It’s a simple fact of life: if you want to own a home and don’t have the cash to buy it outright, you need a mortgage. Here’s another fact of life: to be approved for a home loan, your 532 credit score must improve to be at or above your lender’s minimum level.
Fortunately, yet another fact of life is that most things are possible with a little help and effort. Just ask Keila S.!
Keila joined the CredEvolv platform with a 532 credit score. Her goal was to reach the minimum score of 620 required to qualify for a mortgage. The nonprofit credit counselor we connected her with had three collections accounts deleted from her report. Meanwhile, Keila paid down her credit cards and established new tradelines.
In five months, her score rose to 627, enough to make a home loan possible!
How can high credit card balances cause a 532 credit score?
Having a high utilization ratio can hurt your credit scores – even when you make the minimum required payments on time every month. It also makes it increasingly difficult to qualify for more credit. In addition to the impact on your 532 credit score, high credit card balances can increase your debt-to-income ratio (DTI).
Lenders look at your DTI ratio to gauge how much of your income is already tied up in debt payments. A lower DTI signals to lenders that you have room in your budget to take on more debt without overextending yourself. On the other hand, a higher DTI might raise red flags, suggesting you could struggle to manage additional monthly payments.
In general:
- A DTI below 36% is good and indicates you have a manageable level of debt.
- A DTI between 36-49% is acceptable but may make it harder to qualify for some loans or the best interest rates.
- A DTI above 50% could limit your borrowing options and indicate that you’re at risk of becoming overwhelmed by debt.
What can and can’t be removed from my credit report?
In a previous Credit Education blog, we covered an important topic: understanding which items can legally come off your credit report and which must remain. Improving your 532 credit score isn’t about erasing past financial choices. It’s about ensuring your report is accurate and making informed decisions to build a stronger financial future.
There’s a lot of confusion surrounding credit repair. Some companies promise they can remove all negative information from your credit history. Unfortunately, that’s not how credit reporting works. In fact, it’s illegal to delete accurate, negative entries from your report.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires credit bureaus to maintain only truthful, verifiable information. If you’ve missed payments or defaulted on a loan, that information can legally stay on your report for up to seven years. Bankruptcies, depending on the type, can remain for up to 10 years.
At CredEvolv, we prioritize transparency. The reality is that no company or individual has the legal authority to remove valid negative marks from your credit history. However, the certified, nonprofit credit counselors on our platform can assist you in disputing errors or outdated information that may be unfairly resulting in your 532 credit score.
Our expert counselor partners know how to spot inaccuracies and questionable reporting practices. By addressing any mistakes, they help ensure that your credit report reflects only accurate and up-to-date information. This gives you the best opportunity to improve your credit standing over time.
What is a tradeline on a credit report?
A tradeline is an industry term for a credit account that a lender reports to a credit bureau. Each credit account has its own tradeline, which includes information about the account, the creditor, and the type of credit, such as the account balance, payment history, and account status.
A person can have multiple tradelines on their credit report, one for each credit account in their name. Credit bureaus use tradelines to calculate a borrower’s credit score and assess their creditworthiness.
As Keila’s story shows, good credit begins with having credit. Partnering with a reputable credit counselor on the CredEvolv platform – someone who can counsel you about opening tradelines that benefit you – is how you can surpass your own credit score goals.
Read more credit success stories here!