Credit 101 | Vallejo, CA
If you’re planning a vehicle purchase, it’s important to know your credit score and how it can affect the financing you need. To get you started, here’s a short guide to credit basics from the finance center team at Avery Greene Honda in Vallejo, California.
What is credit?
Before you can get financing for a vehicle or anything else, the lender will want to know whether loaning you money is risky or not. The primary way lenders do this is by looking at your credit score. This score is tallied using a variety of factors, including your history of paying bills on time, your current credit balances, your credit utilization (how close you are to hitting an account’s credit limit), the accounts you have open, how long your accounts have been open, and more.
How can credit help me buy a car?
The better your credit score, the more likely you are to qualify for the loan you need to buy the car you want. A higher credit score will also help you get better interest rates. To find out your credit score, you can sign up with a free service like Credit.com, Credit Karma, or WalletHub. You can also go to AnnualCreditReport.com to request the annual credit report that your score is based on.
How can I improve my credit?
There are several ways you can improve your credit score to get better vehicle loan terms. Paying all your bills on time is a must. It’s also a good idea to work on paying down credit card balances and other debt to improve your credit utilization. Keep all your existing credit card accounts open, because closing them will lower your overall credit limit — and thus lower your credit score.
How can Avery Greene Honda help with credit?
Even if your credit score isn’t high, don’t give up on your dream vehicle. At Avery Greene Honda, we’ll work with you no matter your credit score to help you find a good deal and favorable loan terms! You can get the process started by filling out a credit application on our website.
Contact our finance team at Avery Greene Honda to learn more about credit and how it can help you purchase your next vehicle.
