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The Impact Bankruptcy Has On Applying for Loans and Credit Cards

Posted on August 24, 2023by Admin

While not all bankruptcies cause a huge drop in a person’s credit score, it is possible a person’s score could rise after bankruptcy.

A consumer’s FICO score is one of the biggest determining factors in whether a person will receive approval for credit or financing. The FICO score will also help determine the interest rate a person receives on a credit card. Some lenders are willing to accept credit applications even with lower scores. However, if this happens, it is unlikely that the terms of the credit application will be favorable to the consumer.

The bankruptcy filing may or may not have a significant impact on the consumer’s credit score, depending on what the score was before the filing. The consumer’s payment history makes up approximately 35% of the person’s credit score. If the person had a poor payment history to begin with, the bankruptcy filing will not have as much of a noticeable impact on the score. If the person had an excellent credit score previously, the effect the bankruptcy will have on the credit score will be more significant.

Consumer Debt

Over 40 Percent of Consumers Plan to Take on More Debt Despite Rising Interest Rates

Posted on August 4, 2022by Admin

Approximately 43 percent of American consumers say they intend to accrue more debt in the next six months. This is despite interest rates increasing, making the cost of borrowing more expensive. This information comes from a recent study published by LendingTree.

LendingTree surveyed more than 1,000 individuals regarding their spending habits. They found that 61 percent of them already carry some level of debt. Approximately 80 percent of consumer debt is linked to expenses that are considered necessary, such as healthcare expenses or other emergencies.

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Credit Card Debt, Debt Relief, Timothy Kingcade Posts

New FICO Program Aims to Help Consumers Improve Credit Scores

Posted on November 15, 2018by Admin

Consumers are always looking for new ways to improve their credit scores. Lenders and other financial institutions use these scores to determine whether a consumer is a risk when it comes to receiving a loan or credit so it is important that the scores reflect a consumer’s positive financial behavior. Currently, several different credit scores are available to financial institutions and lenders based on consumer behavior, but now there is one more as FICO launches its “opt-in” credit score.

FICO is the largest and arguably best-known company that provides software to calculate a person’s credit score. Originally known as Fair, Issac and Company, FICO has now become a fixture for consumer lending in the U.S, and a consumer’s FICO score is often seen as a major factor in determining a consumer’s fiscal responsibility.

The traditional way of improving a credit score has been for the consumer to exercise good financial behavior, such as paying bills on time, keeping a low balance on their credit card accounts, and avoiding spending over their given card’s limit. While this behavior is still encouraged, FICO is offering a new way to incorporate good financial data into a consumer’s FICO credit score.

This new score is being referred to as the Ultra FICO Score. It is a product created in partnership with two other financial institutions, Finicity and Experian, and allows the consumer to give these companies permission to have electronic access to certain financial information that will help boost their credit scores. This access can include data from the consumer’s bank accounts to show how long these accounts have been open, provide proof that the consumer has savings and show frequency of activity in these accounts.

For consumers who have credit scores in the upper 500s to lower 600s, it is hoped that the Ultra FICO program will help these individuals rebuild their credit, especially if they are struggling after a significant crisis in their lives. This program is expected to launch at the start of 2019. However, the access to the pilot program will be limited until approximately mid-2019.

If you have questions on this topic or are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade Garcia McMaken has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade Garcia McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Debt Relief, Timothy Kingcade Posts

An Increasing Number of Americans Have Stopped Paying Their Car Loans

Posted on April 6, 2017by Admin

Wall Street is starting to worry about the auto loan market as millions of Americans are falling behind on their car loans. The increased interest in the auto loan market seems to be based on commentary from Ally Financial, weak guidance from Ford and what Evercore ISI called “a splurge in incentive spending.” Here’s what you need to know:

The delinquency rate for subprime auto loans is at the highest level in at least seven years.
Banks are pulling back and newer players with loose lending standards are stepping in.
Used vehicle prices are dropping sharply, as the market is flooded with off-lease vehicles.
The percentage of trade-ins with negative equity is at an all-time high.
Asset-backed securities based on auto loans are showing signs of stress.
A growing proportion of the auto loan ABS market is now made up of “deep subprime” deals.

The 60+ day delinquency rate for subprime is the highest it has been in seven years. A key driver of the increasing delinquency rate is a spike in the proportion of “deep subprime” deals, or those with an average FICO score of less than 500. In other words, the subprime delinquency rate is creeping up while the subprime market is ballooning in size.

The Liberty Street Economics post, written by Andrew Haughwout, Donghoon Lee, Joelle Scally and Wilbert Van Der Klauuw said, “The data suggest some notable deterioration in the performance of subprime auto loans. This translates into a large number of households with roughly six million individuals at least ninety days late on their auto loan payments.”

If you are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Related Resources:

http://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-is-worried-about-car-loans-2017-3/#fitch-deteriorating-credit-performance-will-be-more-acute-in-the-subprime-segment-1

https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2016/11/30/6-million-americans-have-stopped-paying-their-car-loans-and-it/21617633/

Credit, Debt Relief, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Goldman Sachs Extends Consumer Lending Arm

Posted on March 2, 2017by Admin

More than a third of borrowers with FICO scores above 660 have high interest credit card debt, making them an ideal customer for “Goldman’s Marcus,” which offers personal loans of as much as $30,000 for up to six years. Personal, or unsecured loans, are well suited for debt consolidation. They do not require borrowing against something of value, like a house or car, which makes them particularly attractive for those without that kind of equity.

Online lenders have joined in as well. SoFi, Lending Club and Prosper, have emerged in recent years to offer these types of loans as the alternative, particularly for the millennial generation who may want to consolidate their debt but do not have the home equity for a secured loan to do it.

The number of people taking out unsecured loans increased more than 15 percent to 15.82 million in 2016 from 13.72 million the year earlier and is now at the highest level since 2009, according to TransUnion.

Proceed with caution if taking out these loans, as it will increase your overall debt level. They also cannot match the zero percent balance transfer offers when it comes to consolidation.

Click here to read more on this story.

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Debt Relief, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Qualifying for a loan is getting harder for some consumers

Posted on February 15, 2017by Admin

Banks are becoming more selective when it comes to approving loans for those with less than perfect credit. The data is surprising as many consumers seem to be benefiting from job growth and lower debt levels. However, 11.7% of banks have tightened their standards for auto loans in the first quarter, from 3.3% last year, according to the Federal Reserve and Deutsche Bank.

Credit card standards were strengthened by 8.3% of banks, compared to none in the fourth quarter. With the economy in its eighth year of recovery, lenders are extending their reach to those with cash flow pressures, borrowers at low – and middle class income levels to increase revenue.

The share of delinquent personal loans and credit card debt increased in the third quarter to 3.53% and 1.33% respectively, according to TransUnion and UBS. Out of those consumers surveyed, 18% said they expected to default on a loan payment in the next 12 months, up from 12% in December.

The number of subprime auto loans (those requiring a FICO score of 600 or lower) that were at least 90 days delinquent reached the highest level since 2010 in the third quarter at 6 million. The number of bad loans were by auto finance companies, not banks.

Two-thirds of the households who earn less than $40,000 say financial concerns have increased over the past six months for them. The latest numbers reflect the incomes of many low- to moderate-income working families are not keeping up with the costs of rising health insurance deductibles and monthly expenses.

Click here to read more on this story.