4 Loan Shopping Hurts Your Credit Score Whenever a creditor makes an inquiry about your credit score, the score can drop by as much as five points. Some borrowers often fear that if they shop around for lenders, each time the lender makes an inquiry, their credit score plummets again. The truth is that multiple loan inquiries are generally treated as a single inquiry, provided they come within a 45-day period. It tells prospective creditors that you re unable to honor your promise to pay back your debts and other financial obligations, from utility bills, credit card charges, child support and more. Although it may take a while for a person to rehabilitate his credit score after bankruptcy, the impact of the bankruptcy though dissipates over time. Always be wary of co-signing a loan, especially if you cannot guarantee that the person will be able to pay his or her payments on time. Continually Keep Your Accounts Active Most creditors and lending agencies would rather prefer to see a verifiable credit history on their clients. If you wish to pay all your outstanding balances, and close all your accounts, your creditors won t be able to determine if you re in good financial standing, or if you re paying your balances on time. Keep Your Credit Score High One of the best defenses during a crippling economic crisis is by keeping your credit score high. Also try opening a new credit card account; however, remember to keep your total revolving debt ratio to just 30% below your credit limit, so that you can rack up as much as 50 points to your credit score. Basic Overview Of Credit Score Ranges A person s credit report is essentially an ongoing look at his or her personal information, and provides a deeper insight on how well the individual manages his or her finances, and pays their debts. The individual s financial data is submitted to a credit reporting agency by creditors, debt collection agencies, the courts and other public or federal agencies. Unpaid Medical Bills Can Affect Your Credit Rating Unpaid medical bills can do a lot of damage to your credit score. Once these are turned over to a collection agency, the bad news will certainly be circulated aorund the lending community. Non-Payment Of Apartment Rentals Defaulting on your apartment rental payments can also add to your credit rating woes.