A 540 credit score can be a sign of past credit difficulties or a lack of credit history. Whether you're looking for a personal loan, a mortgage or a credit card, credit scores in this range can make it challenging to get approved for unsecured credit, which doesn't require collateral or a security deposit.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 540 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score.
Your credit score of 540 puts you firmly in the subprime range of credit scores. As a result, getting a car loan will be difficult—but it isn't impossible. Most likely, you will have to put up with less-than-ideal interest and loan rates.
548 Credit Score Loan & Credit Card Options
Credit cards and auto loans offer the best approval odds for someone with a 548 credit score. For example, people with credit scores below 580 take out roughly 12% of car loans versus only 6% of mortgages, according to 2017 Equifax data.
The base credit scores of the most popular credit-reporting models start at 300. Starting with a score of around 300 is possible only if you've managed your finances poorly. You may start to build a credit history or improve your score without using any type of credit.
The credit scores and reports you see on Credit Karma should accurately reflect your credit information as reported by those bureaus. This means a couple of things: The scores we provide are actual credit scores pulled from two of the major consumer credit bureaus, not just estimates of your credit rating.
544 Credit Score Loan & Credit Card Options
Credit cards and auto loans offer the best approval odds for someone with a 544 credit score. For example, people with credit scores below 580 take out roughly 12% of car loans versus only 6% of mortgages, according to 2017 Equifax data.
Credit cards and auto loans offer the best approval odds for someone with a 550 credit score. For example, people with credit scores below 580 take out roughly 12% of car loans versus only 6% of mortgages, according to 2017 Equifax data.
There is no minimum credit score to get a credit card, if any credit card will do. Some credit card companies don't even check applicants' credit history, and the main approval requirement is that you earn more money than you spend.
The Walmart Credit Card credit score requirement is “fair” for both the Walmart Credit Card and the Walmart® Store Card; that's a credit score of 640+.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 580 to 669, considered Fair. A 600 FICO® Score is below the average credit score. Some lenders see consumers with scores in the Fair range as having unfavorable credit, and may decline their credit applications.
Yes, you can get a personal loan with a credit score of 550. You could consider getting a secured personal loan, applying for an unsecured personal loan with a co-signer, borrowing from family and friends, and checking with local credit unions which usually have a lower requirement over credit score.
Our Verdict: Credit Karma has better credit monitoring and more features, but Experian actually gives you your “real” credit score. Plus it offers the wonderful Experian Boost tool. Since they're both free, it's worth it to get both of them.
Credit Karma touts that it will always be free to the consumers who use its website or mobile app. But how accurate is Credit Karma? In some cases, as seen in an example below, Credit Karma may be off by 20 to 25 points.
The main ways to erase items in your credit history are filing a credit dispute, requesting a goodwill adjustment, negotiating pay for delete, or hiring a credit repair company. You can also stop using credit and wait for your credit history to be wiped clean automatically, which will usually happen after 7–10 years.
The Takeaway. It usually takes a minimum of six months to generate your first credit score. Establishing good or excellent credit takes longer.
FICO considers a credit score to be poor if it falls below 580. According to FICO, a person with a FICO score in that range is viewed as a credit risk.
Utilization rate contributes as much as 30% of your FICO® Score. Late or missed payments. Paying bills consistently and on time is the single best thing you can do to promote a good credit score. This can account for more than a third (35%) of your FICO® Score.
Most lenders offer FHA loans starting at a 580 credit score. If your score is 580 or higher, you need to pay only 3.5% down. Those with lower credit (500-579) may still qualify for an FHA loan. But you'd need to put at least 10% down, and it can be harder to find lenders that allow a 500 minimum credit score.