On a scale of 300 to 850, anything below 550 is considered a bad credit score. A good score is 700+ and anything around 800 is excellent. Your credit report contains information about your financial history.
Bad credit refers to a person's history of not paying bills on time and the likelihood that they will fail to make timely payments in the future. For individuals it is often reflected in a low credit score. Having bad credit makes it difficult to borrow money, especially at competitive interest rates.
A poor credit score falls between 500 and 600, while a very poor score falls between 300 and 499. “In general, people with higher scores can get more credit at better rates,” VantageScore says.
What is bad credit in Australia? Both Experian and Equifax (popular credit bureaus) state that a credit rating of 500 or lower is bad credit, meaning you have a bad credit history (with poor FICO scores). Specifically, bad credit for Experian is less than 579 and less than 549 for Equifax.
Defaulting on debts (going 90 days or longer without making scheduled payments) Having unpaid debts go into collections. Going through a mortgage foreclosure or repossession of a financed property (such as a car, boat or furniture)
Most negative information generally stays on credit reports for 7 years. Bankruptcy stays on your Equifax credit report for 7 to 10 years, depending on the bankruptcy type.
The average credit score among Australians is 846 according to credit reporting company Equifax. That means on average Australians have a 'very good' credit score. Women (858) have a higher average credit score than men (836), while the average credit score is higher for older Australians.
Your credit score, which is sometimes referred to as your credit rating, will generally range from 0 to either 1,000 or 1,200 depending on the credit bureau calculating it. In all cases, the higher the score, the better.
Depending on your needs and the state of your credit, you could end up paying thousands of dollars to a credit repair company. That being said, there is no need to pay for credit repair services. Anyone who claims a special ability to “fix” or “clean up” your credit for a fee is probably scamming you.
A poor credit history can have wider-ranging consequences than you might think. Not only will a spotty credit report lead to higher interest rates and fewer loan options; it can also make it harder to find housing and acquire certain services. In some cases it can count against you in a job hunt.
Lenders generally see those with credit scores 670 and up as acceptable or lower-risk borrowers. Those with credit scores from 580 to 669 are generally seen as “subprime borrowers,” meaning they may find it more difficult to qualify for better loan terms.
740 to 799: very good. 670 to 739: good. 580 to 669: fair. 579 and below: poor.
Fair credit score (500-649): Late or irregular credit card bill payments and EMI payments can get you stuck in a fair credit score range. While you are still considered a risk by lenders, you are still more likely to get approved for some credit applications.
If your credit report shows scores out of 1,000, above 690 is excellent and above 540 is good.
As it's the largest of the credit reporting organisations, most Australian banks use Equifax credit scores in their assessments of credit worthiness. However, they can also use information from the other credit reporting organisations, as well as their own internal risk assessment measures.
A credit reporting company generally can report most negative information for seven years. Information about a lawsuit or a judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer. Bankruptcies can stay on your report for up to ten years.
Information about missed payments, defaults or court judgments will stay on your credit file for six years. These details are always removed from your credit file after six years, even if the debt itself is still unpaid.
Most negative items should automatically fall off your credit reports seven years from the date of your first missed payment, at which point your credit scores may start rising. But if you are otherwise using credit responsibly, your score may rebound to its starting point within three months to six years.