Credit score is a 3-digit number that shows how likely you are to get credit. When you need a loan, a bank or any lender looks at this score to understand how likely you are to pay the money back. Credit scores range from 300 to 900.
When you apply for a credit card or a loan, lenders like banks and non-banking finance companies check your credit score to see whether you have the ability to repay the loan. If you have a higher credit score, you are likely to receive a lower rate of interest.
Checking your credit score will not reduce it because you are not officially applying for credit. In fact, it is good to check your credit score at least once in 3 months.
Scoring models cannot generate a score without enough credit information. If you have little or no credit history available, you probably will not have a credit score.
The first step a bank takes when you apply for new credit or a loan is to check your credit score from the bureau, this is also called as making a hard credit enquiry. A hard enquiry might temporarily lower your credit score.
Your credit score is calculated after considering multiple factors, such as payment history, age of all credit lines, number of recent credit enquiries, and total active credit accounts among others. It’s important that you check your credit score on your own before applying for a loan.