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Can I fix "too many consumer finance company accounts" ?

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jasonkm1
Regular Contributor

Can I fix "too many consumer finance company accounts" ?

I just checked my fico in anticipation of applying for a mortgage soon, and I have a borderline score of 755. I was surprised one of the key factors adversely affecting my score was "too many consumer finance company accounts". The accounts that I have that apparently falls under this category are the Best Buy charge card (which I got for 2 year interest free financing), Target (for the 5% off), Dell charge account (interest free financing) and Macy's. I didn't know having those accounts would hurt my fico, i never would have opened them if i knew. My other cards are normal Chase/Citi/Barclay cards. If i cancel all these "finance account" cards, will it help? I don't think it'll bring down my average age of accounts, it'll may even help since most of those are newer accounts. I'm just worried that since they will stay on my credit report for 10 years or whatever it won't make a difference. Does the fact that they are closed accounts factor anything positive into my score? 

Message 1 of 7
6 REPLIES 6
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Can I fix "too many consumer finance company accounts" ?

First, 755 isn't a borderline score. It's in the range to get the best possible mortgage rates. Second, no, there isn't anything you can do. The accounts are in your files and won't be going away for a long while. Even if you close them they'll still be there.

Message 2 of 7
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Can I fix "too many consumer finance company accounts" ?


@jasonkm1 wrote:

I just checked my fico in anticipation of applying for a mortgage soon, and I have a borderline score of 755. I was surprised one of the key factors adversely affecting my score was "too many consumer finance company accounts". The accounts that I have that apparently falls under this category are the Best Buy charge card (which I got for 2 year interest free financing), Target (for the 5% off), Dell charge account (interest free financing) and Macy's. I didn't know having those accounts would hurt my fico, i never would have opened them if i knew. My other cards are normal Chase/Citi/Barclay cards. If i cancel all these "finance account" cards, will it help? I don't think it'll bring down my average age of accounts, it'll may even help since most of those are newer accounts. I'm just worried that since they will stay on my credit report for 10 years or whatever it won't make a difference. Does the fact that they are closed accounts factor anything positive into my score? 


What you have is what I call

Good Problems

The CRA must say something negative....unless you have 850 scores across...

Even the beauty queen has a fault or two

 

 

 

Message 3 of 7
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Can I fix "too many consumer finance company accounts" ?

The other commenters are right that your scores are pretty decent.  On the other hand I do understand your concern.  If I were you I would feel like my scores are borderline too and would be looking to get them up.

 

For one thing, I seem to remember some forum contributors with more mortgage expertise than I have once observing that the FICO thresholds for being gold-plated are different depending on whether one is talking about the loan itself or whether one is talking about the PMI for the loan.  You sometimes need a higher score for best rates on PMI -- or so I was told.

 

As far as removing finance company accounts, the same rule applies as it would to any account, which is that the creditor itself has a lot of discretionary power to delete any account it chooses.  That's why people are able to negotiate "pay for delete" agreements -- strictly speaking, you'd think that such agreements would be impossible, since it should not be possible (one could argue) for a creditor to remove accurate data from a consumer's report.  But in fact they can.  So it is possible that you could get any particular finance company account deleted if you could get a sympathetic creditor (cry a little bit, explain how it is showing as an FC account, how there was no way to know that, how this could devastate your  home owning future, etc.).

 

On the other hand, it's also possible that, for FICO "too many" (as in "too many FC accounts") means "1 or more."  Thus unless you were able to get ALL of them deleted (not likely) you might not experience much benefit. 

 

You raise an interesting question which is whether FICO views a closed FC account as less of a problem than an open one.  (Possibly still a problem but less of one.)  I do not know I have heard anyone answer that definitively (i.e. with clear references to FICO literature or test results).

 

What is your timeline for buying a house?  Do you have any other ways you could improve your score?  For example, are all your cards at $0 except one showing a fairly small positive balance?  (That will help a lot.)  Do you have any open installment loans?  If not, we can suggest a simple strategy to help in that area too.

 

When you say that your "score" is 755, are you sure that is your mortgage score?  There are many FICO scores that are not the ones mortgage lenders use.  For example, the very common FICO 8 score is not used by mortgage lenders.  If the score is a true mortgage score, do you have a mortgage score from each CRA?

Message 4 of 7
CreditDunce
Valued Contributor

Re: Can I fix "too many consumer finance company accounts" ?

How do you know which accounts are consumer finance accounts?  I thought CFL were installment loans.  Things like buy here, pay here car loans, furniture stores, jewelery stores, rent-to-own, etc.  P2P loans also may show up as CFL loans. 

 

What you have listed are store cards.  I think FICO counts them the same as normal credit cards.  It may hurt your insurance risk score, but not your FICO score. 

 

Moreover, the Target card normally is reported as a credit, not a store card.  In fact, I have a Target RedCard and do not have the consumer finance codes.    From other posts, it only takes one consumer finance account to get the code.

 

If you haven't already asked for advice, you may want to share details about your credit reports to see if anyone can give you advice on how to maximize your scores.  The classic example, is making sure you only have one card reporting a small balance.  All other cards should report zero.   Depending on your profile, there may be other ways to boost your score for a mortgage.

Message 5 of 7
Thomas_Thumb
Senior Contributor

Re: Can I fix "too many consumer finance company accounts" ?


@jasonkm1 wrote:

I just checked my fico in anticipation of applying for a mortgage soon, and I have a borderline score of 755. I was surprised one of the key factors adversely affecting my score was "too many consumer finance company accounts". The accounts that I have that apparently falls under this category are the Best Buy

(which I got for 2 year interest free financing), Target (for the 5% off), Dell charge account (interest free financing) and Macy's. I didn't know having those accounts would hurt my fico, i never would have opened them if i knew. My other cards are normal Chase/Citi/Barclay cards. If i cancel all these "finance account" cards, will it help? I don't think it'll bring down my average age of accounts, it'll may even help since most of those are newer accounts. I'm just worried that since they will stay on my credit report for 10 years or whatever it won't make a difference. Does the fact that they are closed accounts factor anything positive into my score? 


At the end of the day, most store cards (if not all) are credit cards where you can carry a balance with interest. They may still be labeled "charge" cards but if they are revolvers they are treated no differently than bank cards in Fico scoring (Fico NexGen excepted). If the card balances are included in your aggregate CL - they are being treated as revolving credit cards.

 

If you are allowing these cards to report balances - even if you PIF the cards after statements arrive, score can suffer. Allowing multiple cards to report balances often does hurt score. If they are "0% interest" then recognize your score can be negatively affected. Pay off balances at least 60 days before mortgage shopping.

 

Absolutely no value in closing cards relative to Fico score - Value comes in paying off balances and closing finance accounts that are not cards.Again, if they are cards, pay them off but keep them open to take advantage of their CL in helping reduce aggregate utilization.

Fico 9: .......EQ 850 TU 850 EX 850
Fico 8: .......EQ 850 TU 850 EX 850
Fico 4 .....:. EQ 809 TU 823 EX 830 EX Fico 98: 842
Fico 8 BC:. EQ 892 TU 900 EX 900
Fico 8 AU:. EQ 887 TU 897 EX 899
Fico 4 BC:. EQ 826 TU 858, EX Fico 98 BC: 870
Fico 4 AU:. EQ 831 TU 872, EX Fico 98 AU: 861
VS 3.0:...... EQ 835 TU 835 EX 835
CBIS: ........EQ LN Auto 940 EQ LN Home 870 TU Auto 902 TU Home 950
Message 6 of 7
StartingOver10
Moderator Emerita

Re: Can I fix "too many consumer finance company accounts" ?


@jasonkm1 wrote:

I just checked my fico in anticipation of applying for a mortgage soon, and I have a borderline score of 755. I was surprised one of the key factors adversely affecting my score was "too many consumer finance company accounts". The accounts that I have that apparently falls under this category are the Best Buy charge card (which I got for 2 year interest free financing), Target (for the 5% off), Dell charge account (interest free financing) and Macy's. I didn't know having those accounts would hurt my fico, i never would have opened them if i knew. My other cards are normal Chase/Citi/Barclay cards. If i cancel all these "finance account" cards, will it help? I don't think it'll bring down my average age of accounts, it'll may even help since most of those are newer accounts. I'm just worried that since they will stay on my credit report for 10 years or whatever it won't make a difference. Does the fact that they are closed accounts factor anything positive into my score? 


If this is your mortgage (mid) FICO score - then it isn't borderline and you qualify for the best interest rates. Top tier for mortgage rates are 740+. Top tier for PMI rates is 760+. Not everyone needs PMI.  To get the best PMI rates, if you are putting down less than 20%, it depends upon both the LTV and your score. The highest tier for pmi rates is 760+  See this pmi rate card for a good example https://www.mgic.com/rates/rate-cards.html

 

Right now we don't know where you are because the score you provided wasn't specified as FICO 8 or FICO mortgage mid-score.  If it is the FICO mortgage score and you are putting down 20% then you are in the top tier and not borderline. If a lender tells you otherwise, seek out another mortgage lender that knows what they are doing. 

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