Feb 6, 2014
#143: What happens to my credit score after paying off debt? In this episode I share survey results that show debt-free people aren't worried about their credit score.
FICO says what's in your credit score
FICO says your credit score is based on the length of credit, new debt, the variety of debts, how much debt you owe, and your payment history on debts.
In short, you need to borrow money for a long time. More than likely you will end up paying interest.
I'd rather be paid interest than paying it.
What is not included in your credit score
What is not included in a credit score is your age, sex, religion, and where you live. These things are left out due to consumer protection laws that were passed to keep lenders from being biased or discriminatory.
The problem with a traditional credit score is that it is selective on what to include in the calculation of your credit score and is not a fair representation of your full financial picture.
Why wouldn't these things be included when calculating your ability to repay a loan?
- How long you have been with your current employer
- How much you make
- How much you having in savings
- How much you have in assets that you own
- Your payment history on non-debt items like rent, cell phone, or your cable bill
FICO is not supposed to factor those things in but those who promote "building your credit score" make it sound as if the credit score is the most important thing you should concentrate on.
I disagree. It is a distraction.
Results from my debt free survey
I asked individuals to respond to a quick 8 question survey:
Of the 83 Respondents
- 66 Married (80%)
- 1 Widowed
- 6 Divorced
- 10 never married
100% have been approved for a credit card. No surprise there.
11 of 83 respondents (13%) never taken out a car loan.
77% (64 respondents) say they do not have any outstanding consumer debt, 26 are completely debt free.
Of the 26 completely debt free respondents, 9 stated their debt free date was over 5 years ago. All of them had a score greater than 700 except for 1 who said his score was ZERO.
Only 2 of the 83 respondents who have paid off all their consumer debt indicated their score was 699 or less.
Are they worried about their credit score?
8
of the 9 replied “No” to being concerned about their credit score
and two of them actually responded with “Not At All”
concerned.
Only one was concerned about his Property and Casualty insurance rate being effected by a non-existent score. As I explain in the podcast recording, this really shouldn't be a reason to stay in debt or build your credit score.
[Tweet "People who get out of debt do not care about their credit scores"]
Why should they? They don't need a score to tell them they are winning with money.
Other credit score promoted excuses:
I need a score to rent an apartment: Devin Czech asked landlords if he could rent from them even though he doesn't have a credit score or credit history. The responses are very encouraging: http://payczech.blogspot.com/2014/01/renting-with-no-credit.html
Employers look at credit scores: An employer can pull your credit history before offering you a position in their company. However, if they use your SCORE as a determining factor then I would question their hiring practices.
I would further go to say any employer who does not hire someone simply because they don't have a credit history is not a very good employer. Yes, bad credit is an indication of past financial problems but having no credit history is an indication that you've stayed out of debt and are financially responsible. Who wouldn't want to hire you?
The bottom line? Losing your credit score is a good thing
Your score will drop or disappear when you pay off debt. There are alternatives to qualifying for a home loan using services like eCredable (use promo code SOS for a free membership).
The everyday American is the lowest common denominator when it comes to knowledge about credit scores - and they are the target as well.
For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneyplansos.com/what-happens-to-my-credit-score-when-i-pay-off-debt-mpsos143/