7 Sneaky Ways Some Banks Ding Your Credit Score
Unlocking the mysteries of credit scores is often as complex as it is crucial. While banks play a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining our creditworthiness, they can also inadvertently chip away at your credit score without your knowledge.
Here are a handful of less obvious ways your banking activities could be putting dents in your credit score.
1. Avoiding Credit Altogether
Many people make the error of avoiding credit completely, hoping it’s the safest path. However, not having any credit history at all can make it hard to demonstrate financial reliability. Banks can’t evaluate your creditworthiness if you don’t have any evidence of handling credit responsibly.
2. Applying for Numerous Credit Lines Simultaneously
It may seem like a wise move to apply for multiple credit lines at the same time, but banks view this behavior differently. Each application triggers a hard inquiry, which, if accumulated, could signal financial distress to potential lenders, thus lowering your credit score.
3. Holding High Credit Card Balances
Even if you consistently meet your payment deadlines, maintaining high credit card balances can adversely affect your credit score. Banks prefer a low credit utilization ratio, ideally less than 30%. This ratio represents the proportion of your available credit that you’re actually using.
4. Precipitous Account Closures
Rushing to close a paid-off account may seem like a prudent step, but it can unintentionally harm your credit score. Closing an account reduces your total available credit, making any existing debt seem more significant and increasing your credit utilization ratio.
5. Neglecting Payments
The most fundamental rule in maintaining a healthy credit score is keeping up with payments. Banks consider your payment history as the most significant component of your credit score, contributing to 35% of it. Even a single missed payment can cause a notable dip in your credit score.
6. Hasty Loan Cosigning
While cosigning a loan might seem like a charitable act, it’s one that can negatively impact your credit score. The bank considers you as responsible for the loan as the primary borrower. If they miss a payment or default, it will reflect poorly on your credit history.
7. Letting Accounts Default
While unforeseen circumstances can lead to account defaulting, it’s a situation that can inflict severe damage to your credit score. Defaults show up on your credit report for seven to ten years, marking a red flag for potential lenders.
In the world of finance, what you don’t know can hurt you. It’s critical to understand these sneaky ways some of your banking activities may be dinging your credit score.
While some of these issues may seem minor, they can stack up over time and lead to significant credit damage. By staying informed and managing your credit wisely, you can navigate the banking world with confidence, keeping your credit score intact and even improving it over time.
Editor’s note: This article was produced via automated technology and then fine-tuned and verified for accuracy by a member of GOBankingRates’ editorial team.
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