Banks are the adding teeth to whatever credit management system they are already have in place. They need to do this to make sure that they are lending money to right borrowers, those most likely to pay their bills on the time and not default on their loans.
During the lending the crisis, several major a banks required government assistance largely because so many of the loans they made went bad. Simply put, bank credit management failed, largely because the banks insisted on passing out so many loans to consumers with weak credit scores and mountains of debt during the days of the housing boom. When a large percent of these loans went bad, banks suddenly found their profit margins shrinking.
Many, then, turned to government bailout funds to survive. This is something that banks don’t want to see happen again, and should these financial institutions’ credit management systems fail them again? You can bet that the government bailout money won’t be as fast in coming.
Don’t be surprised, then, if your bank gives your request for a loan far more scrutiny than they have in the past. The Banks are advertising a growing number of credit management jobs. They’re beefing up the number of staffers assigned to make sure that loans are only made to credit worthy applicants.
Only that you need to have your own financial house in order before attempting to borrow money from a local or national bank. Don’t try to borrow a large amount of money if your FICO credit score is under 620. Instead, start paying your bills on time and cutting down on your credit card debt. Try to borrow money again when your FICO score is 720 or higher. Not only will it be far easier for you to gain approval, but you’ll also nab the lowest possible interest rates on your new loan.
Banks’ increased focus on credit management is a positive sign. It shows that banks have learned some important lessons from the Great Recession. While it does make borrowing a bit more challenging, banks’ new reliance on fiscal responsibility might prevent another financial meltdown, and we can all agree that this should be a priority.