Saturday, February 28, 2009

The Need for a Bad Credit Lender

By Peter Dreams

There are times when a bad credit lender comes in handy. In hard times, they serve a useful purpose. And what's called "bad credit lending" can vary. Also, so do the standards for what truly is bad credit. Most of the time anybody with a credit score below 500 is thought to have bad credit. This is according to the Fair Isaac Credit Organization (FICO).

How Credit is Determined: There are several credit scoring agencies out there that most lenders rely on. Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian are the top three. Somehow, even though all three have different standards for scoring a person's credit, they all seem to be pretty close to each other. We do know that these agencies use a number of different factors when deciding scores.

Giving Loans to People With Bad Credit: There are many lenders out there who specialize in people who may have bad credit scores. Known, as "sub-prime lenders," they're able to many times give a loan when most traditional lenders can't or won't. But, their loans can cost more, in terms of interest. Still, people of high character but poor credit, for one reason or another, may need to use these lenders. This is especially true in tough times.

Lender Interest Rates: Because these kinds of lenders deal in sub-prime finance markets, the cost of the money they may lend to you is going to be more dear. Interest rates can range from only a few points above prime to near the legal interest limit. If you think you're going to need a high-interest, "bad credit" loan, do some research before you get on.

Beware Loan-Shark Lending: Sub-prime lending serves a useful purpose, especially when truly good people fall on poor credit issues. Some probably have nobody else to turn to in tight credit markets. It's best to keep an eye out, though, for lending which resembles loan sharking in appearance. By this, we mean tacking on double surcharges, extending the life of the loan without permission, and funny service charges, for example.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment