How long does it take for me to build my credit?

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Stilt Team

August 27, 2016 22:20

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  Stilt Team August 27, 2016 22:21 (Edited September 16, 2017 07:11)

  You can start building credit history in a month after you get your first credit product. The answer to how much credit history you need depends on the type of product you want.

  1. Credit Cards: You can get smaller limit cards pretty quickly with a few months history. These would mostly have $500 - $1,000 limits. They can help you build your credit further.
  2. Apartment Rentals: These depend on the landlords and the type of apartment. The rental deposit may increase if you have a limited credit history.
  3. Personal Loans: This is where things become difficult. You are highly unlikely to be approved and even if you are, the interest rates would be crazy.
  4. Auto Loans: These are also difficult to come by but slightly better than persona loans since you have the car as a collateral.
  5. Mortgages: These are almost impossible to come by without a decent credit score and a long enough credit history. Some credit unions may give you a mortgage if you have a strong relationship with them.

  To build credit, it is important to understand credit score. There are 5 major components of a credit score.

  1. Payment History - Based on a borrower’s payment history. This is the most important factor. Making regular payments on previous credit is very important. Try not to be late on your credit card and other credit payments.
  2. Credit Utilization - Make sure you don’t max out credit cards. It is important to maintain a good utilization rate (< 30% of your credit limits).
  3. Length of Credit History - It is important to show that you can consistently use credit responsibly that’s why you length of your oldest credit account is also matters.
  4. Credit Mix - Having different accounts and types credit accounts can show that you can manage different types of debts.
  5. New Credit - Low number of recent credit inquiries are important to show that you are not looking for credit all the time.

  

  About Stilt:

  Stilt provides loans to international students and working professionals in the U.S. (F-1, OPT, H-1B, O-1, L-1, TN visa holders) at rates lower than any other lender. Stilt is committed to helping immigrants build a better financial future.

  We take a holistic underwriting approach to determine your interest rates and make sure you get the lowest rate possible.

  Learn more about us on Wikipedia or visit us at https://www.stilt.co. If you have any questions, send us an email at team@stilt.co.

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