Thursday, December 15, 2011

Subprime Loans

Loans offered at a rate greater than the prime rate are called subprime loans, and are offered to customers who do not qualify for prime-rate loans. You get a loan based on your credit score, which is usually calculated by FICO(Fair Isaac Credit Organization). FICO scores range between 300 and 850; the higher your score, the more deserving of credit you are viewed to be. If your score is below 620, you normally do not qualify for a regular loan and must then look to the subprime market.

Subprime loans have higher rates than prime-rate loans and also have higher fees. Prime rate loans are normally quite similar from lender to lender while sub-prime loans are not. They can vary a great deal. This is because of risk-based pricing, a process used to calculate mortgage rates and terms. This means that the worse your credit is, the higher your rate and the more expensive your loan will be.

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