WASHINGTON - For the first time in more than 30 years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today issued long-anticipated mortgage reforms that will help consumers to shop for the lowest cost mortgage and avoid costly and potentially harmful loan offers. HUD will require, for the first time ever, that lenders and mortgage brokers provide consumers with a standard Good Faith Estimate (GFE) that clearly discloses key loan terms and closing costs. HUD estimates its new regulation will save consumers nearly $700 at the closing table.
In announcing HUD's final changes to the regulatory requirements of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), HUD Secretary Steve Preston said that changes in the housing market and increases in home foreclosures demands action.
Understand your Financial Situation:
Do you know your credit score? If you decide to borrow money, the lending institution will use your credit score to determine if they will lend you money.
A good credit score is now more important than ever due to the ongoing credit crisis. If you are looking for a home mortgage, a credit card or a small business loan, the lending standards are now tougher. If you want to get the best interest rates, you need a great credit score. FICO scores range from 300 - 850 (average is 650) and you should try to have a credit score of 750 or higher. The good news is that you can take steps to increase your score quickly. The first step is to know your credit score and you can get it here.
The worst thing you can do to your credit score is to not pay a bill on time. Late bill payments can demolish your credit score. If that has happened to you, call up the lender and ask them to remove it from your credit report. They do not have to honor your request, but if you have been a good customer and have a good reason, they may be willing to work with you. It never hurts to ask.
If you have credit cards, you need to pay down your cards. As you would suspect, big debts can hurt your credit score. FICO does not like to see you reaching the upper limits of your credit line. That can be difficult right now because some credit card companies are lowering the credit lines for some of their customers. You will want to keep your credit card balances at less than 50% of your total available credit line. So make sure that you pay down your debts and credit cards.
Do not throw away your unused credit cards. Keep old cards that you do not use much anymore because they may help your credit score. Part of your credit score is based on the length of your credit history. Also, cards that have untapped balances can help with your credit utilization rate. It helps that you have untapped credit. So do not cancel an old card, provided you are not paying for it, and maybe once a year or so, make a purchase with it. It will help your credit score.
The last tip is to fix your mistakes. Almost 80% of credit reports have mistakes on them, 29% of which are serious enough to result in a credit denial. So request your report and look it over carefully. You can do it free once a year. If you do find a mistake, the credit bureau has 30 days to verify that the information is accurate, or else it has to be removed.
For more information on improving your credit score, as well as other personal financial advice, click here to visit Credit-Score-Information.info.