A Good Credit Rating Can...

Staying on top of your credit may reduce the amount you'll pay, for everything from insurance to installment loans. Having good credit provides the consumer the ability to negotiate better rates and offers greater avenues for financial freedom. Benefits of a good credit score:

• Qualifying for lower payments and better rates
• Less documentation and hassle
• Credit line increases
• Greater Financial flexibility

lf you have less than perfect credit, its important to take steps to gradually improve your credit score. Once you have good credit, it's imperative to maintain that credit. With a growing number of delinquencies, foreclosures and the overall state of the economy, credit underwriters are scrutinizing a consumers payment history and willingness to pay greater than ever before.

A Bad Credit Rating Can...

Being credit challenged can create many financial obstacles, such as:

• Higher rates on loans and insurance
• Being declined for new accounts
• Declined Credit line increases
• Hinder your ability to obtain many jobs, apartments or insurance plans

Good credit can be established a number of ways. ln financial terms, credit scores are affected positively when a person has been successful at making timely and complete payments for all of their debts. These debts may include credit cards, automobile loans, rent payments, utility bills, loan repayments and other types of financial obligations that require you to make an ongoing payment.

About Credit Scoring

Your credit score is a three-digit number, also known as a your FICO score. Lenders, lnsurers, Employers, Government agencies, Medical offices and even landlords may use this score to evaluate applicants. The scores range from 300 to 850, 300 being highest risk and 850 almost no risk. Lenders use different parameters to better evaluate your score and calculate your ability to repay an outstanding obligation. lt is often for this reason that you may have different scores in relation to each credit reporting agency.

Free Credit Reports

The three nationwide consumer reporting companies (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) have setup one central website, tollfree telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. To order:

• Click on www.annualcreditreport.com
• Call 877-322-8228
• Or Complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

We at Jacobs Marsh strongly encourage all consumers to monitor their credit reports monthly and order all free credit reports annually. You may order your free credit reports from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies at once, or you may order them individually. The law allows you to order one free copy of your credit report from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies annually.