22 Mar

The Credit Challenge

Credit Score

Posted by: Tyler Cowle

The Credit Challenge.

For most people, credit score isn’t something you spend much time thinking about. Especially if you are someone who is making good money and paying all your bills on time. When you are in that boat, it feels pretty good! But, when you miss a payment or you struggle to pay all those credit cards, lines of credit and even your mortgage, it can feel like a sinking ship.

This is especially true if you’re credit challenged, but are looking to get into the housing market. Improving your credit is the best first step to getting a lender to give you a chance and fortunately, it is very doable!

Why does credit score matter?

The reason your credit score is so important is because it tells lenders the basic story surrounding your credit. It essentially indicates whether or not you are a “good investment” by relaying how long you’ve had credit, your ability to pay back that credit and how much you currently owe. Your credit score is affected by how much debt you’re carrying in relation to limits, how many cards or tradelines you have and your history of repayment.

If you are considering getting your first mortgage, keep in mind that a credit score above 680 puts you in a good position to get financing, while a score below that will make it tough and improvement is needed.

CREDIT REPORTS

To ensure your credit score remains in good form, it is important to take a hard look at your credit report and review your credit score for any old or incorrect information. If you find any errors, contact Equifax to have them corrected or removed. Another big factor includes paying off any collections (such as parking tickets or overdue bills).

CONSIDER THE 2-2-2 RULE

If you’re a young person and new to the world of credit, consider the 2-2-2 rule to help build up your credit. Lenders typically like to see 2 forms of revolving credit (i.e. credit cards) with a limit of no less than $2,000 and a clean history of payment for 2 years.

It is important to note, a great credit score means keeping a balance on all those cards at any given time, below 30 percent of the overall limit. For a card with a limit of $2,000, this means having no more than $600 of it in use. It is also a good idea to check if your credit card requires an annual fee and make sure you are paying that off too.

If you’ve been advised to get a couple credit cards but have locked them in a vault where only a sorcerer’s spell can access them, you’re going down the wrong path. The goal is not just to have credit but to show potential lenders that you know how to use it responsibly!

Rock bottom credit

When things get really bad, there is a tendency for clients to consider declaring bankruptcy or a consumer proposal. Bankruptcy is a legal process where an individual or entity can seek relief from some or all of their debts when unable to repay them. A consumer proposal is a formal, legally binding process to pay creditors a percentage of what is owed to them.

The truth is, it is best to avoid these two options. Instead, there are companies out there that will perform the same function with regards to negotiating your debts – but it won’t impact your credit or carry the stigma of bankruptcy or a consumer proposal.

CONSIDER REFINANCING

If you already own a home and have some equity, but you are still drowning in credit debt, consider refinancing your mortgage. While you might not get the same great rate you have now, or might get dinged for breaking your mortgage early, using the equity in your home can be a great way to get rid of high-interest credit card payments and consolidate debt to keep more money in your pocket at the end of the day.

Keeping your score in-tact

Once you have your credit score where you want it, it is important to maintain that score. You can do this by ensuring you never use more than 30% of your available credit and that you pay your bills each month, and on time. Even if you can only pay the minimum amount due, it is important to be making those payments and recognizing the requirements.

Published by the DLC Marketing Team!

14 Feb

Mortgage Monday – GDS – Gross Debt Service Ratio

Credit Score

Posted by: Tyler Cowle

This weeks industry term which is used all the time, is GDS or the Gross Debt Service Ratio.  What is it and what does it mean for your mortgage?

The Gross Debt Service Ratio is another fairly simple calculation and reflects your base shelter costs (or potential base shelter costs).  This is one of the calculations that Mortgage Brokers use to pre-qualify clients and give them a purchase price they should focus on while out home shopping.

The current industry standard is a GDS ratio of 39%; which means that the base shelter costs must be less than 39% of the monthly income; before taxes in order to be qualified for the mortgage.  There are exceptions to the rule (extended ratios); however, these are only available for un-insured mortgages (+20% down) and are specific to certain products and lenders.  It should be noted that the calculation includes the ‘qualifying’ mortgage payment; not necessarily the actual mortgage payment.  The qualifying mortgage payment is calculated using a higher interest rate (BOC Benchmark) and helps to ensure that homeowners can afford higher mortgage payments should rates increase!  The calculation below uses monthly figures.

 

GDS = (((Mortgage Payment (P&I) + Taxes (T) + Heat (H)) + 1/2 Condo Fees) / Gross Income) x 100

Example – ((($1,500 (P&I) + $250 (T) + $120 (H)) + $200 (1/2 CF)) / $6,000 (GMI)) x 100

(($1,870 (PITH) + $200) / $6,000) x 100

($2,070 / $6,000) x 100

0.345 x 100 = 34.5% GDS or Gross Debt Service

 

In the above scenario; the GDS would be acceptable to most lenders and insurers and would lead to an approval as long as all other aspects of the application were acceptable.  Even though a GDS of 39% is the industry standard; a low credit score or poor history may lead to the requirement of a lower GDS in order to be approved by some lenders or insurers.  As important as the GDS ratio is to a mortgage application; it must fall in line with all other parts of the clients profile!

Check in next Monday where we will discuss TDS or Total Debt Service Ratio!

Published by Tyler Cowle

 

21 Sep

Your Credit Rating: The Four C’s.

Credit Score

Posted by: Tyler Cowle

Buying your first home is an incredible step in life, but it is not without its hurdles! One of which is demonstrating that you are creditworthy, which all comes down to your credit rating. This is how lenders and credit agencies determine the interest rate you pay, or whether you will qualify for a mortgage at all.

As mortgage rules continue to change, the credit rating is becoming even more important as a higher credit rating could mean a lower interest rate and save you thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage.

If you’ve never given much thought to your credit rating before, don’t worry! It is not too late and we are going to take through everything you need to know. The most important of which is that, in order to qualify for a home, you must have a credit rating of at least 680 for one borrower.

There are several attributes that factor into your credit score, and these are commonly referred to as the “Four C’s” and consist of: Character, Capacity, Capital and Collateral. Let’s take a closer look at each:

Character

The character component of your credit score is essentially based on YOU and your personal habits, which comes down to whether or not it is in your nature to pay debts on time. Some of the components that make up this portion of your credit score viability, include:

  • Whether you habitually pay your bills on time
  • Whether you have any delinquent accounts
  • How you use your available credit:
    • Quick Tip – Using all or most of your available credit is not advised. It is better to increase your credit limit versus utilizing more than 70% of what is available each month. For instance, if you have a limit of $1000 on your credit card, you should never go over $700.
    • If you need to increase your score faster, a good place to start is using less than 30% of your credit limit.
    • If you need to use more, pay off your credit cards early so you do not go above 30% of your credit limit.
  • Your total outstanding debt

Capacity

The second component relating to your credit rating is your capacity. This refers to your ability to pay back the loan and factors in your cash flow versus your debt outstanding, as well as your employment history.

  • How long have you been with your current employer?
  • If you are self-employed, for how long?

Don’t be confused as capacity is not what YOU think you can afford; it is what the LENDER thinks you can afford depending on the debt service ratio. This ratio is used by lenders to take your total monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income to determine whether or not you are able to pay back the loan.

Capital

Capital is the amount of money that a borrower puts towards a potential loan. In the case of mortgages, the starting capital is your down payment. A larger contribution often results in better rates and, in some cases, better mortgage terms. For instance, a mortgage with a down payment of 20% does not require default insurance, which is an added cost.

When considering this component, it is a good idea to look at how much you have saved and where your down payment funds will be coming from. Is it a savings account? RRSPs? Or maybe it is a gift from an immediate family member.

Collateral

Collateral is something that is pledged against a loan for security of repayment. In the case of auto loans, the loan is typically secured by the vehicle itself as the vehicle would be repossessed and re-sold in the event that the loan is defaulted on. In the case of mortgages, lenders typically consider the value of the property you are purchasing and other assets. They want to see a positive net worth; a negative net worth may result in being denied for a mortgage.

Overall, loans with collateral backing are typically more secure and generally result in lower interest rates and better terms.

There is no better time than now to recognize the importance of your credit score and check if you are on track with the Four C’s and your debt habits. A misstep in any one of these areas could be detrimental to your efforts of getting a mortgage.

Published by the DLC Marketing Team!