide proof of this trustworthiness.

Different types of loans have different credit requirements. Some loans require you to have a credit score of at least 620, although it is possible (with some difficulty) to be approved for a loan with a credit score as low as 580. But getting loan approval is only part of the story.

Better credit, better rate

Home loans come in all shapes and sizes. Some are fixed interest mortgages, some have adjustable rates or longer terms and the list of variables goes on. Just like anything else, some loans are better for you than others. To get the loan that has the lowest interest rate, which right now is around 4 percent, usually requires a higher credit score. Rates can be considerably higher when you have a lower credit score, and the result is paying significantly more monthly over the life of the loan.

The reason is that a higher credit score demonstrates that you are skilled at managing debt and have a history of responsibly paying back many types of loans. Therefore, the lender is taking on less risk when lending you money. The less risk for them, the better the interest rate for you.

While there are, of course, more nuances to the process, your credit score plays an instrumental role in determining the type of loan you may qualify for. Therefore, before you go to your first open house, check your credit score to better understand the factors that typically impact your scores. Many websites provide free access to your VantageScore, which is a perfectly fine barometer to use to directionally gauge your creditworthiness. Mortgage lenders use FICO scores in their underwriting.

You can stay on top of things by subscribing to the monthly credit scoring newsletter, The Score. In The Score, you can find information on VantageScore 4.0, the fourth-generation scoring model that will be available to consumers in early 2018.

Knowing your credit history and understanding the factors that could impact your credit score will help you plan, budget and come up with a realistic wish list for your house.

(BPT) - Low interest rates, a strong economy and the turn of the seasons are all causing the real estate market to heat up. More homes on the market bring more competition to buy the inventory that is out there. And one way to stand apart from other buyers who are vying for their dream home is to take steps to improve your credit score now.

"Preparing your finances is a must before the busy real estate season," says Barrett Burns, president and CEO of credit score model developer VantageScore Solutions. "Knowing your credit scores and making improvements is essential to getting the best loan at the best rates. This also makes you a more attractive home buyer, especially in a competitive market."

With limited time, you may think there's nothing you can do to improve your score. Burns says that's an incorrect assumption. While you can't make dramatic jumps in just a couple months, there are several steps you can take that may influence your score to increase enough to get you prequalified for the loan you want.

Keep in mind, lenders will pull your scores from all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), so it's wise to check your credit report from each of them. You can do so for free once every 12 months at AnnualCreditReport.com. For best results, monitor at least one credit score from each of the bureaus. You also can check your credit score for free through a large number of online services, such as CreditKarma.com, NerdWallet.com or Credit.com. Other sites offering free VantageScore credit scores can be found at VantageScore.com/free.

Once you have your reports in hand, you can take steps that may have a positive impact on your scores.

Step 1: Check for errors

A credit report gives a comprehensive list of your lines of credit and payment history. The first step is to review your credit report for errors and take steps to make corrections, including past and present names, loan amounts and credit cards in your name.

When checking your credit score, bear in mind that some differences in credit scores across bureaus is normal. But if one of the three credit scores is an extreme outlier, it could be worth double-checking your credit report from that bureau to make sure it doesn't reflect any questionable or erroneous activity.

Step 2: Don't miss a payment

Creditors are interested in seeing how you manage credit, and the consistency of behavior counts. You should always pay at least the minimum amount due on bills on time every month. An easy way to ensure you don't miss a payment is to sign up for automatic bill pay when available.

Step 3: Lower credit utilization levels

Credit utilization is the ratio of a credit card balance to the credit limit. If your balance is $5,000 and your credit limit is $10,000, then your credit utilization for that credit card is 50 percent. In general, a good credit utilization is less than 30 percent, so if you have a higher ratio, consider using your tax refund to pay down this debt.

Step 4: Don't close old credit cards

If you have a credit card that is no longer used but was previously paid off on time each month, don't close the account. Not only is this good for your credit utilization ratio, but it also is another indicator you're a responsible candidate for a loan.

Step 5: Don't apply for new credit

Avoid applying for any new credit, such as an auto loan or a new credit card account, between now and the time you will close on a home purchase. Lenders considering your loan application request your credit score from one or more credit bureaus. And these lender "inquiries" are recorded with one or more of the three national credit bureaus, which may lower your credit score by 10 to 20 points. The score decreases typically only last a few months, as long as you continue to make payments on time. But unless they're absolutely necessary, try to avoid additional inquiries until after you've secured your mortgage.

If you follow these five steps, you may see an increase in your score within a few months so you can get a loan and be an attractive buyer when it comes time to put in a bid for your dream home.

Keep in mind, the more you can put toward the down payment, the more instant equity you’ll have, the lower your monthly payment will be, and the better your chances are of not needing private mortgage insurance (PMI), which can add hundreds of dollars to your monthly payment.
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Plus, if you’re able to put down more than a lender requires, a mortgage company may be willing to give you a pass on other issues on your application, such as a less-than-stellar credit score.

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(BPT) - Sponsored Ad content from Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc.

You wouldn't dream of going somewhere you've never been before without first getting directions. So, why would you go through life without a plan to help meet your financial goals?

"An ongoing household budget is essential, whether it's helping you save for retirement or buy your first house," says Eric Hamilton, president of Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance. "A budget can help you avoid common mistakes along the way by helping you live within your means while planning for the future."

If you've never had a budget before, you may be unsure how to begin. Building a budget can be easy as long as you follow a few simple steps:
* Establish your financial goals. Do you want to be debt free? Buy a new home? Build an emergency fund? Save for retirement? Setting financial goals can help guide the budgeting process.
* Determine your total monthly household income. This should include net income (the final amount of take-home pay after all taxes and deductions) for every working member of the household, including any government aid received, child support, alimony, pensions, etc. Knowing the total income gives you a starting point for your budget.
* Calculate your monthly expenses. It may be helpful to break expenses into categories, such as home, utilities, long term debt, medical, auto, groceries and personal. Personal can include items like clothing, entertainment, dining out, etc. It is helpful to review your cash spending, bank statements and receipts over the past few months to give you a better idea of your spending habits. Check with your bank for tools offered, such as online banking or a mobile app to track of spending on the go.
* Identify where you can reduce spending. After you've assessed your spending habits, you might be surprised to find areas where you can cut back. Small changes in your lifestyle can make a big difference to your budget. For example, instead of buying lunch every day, you could take your lunch to work or school.
* Less spending means saving more money. Be sure to set aside these new freed-up funds and allocate them toward your goals. If you're trying to save for a new home or down payment, view your personal savings as a must-pay fund that's as important as your rent or car payment.
* Periodically reassess your budget. Life is full of changes, such as fluctuations in income and shifting priorities. It's important to go back over your budget from time to time to help ensure you are on track to achieve your financial goals.

Determine if you are financially ready to support a new monthly mortgage payment with Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance's budget worksheet. Download a copy at www.vmfhomeloan.com.

Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc., 500 Alcoa Trail, Maryville, TN 37804, 865-380-3000, NMLS #1561, (http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/), AZ Lic. #BK-0902616, Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lenders Law license, GA Residential Mortgage (Lic. #6911), Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee, Licensed by the NH Banking Department, MT Lic. #1561, Licensed by PA Dept. of Banking.

If you’ve used any kind of credit before, you probably have a basic understanding of interest — it’s the money lenders charge in exchange for allowing you to use their funds to make a purchase. While the basic concept is simple, mortgage interest rates can be complex and differing.

“Many factors go into determining the interest rate your lender will offer you,” says Eric Hamilton, president of Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance. “By understanding the factors that influence your interest rate, you can obtain the best possible mortgage plan and get into the home of your dreams quicker.”

A variety of factors determines your interest rate, including:

* Down payment — Just as you put money down on a new car, mortgage lenders like to see down payments from homebuyers. A down payment not only reduces the total amount you need to borrow, but it also shows the lender you are able to manage money. Different lenders require different amounts for a down payment, but most would likely view 10-20 percent of the home’s purchase price to be a good down payment.

* Collateral — This is the property you agree to “put up” in exchange for the loan and serves to protect the lender against a borrower’s default. If you’re buying a manufactured home, you can collateralize the loan with either the home itself or with the home and a piece of land together. For site-built homes, the loan would be collateralized with the home and land together always.

* Loan amount — The amount you need to borrow is calculated by taking the purchase price of the home, less your down payment, and adding any other expenses that will be financed as part of the loan, which could include closing costs, discount points and third party fees.

* Credit score — Lenders will want to review the credit reports and scores for everyone who is listed as a borrower on the mortgage application. With your written permission, the lender will obtain your credit report from a credit reporting agency. Generally, the better your credit score is the more likely you will be approved, plus qualify for the best available interest rate from the lender you choose.

* Origination cost — This is the amount the lender charges to process the loan application, which includes gathering and reviewing all loan application documents, underwriting and closing your home loan. This expense typically appears on your loan documents as a “loan origination fee.”

“After you apply for a mortgage, the lender should be able to give you an idea of the interest rate you’ll likely qualify for,” Hamilton says. “With that information, you can use a monthly mortgage payment calculator to estimate just how much the mortgage payment will be each month. Knowing the monthly payment can help homebuyers make better decisions about budgeting, savings, spending and investing.”

To learn more about mortgages for manufactured homes, visit www.vmfhomeloan.com.
Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc., 500 Alcoa Trail, Maryville, TN 37804, 865-380-3000, NMLS #1561, ( http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/), AZ Lic. #BK-0902616, Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lenders Law license, GA Residential Mortgage (Lic. #6911), Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee, Licensed by the NH Banking Department, MT Lic. #1561, Licensed by PA Dept. of Banking.