Soft Inquiry Vs. Hard Inquiry

April 30, 2020CreditBy toptierfinancial

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that can make all the difference.

A small ding to your credit score can drop it just enough from being in the excellent credit score range to the good score range. That can be enough to cause lenders to charge you higher interest rates, costing you money that you might otherwise save without the small nick on your credit score.

Inquiries, or new credit, account for about 10 percent of a FICO credit score. While that isn’t much when compared to payment history accounting for 35 percent of a FICO score, a credit score drop of up to 10 percent for having too many lenders look at your credit score can be enough to cost you real money in the long run.

There are two types of inquiries — hard and soft — and the first will hurt a credit score and the latter won’t. Knowing the difference can help you know when to act so that an inquiry doesn’t hurt your score, or when you don’t have to worry about it.

What is a Hard Inquiry?

An example of a hard hard inquiry is when you apply for a credit card and the issuer “pulls” your credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus.

The hard inquiry may lower your score up to five points, depending on the rest of your credit profile. Going months between credit inquiries can have less of an impact than having a bunch at the same time.

Applying for a mortgage is another hard inquiry. The FICO score allows mortgage rate shopping, so applying with four different mortgage lenders in 45 days is counted as only one hard inquiry.

Hard inquiries stay on a credit report for two years, but the FICO score ignores them after 12 months.

Whatever your credit score, potential lenders will look at you as risky if you have too many inquiries over a short period. For people with a short credit history, this can be especially troublesome.

How To Avoid a Hard Inquiry

If you want to avoid a hard credit inquiry that could cause your credit score to drop, the simple solution is to not apply for new credit. But that isn’t always practical, such as if you want to find a better credit card or want to buy a home or car.

There are some money management steps you can take, however.

Start by not applying for credit cards that you know you won’t qualify for. Knowing where your score is on the credit score range can help you decide if applying for a card with some of the best travel rewards, for example, is worthwhile since many such cards require having excellent credit. Applying for a credit card that you probably won’t be approved for results in a hard inquiry and a rejection, which can also hurt your score.

Some credit card issuers target people with bad credit. If that’s you, be sure to read the fine print and make sure it’s a card you can live with. It may not have all of the features you want, but over time and by paying the bill on time, you can improve your credit score and move up to a better credit card.

These issuers may advertise that they won’t run a hard credit check and will base their decision on other factors, such as your income and employment history.

If you have good or excellent credit, a hard inquiry shouldn’t have much of an impact, if any, on your credit score. Keep your score high by paying your bills on time, don’t use more than 30 percent of the credit available to you, and have a good mix of credit.

When checking your credit score, look for errors and dispute them with the credit bureaus. Your vigilance should pay off with a better credit score and eventually should get you better credit terms. With that, a hard credit inquiry won’t hurt so much, if at all.

What is a Soft Inquiry?

Soft inquiries come in many forms, and none should hurt a credit score.

Checking your own credit report is a soft inquiry. It doesn’t lower your credit score, as some people think it does, and in fact is a good thing to do to make sure your score is good and the information on your credit report is accurate. Consumers can check their credit reports for free once a year from each of the three major credit bureaus.

Creditors you already work with may do soft inquiries by checking your credit report to see if you’re still creditworthy. Credit card companies do this monthly.

If you get preapproved credit card offers in the mail, those are soft inquiries that don’t affect your score.

If you’ve given a potential employer permission to view your credit report as part of a background check, it’s also a soft inquiry that doesn’t affect a credit score.

The post Soft Inquiry Vs. Hard Inquiry appeared first on Better Credit Blog | Credit Help For Bad Credit.

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Should You Access Your Retirement Funds Early Due to COVID-19?

April 30, 2020CreditBy toptierfinancial

One of the long-standing rules of personal finance has been that you should not take funds out of your retirement account early except as a last resort. The question now is whether the COVID-19 crisis has created a “last resort.” In other words, does it make sense to dip into retirement savings now? The CARES Act has temporarily changed the rules about accessing these funds, making it more favorable to do so before you are of retirement age. Let’s take a closer look at the changes and the considerations that should go into any decision about accessing retirement funds early.

Normal Rules for Distributions and Loans

There are generally two ways to access retirements funds early. You can take the money out of the account (a distribution) or you can borrow money from your account (a loan). Normally, if you take a distribution from a retirement account before you are 59 ½, then you will pay income tax on the distribution and be subject to a 10 percent penalty (or a 25 percent penalty in the case of distributions from a SIMPLE IRA within the first two years of participation). However, note that there are exceptions to this rule.

Distributions are available from any retirement account. However, loans are more limited. Loans are not available on any IRAs or IRA-based accounts. The IRS explains that loans are only available on “profit-sharing, money purchase, 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans,” though not all plan administrators offer loans. Borrowing from a 401(k) or similar account is normally limited to $10,000 or 50% of the vested account balance, whichever is greater, with a cap of $50,000. You pay interest on a 401(k) loan, but the interest returns to your account. The biggest cons to using a 401(k) loan are that you may miss out on investment growth due to taking your money out of the market, and you may default on the loan, which could lead to the loan being treated as a distribution. For a good primer on these loans, read this article from Credit Karma.

Loans and distributions can both be disastrous to your retirement savings by triggering severe consequences in the form missed portfolio growth, increased tax liability, and penalties. That is why most financial experts warn against tapping into these funds early if you can help it.

Important Changes Under the CARES Act

These are not normal times. Anticipating that many Americans will be strapped for cash, the government changed the rules for early retirement distributions and 401(k) loans under the CARES Act. Here are some additional important details and further explanations about the law to keep in mind.

Early Distributions

Which retirement accounts are covered?

The option to take a distribution without paying a penalty applies to all retirement accounts.

Who can take a penalty-free distribution?

To avoid penalty, the distribution must be taken by a qualified individual. This covers someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or who has a spouse or dependent who tested positive. It also covers someone “who experiences adverse financial consequences as a result of being quarantined, being furloughed or laid off or having work hours reduced due to such virus or disease, being unable to work due to lack of child care due to such virus or disease, closing or reducing hours of a business owned or operated by the individual due to such virus or disease, or other factors as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury (or the Secretary’s delegate).”

How big can the distribution be?

The limit for penalty-free distributions is $100,000 per individual across accounts.

What time period is covered?

To avoid penalty, the distribution must be taken between March 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020.

How much will you pay in tax? How can you limit your tax liability?

This will depend on your tax bracket. However, the act allows you to spread the tax payment over three years. It also allows you to repay the money to an eligible retirement plan to avoid the tax liability.

 

401(k) Loans*

How much can you borrow?

The CARES Act increases the cap from $50,000 to $100,000.

What time period is covered?

The increase in how much you can borrow is in effect until September 23, 2020.

How much tax or penalty will you pay on the loan?

There are no taxes or penalties on the loan, but you will pay interest, which is returned to your account.

Does the law change payment obligations?

The law allows affected individuals to delay repayments for up to one year.

*Be sure to consult with your plan administrator to understand fully the terms of a potential loan and the impact of the CARES Act on such a loan.

Should you take a distribution or loan?

The CARES Act provides a unique opportunity to access your retirement funds with less financial penalty than usual. However, these new rules do not address the other main disadvantage of early withdrawals: limiting your investment growth over time. Timing the market, or predicting when investments will hit their peaks or bottoms, is practically impossible. The initial market response to the COVID-19 crisis has been negative, and markets may still be in the midst of a downturn. This means that your portfolio may be quite a bit lower today than it was even just a month ago. Cashing out of your retirement now may mean you take a loss or miss out on upcoming market rebounds. It would strip your funds of their growth potential

Withdrawing or borrowing from your accounts is still a last resort. Do not borrow from your retirement just because you think it is a rare opportunity to do so. You should only take money out of your accounts if you need the money for a financial emergency. Even then, consider the following funding sources instead, and then only return to the idea of taking your retirement money if the other options are not feasible.

Alternatives

Stimulus Money and Tax Refund

Make sure you have taken the necessary action to get your stimulus check. That money may help you meet your goals and eliminate the need to borrow from your retirement. The same is true for a tax refund if you have not yet received yours.

Emergency Fund

You have this fund for a reason. Consider using it now if you are in a bind. Consider growing it too. Now is the time to cut extra expenses and put more toward your savings for future uncertainties.

Personal Loans

Personal loans often provide better terms and interest rates than credit cards, especially to people with good credit. If a small personal loan can hold you over in a pinch, it may be a better alternative.

Of course if you are struggling and are unsure where to start, a certified nonprofit credit counselor can help you sort through your options and provide financial guidance that can set you up for success, now and in the long-term.

 

The post Should You Access Your Retirement Funds Early Due to COVID-19? appeared first on NFCC.

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Massachusetts Attorney General Issues Emergency Regulation Prohibiting Certain Debt Collection Practices

April 29, 2020CreditBy toptierfinancial

On March 27, the Massachusetts attorney general issued an emergency regulation that makes numerous standard debt collection actions an unfair and deceptive act or practice during the defined “state of emergency period.” Specifically, the emergency regulation prohibits both creditors and … Continue reading →

Read more: creditandcollectionnews.com

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