Your qualification for loans, your loan interest and insurance rates, and even employment, can depend on your credit score. The most commonly used, the FICO score, developed by Fair Isaac Corporation, ranging from 300 (less desirable) to 850 (most desirable), is calculated using the following categories:
35% is Payment History - Timeliness of payments is a big part of your score. Bankruptcy and past due amounts, and how recently they occurred, are factored here.
30% is Amount Owed - The proportion of the number of accounts that you have and balances owed to total credit available is a major consideration.
15% is Length of Your Credit History - More recently opened accounts count less favorably than older credit.
10% is New Credit - This consists of the ratio of the number of recently opened accounts to established ones.
10% is Types of Credit - A history of managing various types of loans (credit cards, retail accounts, mortgages, installment loans) can help your score.
Sources: Fair Isaac Corporation, www.myfico.com (the site where you can obtain your FICO score for a fee)
Next month: How to improve your FICO score . . .
~ CELEBRATING MY 25th YEAR AS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST . . . THANK YOU FOR YOUR REFERRALS! ~
Gift Certificates for Therapeutic Massage and Easy Relaxing Meditation CD's make great gifts for your office staff on Administrative Professionals Day (Wed. 4/24/13) - Please call me at 617-738-8222 for more details.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
IS YOUR HOME A HAZARD? - Part 1
Falls are the most common injury by far among adults, and the leading cause of accidental death among those 65 and older. Here are some ways to prevent injuries:
- Remove throw rugs or use double-sided tape or a non-slip backing to secure them.
- Clear a path. You should never have to walk around furniture or piles of papers, or hop over extension cords or safety gates.
- Make sure there's a light in your stairway, and light switches (the kind that glow) at the top and bottom of the stairs. If your home lacks those, hire an electrician.
- Where practical (the cellar or garage, for starters), paint the top edge of stairs with a contrasting color so that you'll see it better.
- Secure loose stair carpeting, fix loose or uneven stairs, and consider putting handrails on both sides of stairs.
- In the kitchen, put often used items on shelves you don't have to stretch to reach.
- Invest in a good step stool; don't use a chair.
- Many tubs and showers are too slippery, so use a rubber mat.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Consumer Reports
Next month: more safety tips! . . .
THANK YOU FOR PATRONIZING AND REFERRING PEOPLE TO MY INDEPENDENT PRACTICE. WHEN YOU SPEND AT A LOCALLY OWNED OFFICE, MORE THAN 50% STAYS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AT A CHAIN, MORE THAN 80% GOES TO DISTANT CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS!
- Remove throw rugs or use double-sided tape or a non-slip backing to secure them.
- Clear a path. You should never have to walk around furniture or piles of papers, or hop over extension cords or safety gates.
- Make sure there's a light in your stairway, and light switches (the kind that glow) at the top and bottom of the stairs. If your home lacks those, hire an electrician.
- Where practical (the cellar or garage, for starters), paint the top edge of stairs with a contrasting color so that you'll see it better.
- Secure loose stair carpeting, fix loose or uneven stairs, and consider putting handrails on both sides of stairs.
- In the kitchen, put often used items on shelves you don't have to stretch to reach.
- Invest in a good step stool; don't use a chair.
- Many tubs and showers are too slippery, so use a rubber mat.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Consumer Reports
Next month: more safety tips! . . .
THANK YOU FOR PATRONIZING AND REFERRING PEOPLE TO MY INDEPENDENT PRACTICE. WHEN YOU SPEND AT A LOCALLY OWNED OFFICE, MORE THAN 50% STAYS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AT A CHAIN, MORE THAN 80% GOES TO DISTANT CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS!
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