Taking a loan from a bank is easy when you don’t have a bad history of loan repayment. The banks should not run into a loss if the customers are not paying the loans they take. For this very reason, most banks ask for your credit score. So, first of all, what is a credit score? A credit score is a three-digit figure that is used to check your chances of making on-time payments on your debts. Good credit terms are typically linked with higher credit ratings.
One of India’s four Credit Information Companies (CICs) and major credit bureaus, CRIF High Mark, keeps track of your financial transactions and uses them to check your credit score. The three-digit CRIF High Mark credit score goes from 300 to 900, where 300 is the lowest score and 900 denotes the best. Credit scores are given to both individuals and firms by CRIF High Mark. Before giving you a loan, your lender could ask for your CRIF score to determine your creditworthiness.
Let’s look at the Crif score in detail to know how it determines your creditworthiness.
What is a CRIF Score?
Just like other credit bureaus, CRIF High Mark offers a range of Crif scores that is presented as a three-digit number between 300 and 900. The repayment history of a person’s loans, including credit card debt and other loans, checks their credit score. Banks and other lending institutions are more likely to approve your application for a credit card or a loan if you have a high CRIF score, which reflects your good credit behavior.
What is a CRIF Credit Report?
A CRIF credit information report is a detailed account of your historical credit information behavior. You can find the following details in your CRIF High Mark credit information report:
- Your personal information (name, ID number, DOB, etc.)
- The total number of open credit accounts
- Your history of payments
- Your payable debt to the lenders
- The number of recent inquiries that the banks have made about you. All the above-mentioned data is used to derive a CRIF Highmark Credit Report, which would enable the banks and NBFCs to decide whether or not to sanction you a loan.
Why you must maintain a good CRIF Score?
A high CRIF score will help you get better deals on anything from personal loans to new credit cards. The perks of keeping a high CRIF score are as follows:
- You can quickly get a personal loan, a mortgage, or a vehicle loan.
- With a high CRIF score, your chances of getting loans at reasonable or the best rates available increase as your creditworthiness rises. You might be able to work out a repayment plan with your lender.
- To fill the gap in your spending, you may get a credit card with a bigger credit limit.
- A strong CRIF score may make it easier for you to get your ideal job because many firms now include credit score reviews in their background checks.
How to Check Your CRIF Score and Report?
By following the ways listed below, you may verify your CRIF score and report:
- Fill in your personal information: Visit the official CRIF High Mark website and give your information, including your full name, mobile phone number, birth date, address, and gender. Also, you will have to give identifying details, such as your PAN number, voter ID, passport number, driving license number, etc.
- Choose your report type: Either an instant report or a free report are the available options. Within 5 minutes, your instant credit report would be there to download, but it would cost you INR 399. It may take as long as 3 days before your free credit report is available for viewing.
- Confirm your inquiry: Lastly, you have to provide information about your credit history to verify your identity. Your credit report will be sent to your email ID if you respond correctly.
How can you improve your CRIF Score?
Maintaining a CRIF score is very important. Here are some ways to raise your CRIF score, which is important because it can persuade banks and other lenders to make good lending decisions for you:
- Use your credit card wisely: If not used cautiously, credit cards can harm your CRIF score. Credit cards tend to increase your loan-taking tendency, leading to their overuse and, thus, poor CRIF scores.
- Stay Debt-Free: Make an effort to take on as few loans or debts as possible. If you have taken out loans, try to repay them as soon as possible. Bad loan habits can worsen your CRIF Credit score. Thus, take and repay loans responsibly.
- Keep a check on your CRIF Score: It is a good habit to keep an eye on your CRIF Score. It will help you improve and manage your credit behavior. Also, keeping a track of the CRIF score would enable you to take quick actions to improve your CRIF Score.
Conclusion
Maintaining a CRIF score and report is vital to ensuring that your creditworthiness remains good. A CRIF score of 700 or more is considered good by most lenders. On the other hand, a CRIF score of about 900 is considered excellent. So, always maintain a CRIF score above 700.
The credit score and report assist lenders and CRIF members in making good loan choices and safeguarding them against fraud. It also gives the option to verify the credit score, raise your credit score, and fix any reporting inaccuracies. If you want to read more about other finance-related topics, then do visit Piramal Finance. Read more related blogs on our website to learn more about our financial products and services, especially those about personal loans, credit cards, and financial calculators.