The undisclosed cost of trended credit data

 Credit Scoring  Comments Off on The undisclosed cost of trended credit data
Aug 222016
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

You may have heard that lenders are going to start using credit reports with “trended data.” Credit bureaus claim it will increase the number of borrowers with excellent credit.

Currently, your credit report is a snapshot in time of your credit usage. The report shows your current account balances, limits, and minimum payments. A trended credit report shows how those amounts have varied over the last two years. Thus, it augments usage with insights into your credit habits. Do you pay off your credit cards each month? Do you pay more than the minimum balance? A trended report will reveal these habits.

What you may not have heard is how trended data reports will effect your closing costs. The credit bureaus are charging more for all the extra data, and that cost gets passed on to you, the loan applicant. It appears the credit report fees you see on your closing statement will jump by about $10.

Will your credit score improve with trended data?

 Credit Scoring  Comments Off on Will your credit score improve with trended data?
Apr 252016
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Fannie Mae has announced that this summer it’s going to require that lenders start using “trended” credit data to qualify borrowers. What in the world is trended credit data and how will its use affect your ability to qualify for a mortgage?

Currently, your credit report is a snapshot in time of your credit usage. The report shows your current account balances, limits, and minimum payments. A trended credit report shows how those amounts have varied over the last two years. Thus, it augments usage with insights into your credit habits. Do you pay off your credit cards each month? Do you pay more than the minimum balance? A trended report will reveal these habits.

TransUnion claims credit scores based on trended data will increase the number of what it calls prime and super-prime consumers by more than 3 million. Analysts expect those who pay off their credit card debt every month will see their scores rise. Other winners may include folks whose trended data shows their revolving balances decreasing over time.