Your FICO score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850 that indicates how likely you are to repay your debts. It is the score most often used by lenders when deciding whether you qualify for a loan or credit card.
The basic principles of building business credit are similar to those for building personal credit: Make your business’s loan and credit card payments on time, keep your credit utilization low, and avoid collections. But your business credit score is marked on a different scale than your personal credit score, and it’s monitored by different credit bureaus as well.
Grace periods are the time between graduation and when you need to start making payments on your student loans. Deferment allows you to stop making payments so you can return to school. Forbearance stops the payment requirement due to hardship. But caution is needed when using each of these options. Interest is most likely accruing while you are not making payments.
Most credit cards require a very good credit score of 700 or higher. And cards with lots of perks, like travel and cash back rewards, typically ask for excellent scores of 750+. But that doesn’t mean you can’t qualify for a credit card with a lower score — you just need to apply for the right one.
Your grace period is almost over and soon you’ll have to pay back your student loans. Here is every possible way you could do that.
Subsidized loans mean Uncle Sam helps you out with interest while you’re in school or deferment. With unsubsidized loans, Uncle Sam’s no help and interest starts accruing the minute you get your loan money—and it’s all on you to pay it back.
How you manage your living expenses during grad school will make a big difference in how much student debt you need to repay. Learn how to minimize how much you need to borrow to cover your living costs during graduate school.
There are a number of ways to build credit quickly without going into debt. Compare co-signers, starter credit cards, credit-builder loans, and other options to see which is best for you.
Student loans make college — and, increasingly, a middle-class life — attainable. But you should fully understand how student loans work before taking them out.
Financing a car doesn’t automatically increase your credit score. However, it does diversify your credit mix and give you the opportunity to build up your credit history — two factors that can definitely increase your score.