The credit you use for business is separate from your personal credit. They are governed by different credit bureaus and scoring models.
Personal credit consists of any credit lines you currently have opened and/or closed. This can include auto loans, mortgages, and credit cards.
A personal credit report can also include other accounts and payment history (i.e., rent and utilities) if you use a reporting service. Your personal credit report includes negative items like collections, evictions, and bankruptcies.
Similarly, business credit reports will consist of tradelines that belong to your business. These could be tradelines that you or your business partners have opened.
Tradelines on business reports can consist of loans, credit cards, and other types of financing. In addition to information reported from creditors, business reports can include data reported by vendors.
For instance, if you own a spa, the vendor who supplies your massage oils could report your payment history to the credit bureaus.
The resulting credit reports and scores look drastically different from one another. Here are just a few ways these two types of credit differ.
The purpose of personal credit is to determine your creditworthiness. Your credit score can influence what products you qualify for (loans and credit cards), expand or limit your housing options, and even impact your employability.
It’s usually more complex to obtain business financing compared to personal financing. Factors other than business credit scores can be more important, like your business revenue, time in business, and industry code.
Also Read: Business Credit Cards vs. Personal Credit Cards
In addition to that, lenders usually look at information on your business credit report (like financing, negative remarks, etc.), and even the business owner’s personal credit score.
Credit Bureaus
When it comes to personal credit, there are three major credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.
In contrast, there are many business credit bureaus. Dun & Bradstreet is the most famous.
Experian and Equifax also have business credit divisions that are separate from their consumer credit divisions.
Paynet (which is owned by Equifax), the Small Business Financial Exchange (SBFE), and Creditsafe are less-well known, but they are business credit bureaus as well.
When it comes to generating a credit report and score, there are differences in how and when this is done by personal and business credit bureaus.
Some business credit bureaus will begin generating your business report once you have a tradeline reporting; others require you to set up an account first. Dun and Bradstreet, for instance, requires you first to obtain your DUNS number.
The credit bureaus for personal credit (also referred to as consumer credit) will automatically begin generating a report once you have information reporting. So even a teenager could have a credit report if, for instance, they are added as an authorized user on a credit card.
Credit Scores & Ranges
FICO and VantageScore personal credit scores mostly range from 300 to 850. You can have a separate credit score based on data from each of the three major consumer credit bureaus.
Conversely, the business credit bureaus each offer unique scoring ranges.
There are different consumer credit scoring models, but they typically use similar credit score ranges. (Usually in the 300-850 credit score range.) The credit scoring company FICO offers dedicated scores for auto lenders, insurance, credit cards, and more.
For example, the FICO Bankcard Score 8 is used in the credit card industry. The FICO Auto Score 9 is used auto lending, and the FICO Score 5 is used by mortgage lenders.
For business credit scores, additional scoring models include delinquency predictor scores, failure scores, risk score/rating, and more.
It is also important to note that business scores are 100% separate from your personal credit scores.
Business Credit is Far Less Regulated Than Personal Credit
There are many more personal credit regulations than business credit regulations when it comes to credit and reporting to the bureaus.
The key piece of legislation governing credit practices is the Fair Credit Reporting Act. There is also the Truth In Lending Act (also referred to as Regulation Z). These two pieces of legislation offer benefits like:
- Free access to your credit report
- The right to dispute errors/fraud on your report
- Forcing negative information to fall off after 7 years (10 years for bankruptcy)
- The right to seek damages if this legislation is violated
- Lending fees must be disclosed (interest rate, annual fee, etc.)
- Limit upfront fees on credit cards
- Limit liability for fraudulent purchases on credit cards
Unfortunately, many of these benefits only apply to personal credit. When it comes to business credit:
- You are not entitled to a free credit report
- Dispute processes are lengthy
- Negative information can remain on your reports for 15+ years
- Lenders do not have to disclose or limit fees
- Liability charges can be significantly higher for larger businesses
Why Lenders Look at Small Business Owners’ Personal Credit
Business lending/financing is not always based on your business credit history.
Rules and regulations vary from lender to lender. Some lenders only check personal credit history, while others may check both.
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For small business loans and financing, the lenders that do check business credit check both the score and the information in the report. They want to see how prompt you make your payments and check for other loan obligations.
Small business owners who want to get the best financing need good personal credit and business credit.
It is very difficult to get small business financing without a good personal credit score. However, small business owners that don’t build their business credit are shut out from the best business financing opportunities.
The biggest loans, lowest interest rates, and best terms are reserved for businesses with great business credit.
Once a business’s credit is sufficiently established, the business owner can get to a point where their personal credit won’t even need to be checked in order to qualify for financing. Business owners that have great business credit can get to a point where they don’t have to personally guarantee their small business loans.
This should be the goal for every small business owner – to have your personal credit completely separated from and independent of your business’s credit.
Can My Personal Credit Affect My Business Credit?
Generally speaking, your personal credit scores cannot influence your business credit scores and vice versa.
The only exception to this rule is when you are trying to obtain a Small Business Association loan (SBA loan).
As a part of the SBA loan screening process, the lender or your SBA advisor will need to pull your FICO SBSS score. This is the only business credit score that takes into account your business credit as well as your personal credit.
However, small business lenders review personal credit reports and scores. Bad personal credit can get your business financing applications turned down!
Your personal credit affects your ability to get business financing.
Can Personal Credit Be Used in Business?
Yes. As mentioned earlier, your personal credit scores need to be good to qualify for business financing. With good personal credit scores and reports, most small business owners can qualify for big credit lines with small business credit cards.
It’s not uncommon for small business owners to get 5-10 small business credit lines with credit limits of $5,000-$15,000 each.
Small business loans usually require high personal credit scores. If you have bankruptcies, foreclosures, or other negative items on your credit report, that can hold you back from getting business financing.
But depending on what type and size of business you have, using personal credit may not be enough. That’s why building business credit is important.
How Do You Separate Business Credit from Personal Credit?
When you are a business owner, it is essential to separate your personal finances from your business finances. Preferably before you even have the business up and running.
But often, a business organically grows out of work you are already doing, and you might find yourself in a situation where your finances and credit are mixed.
So, how do you fix it?
Step 1: Make your business legal. At a bare minimum, you need to file paperwork with your local city or state. You could also form a Limited Liability Company (LLC), Small Business Corporation (S-Corp), or C-Corporation. Sole proprietors (your default if you don’t choose a business entity) get business funding too, but there are less options available.
Step 2: Create a separate business bank account. And switch over all of your business income and expenses to this account.
Step 3: Obtain a DUNS number. This number allows you to generate and view your DUNS number and D&B credit report.
Step 4: Obtain an EIN from the IRS. This is used for tax payments and filing. It is also used for business financing applications.
Step 5: Open a business credit card. Opening a dedicated business credit card will help you keep expenses separate. If done correctly, it can help you build business credit, too.
Step 6: Contact any existing vendors/creditors with your EIN/DUNS numbers. To ensure that information begins to be reported to the business credit bureaus.
Step 7: Use your DUNS and EIN on all future transactions. On equipment rentals, loan applications, vendor accounts, and anything else relating to your business.
Conclusion
As a small business owner, your business credit scores and reports are separate from your personal credit history.
They do have some similarities in reporting. Both report payment history from creditors. And both report credit card information, business cards on business credit, and personal credit cards on consumer credit.
But they also have many differences. This is because the nature of business is different. Cash flow and vendor relationships are just some of the factors that can impact business credit.
Regardless of the differences, building good credit, both business and personal, can be vital to the long-term success of your business.
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This article originally appeared on DigitalHoney and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Making moves to boost your credit score is a smart way to approach building your credit and reaching your financial goals. But it can take time and patience, especially if you don’t want to use credit cards to improve your credit.
Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of 11 ways to help you learn how to build credit without a credit card, including using the best budgeting apps and regularly checking your credit report. This list can help you think outside the box when it comes to building your credit profile, so you could increase your score and avoid common money mistakes down the road.
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Did you know your utility bills might help increase your credit score? With a free tool like Experian Boost, you can add positive payment history from utility bills, phone bills, and your streaming subscription bill to your credit file. This could provide an immediate boost to your FICO credit score. To date, Experian Boost has increased users’ credit scores by more than 46 million combined points.
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Personal loans are a common way for borrowers to build credit without getting a credit card. As you make your full loan payments on time each month, you can typically expect your credit score to improve. You may think you won’t qualify for the best personal loans because your credit history is too new or your score is too low, but loan marketplaces like LoansUnder36% might offer a loan for you. LoansUnder36% offers quick and secure online loans, and you might find a loan there that meets your needs, no matter your FICO score. Just keep in mind that whenever you apply for a loan, the lender will typically conduct a hard credit check, which could temporarily lower your credit score by a few points.
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If you can’t qualify for a credit card or aren’t interested in having one, it’s still possible to become an authorized user on someone else’s credit card to help build your own credit. You don’t even have to receive your own copy of the card if you don’t want to.
As the primary cardholder makes responsible financial decisions with their card, including making on-time payments and not carrying high balances, you could reap the benefits of seeing your score increase. Of course, you’d likely want to do this with a close friend or family member whom you trust because any late payments or negative activity on the account could also impact your credit.
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Co-signing a loan is similar to becoming an authorized user on a credit card, as both parties involved have their credit affected. So if you co-sign a loan and it’s regularly paid off on time, you could see an increase in your credit score. If the loan isn’t paid off, your credit could be negatively affected. This method will only work if loan repayment is handled properly, so make sure you trust the other party involved before you become a co-signer.
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Credit builder loans are specifically designed to help you build or rebuild your credit. You typically apply for the loan amount desired and then those funds are held as collateral until the loan is paid off. The funds are sometimes held in savings accounts that earn interest over time, so you might end up with more money than you originally borrowed. As you make your full, on-time loan payments, you could see your credit score start to improve.
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Keeping an eye on your credit reports can help you learn how to manage your money more effectively. If you know how your credit is being affected, whether it’s positive or negative, you’ll be able to adjust your finances accordingly. This could mean making sure all your bill and loan payments are made on time and that you’re carrying a good mix of credit products.
With your credit score more top of mind, it might be easier to make important financial decisions, like paying down debt quickly. Having the goal to improve your credit can give you the push you need when working toward your financial objectives. An online tool like Credit Karma allows free access to your credit score and any changes in your credit report. You can also use it to see what factors are affecting your credit and learn how you can improve them.
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Making on-time student loan payments could improve your creditworthiness because it gives you the opportunity to hit three common credit scoring factors: payment history, credit history length, and credit mix.
By simply having a loan and making payments on it, you establish credit history. Continuing to make on-time payments will increase the length of your positive payment history. Also, having a loan is one type of credit account included in having a diverse mix of credit on your report.
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Similar to making on-time student loan payments, you’ll also want to make on-time mortgage and auto loan payments. These other types of loans could help diversify your credit accounts which is a factor credit scoring agencies often look at. Your mortgage and car loans could also help with the factors of payment history and credit history length as you continue making on-time payments.
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Rent reporting agencies like Experian Rentbureau, Rental Kharma, and RentReporters might be an ideal solution for building your credit without a credit card. These services incorporate on-time rent payments into participating credit reports so you can build your credit by paying your rent each month.
If you’re interested in using this type of service, be sure to check which credit reporting agencies the service reports to. For example, if you want to build your score with Experian, you’d want to use Experian RentBureau because they work with Experian. On the other hand, RentReporters reports your rental payments to Equifax and TransUnion.
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If you’re having trouble building your credit because you can’t manage your monthly payments and bills, consider using budgeting apps to help control your finances and limit your spending. Budgeting apps like Truebill can help you free up money so you can make on-time payments for bills and other expenses.
This could help improve your credit if you’re reporting utility bills or rent to credit reporting agencies. It could also help you better manage your loan payments each month. Truebill provides a variety of services, including locating unwanted subscriptions, negotiating monthly bills, and helping you create budgets to help track spending.
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Secured credit cards are technically credit cards, but they’re a unique financial product because they function more like debit cards than your typical credit card. When you use most credit cards, you’re typically borrowing money from a bank or credit union to make purchases. You then owe the financial institution for the money you’ve borrowed and need to pay off your debt each statement period.
With a secured credit card like the Secured Mastercard from Capital One, you make an initial security deposit to open a line of credit. You can then use your secured credit card to make purchases up to the amount of money you’ve deposited. So you’re essentially using your own money to establish your available credit limit instead of borrowing money from a bank or credit union. However, certain secured credit cards might still help build your credit as you continue using them and making on-time payments.
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Establishing a good credit score can take a while, especially if you have limited credit or bad credit. But building your credit can pay off, as you’ll likely get better loan terms and interest rates down the line. Using credit cards is a common way to improve your credit, but it might not be the right answer depending on your financial situation. If you’re interested in building credit without a credit card, refer to the strategies listed in this guide for a helping hand.
Each strategy is different, but they could all be useful in their own way. Getting a secured credit card might make sense for some people, but using budgeting apps might be the perfect solution for others. Remember to choose the methods that align with your goals and be patient as you work toward securing your financial future.
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This article originally appeared on FinanceBuzz.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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