You can survive with bad credit, but it’s not always easy and definitely not cheap. Establishing a good credit score will help you save money and make your financial life much easier. If you’re looking for reasons to maintain your good credit, here are some great benefits to having a good credit score.
The interest rate is one of the costs you pay for borrowing money and, often, the interest rate you get is directly tied to your credit score. If you have a good credit score, you’ll almost always qualify for the best interest rates, and you’ll pay lower finance charges on credit card balances and loans. The less money you pay in interest, the faster you’ll pay off the debt and the more money you have for other expenses.
Borrowers with a poor credit history typically avoid applying for a new credit card or loan because they’ve been turned down previously. Having an excellent credit score doesn’t guarantee approval, because lenders still consider other factors like your income and debt. However, a good credit score increases your chances of being approved for new credit. In other words, you can apply for a loan or credit card with confidence.
A good credit score gives you leverages to negotiate a lower interest rate on a credit card or a new loan. If you need more bargaining power, you can take advantage of other attractive offers that you’ve received from other companies based on your credit score. However, if you have a low credit score, creditors are unlikely to budge on loan terms, and you won’t have other credit offers or options.
Your borrowing capacity is based on your income and your credit score. One of the benefits of having a good credit score is that banks are willing to let you borrow more money because you’ve demonstrated that you pay back on time what you’ve borrowed. You may still get approved for some loans with a bad credit score, but the amount will be limited.
More landlords are using credit scores to screen tenants. A bad credit score, especially if it’s caused by a previous eviction or outstanding rental balance, can severely damage your chances of getting into an apartment. A good credit score saves you the time and hassle of finding a landlord that will approve renters with damaged credit.
Add auto insurers to the list of companies that use a bad credit score against you. Insurance companies say that people with bad credit tend to file more claims and these people are penalized with a higher insurance premium. With a good credit score, you’ll pay less for insurance than similar applicants with lower credit scores.
Another drawback of having a bad credit score is that cell phone service providers may not give you a contract. Instead, you’ll have to choose one of those pay-as-you-go plans that have more expensive phones. People with good credit avoid paying a security deposit and may receive a discounted purchase price on the latest phones by signing a contract.
These deposits are sometimes $100 to $200 and a huge inconvenience when you’re relocating. You may not be planning to move soon, but a natural disaster or an unforeseen circumstance could change your plans. A good credit score means you won’t have to pay a security deposit when you establish utility service in your name or to transfer service to another location.
Because of all the benefits, a good credit score is something to feel good about, especially if you’ve had to work hard to take your credit score from bad to good. And if you’ve never had to experience a bad credit score, keep doing what it takes to maintain your good score.
