Banks look carefully at borrowers, especially in the tough financial times, before they lend money. What bankers look for can be summarized in the following, termed the "4 C's of Credit":

·        Character
Character refers to the financial history of the borrower; that is, whet kind of "financial citizen" is this person or business? Character is most often determined by looking at the credit history, particularly as it is stated in the credit score (FICO score). Factors that will affect you...