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Credit Reports

The 3 C's of credit

The 3 C's of credit refer to Character, Capital and Capacity. These are areas the creditor looks at prior to making a decision.

Character
From your credit history, the lender attempts to determine if you possess the honesty and reliability to repay the debt.

They ask the following questions in their evaluation:

  • Have you used credit before?
  • Do you pay your bills on time?
  • Do you have a good credit report?
  • Can you provide character references?
  • How long have you lived at your present address?
  • How long have you been at your present job?

Capital
The lender will want to know if you have any valuable assets such as real estate, personal property like an automobile, savings, or investments that could be used to repay credit debts if income is unavailable.

They will ask these questions with regard to capital:

  • What property do you own that can secure the loan?
  • Do you have a savings account?
  • Do you have investments to use as collateral?

Capacity
This refers to your ability to repay the debt. The lender will look to see if you have been working regularly in an occupation that is likely to provide enough income to support your credit use.

The following questions will help the lender determine this:

  • Do you have a steady job? If so, what is your salary?
  • How many other loan payments do you have?
  • What are your current living expenses?
  • What are your current debts?
  • How many dependents do you have?
Learn It
The 3 C's of credit
What credit reports contain
How credit is gauged: Who assigns my credit rating?
Who can see my credit report?
How do I read it?
Correcting mistakes
Can I repair my credit report?
Understanding inquiries
Do It
Quiz your knowledge (matching game)
Cost of credit calculator
Reading a credit card statement
Reading your credit report
Assessing credit history
About credit
Quiz your credit knowledge
Use It
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