Author
LoansJagat Team
Read Time
8 Min
03 Jun 2025
Radha, a 32-year-old from Mumbai, believed in "Aaj kamao, aaj udhao". Her lifestyle was all about enjoying the moment—the latest iPhone (₹1,500 EMI), weekend Goa trips (₹5,000 on credit card), a fancy car (₹12,000 EMI), and a personal loan for home interiors (₹8,000 EMI). Every month, her total EMIs hit ₹40,000, but she never really thought much about it.
Then came the “Reality Ka Thappad”—she applied for a home loan, dreaming of her own flat in Mumbai, but the bank outright rejected it. Her credit score had dropped to 650. The loan officer shook his head and asked her, "Madam, itne zyada EMIs? Tension-free ho ya credit score free?" A large number of current loans increased her credit risk to the loan officer.
Radha finally realised, “Paisa udane ka nateeja, credit score ka chakkar!” She had been paying EMIs blindly without thinking about their long-term impact. To arrange her finances, she devised a plan.
She followed her strategy without delay for a year. Radha's financial troubles got smaller over time as her credit score increased. Lastly, when she applied again, her score was 750, and the same bank that had rejected her in the first place approved her home loan without hesitation.
As we can observe in Radha's situation, EMIs form huge traps if there are too many of them. Sensible debt handling improves both your financial situation and your creditworthiness.
In the following article, we will explore effective methods to decrease your EMI payments and improve your credit score status.
You need to handle your EMI payments well to receive the best loan offers on hand. The solution to good borrowing depends on how well you manage your EMI payments. When you have many loans, your credit score suffers, yet a well-considered plan helps improve your rating.
Keep Your EMI Count Low
Several active loans indicate you have heavy debt with an increased likelihood of financial risks. Keep only basic EMIs and decline unsolicited borrowing opportunities.
Prepay and Close Loans Early
Prepaying your loans lowers debt tension and improves your credit score. Start with high-interest loans.
Pay Credit Card Bills in Full
Paying only minimum payments accumulates loans over a longer period. Clearing the full credit card amount every month helps you maintain good credit utilisation and can enhance your score.
Avoid Multiple Loan Applications
Too many loan enquiries in a short time make lenders cautious. Seek loans one at a time as needed after giving yourself enough time between applications.
Balance EMIs with Income
The amount you pay out every month for your loans must remain between 30% and 40% of your normal income. When debts become too difficult to handle, call loan providers to negotiate improved payment terms.
Your credit score depends on these five main criteria. The following elements influence your credit score results:
Factor | Weightage | Impact on Credit Score |
Payment History | 35% | Late or missed EMI payments can significantly lower your score. Timely payments improve it. |
Credit Utilisation | 30% | Keeping credit card balances below 30% of your limit helps maintain a good score. High utilisation can reduce it. |
Credit Age | 15% | The longer your credit history, the better your score. Closing old accounts may shorten credit age. |
Credit Mix | 10% | A balanced mix of secured (home/car loans) and unsecured (credit cards) credit boosts credibility. |
New Credit Inquiries | 10% | Multiple loan applications in a short time can lower your score. Space them out to minimise impact. |
Why Paying Off Loans Faster Works: "Jaldi Khatam Karo, Zyada Bachat Karo!”
When you pay off loans early, you gain better financial stability while building up your credit score. Here’s how:
Reduces Interest Costs: You save money on interest payments because you pay off your loans ahead of schedule.
Improves Credit Score: Lowering debt amounts enhances your credit usage ratio and financial ratios, which raises your credit standing.
Reduces Financial Stress: Having less money paid toward EMIs lets you save and invest more.
Enhances loan eligibility: Your ability to take out new loans improves because you now have better conditions for interest rates.
Frees Up Credit Limit: Your credit rating improves when you pay off credit card EMIs first because this makes more credit available for the future.
Radha obtained a personal loan amounting to ₹200,000 with equal monthly installments of ₹8000 over a 3-year period. After securing her bonus of ₹1,00,000, she used half of those funds to pay off her loan. She cut the loan period from 36 months to 18 months and earned back more than ₹20,000 in savings.
Paying off your loans faster grants you financial independence and strengthens your chances to access good financial chances ahead.
Loan Prepayment: ‘Real Hero or Overhyped Villain?’
The common idea of repaying loans before their due date appears good but brings mixed results. Examining both positive aspects and drawbacks will help us decide.
When Loan Prepayment Is a Hero | When Loan Prepayment Can Be a Villain |
Saves on Interest: The earlier you repay, the less you pay in total interest. | Prepayment Penalties: Some lenders charge fees for early loan closure, reducing savings. |
Boosts Credit Score: Lower outstanding debt improves your creditworthiness. | Loss of Tax Benefits: Home loan borrowers may lose tax deductions on interest payments. |
Reduces EMI Burden: Frees up monthly cash flow for other financial goals. | Liquidity Crunch: Using all your savings for prepayment may leave you without an emergency fund. |
Improves Loan Eligibility: Lenders prefer borrowers with low debt-to-income ratios. | Opportunity Cost: The money used for prepayment could earn better returns in high-yield investments. |
Example Scenarios
Controlling the regular payments of your EMI will lower money worries and boost your credit score. Here’s how you can do it:
Strategy | How It Helps | Example |
Choose the Right Loan Tenure | A longer tenure lowers EMI but increases interest, while a shorter tenure saves interest but raises EMI. | Radha opted for a 5-year loan instead of 3 years: reducing her EMI from ₹12,000 to ₹8,500. |
Make Prepayments Whenever Possible | Reduces outstanding debt and total interest paid. Best for high-interest loans like personal or credit card loans. | Radha prepaid ₹50,000 on her home loan, saving ₹1,20,000 in interest over the tenure. |
Avoid Taking Multiple Loans at Once | Helps maintain financial stability and keeps the EMI-to-income ratio below 40%. | Instead of taking a car loan, Radha waited until her personal loan was repaid to avoid excess EMIs. |
Opt for Loan Refinancing or Balance Transfer | Switching to a lower interest rate reduces monthly EMIs and overall loan costs. | Radha transferred her home loan to another bank, reducing her interest rate from 9% to 7% and saving ₹3,000 per month. |
Set Up Auto-Debit and Payment Reminders | Ensures timely payments, avoids penalties and protects your credit score. | Radha enabled auto-debit for her EMIs, preventing late fees and score drops. |
Maintain a Healthy Credit Utilisation Ratio | Keeping credit card spending below 30% prevents high EMIs and unnecessary interest charges. | Radha paid off her credit card dues in full, avoiding high-interest charges and improving her score. |
Too Many EMIs? “Mat Bano Credit Score Ka Villain!”
Running many loans together will damage your credit score. Lenders consider borrowers with too many loan payments to have high risk when making decisions.
Example: Radha’s EMI Overload
Loan Type | Monthly EMI | Loan Amount | Tenure | Impact |
Car Loan | ₹12,000 | ₹6,00,000 | 5 Years | Fixed EMI burden affecting cash flow. |
Personal Loan | ₹8,000 | ₹2,00,000 | 3 Years | High-interest loans increase the debt load. |
Credit Card EMI | ₹10,000 | ₹1,00,000 | 12 Months | High utilisation; lowering credit score. |
Home Loan | ₹25,000 | ₹25,00,000 | 15 Years | Long-term commitment reducing loan eligibility. |
Total EMI = ₹55,000 (69% of Radha’s Monthly Income ₹80,000)
How Radha Fixed It:
Radha’s journey highlights a crucial financial lesson—too many EMIs can trap you in debt, but strategic planning can help you regain control. By reducing unnecessary loans, prepaying high-interest debts, and keeping her EMI-to-income ratio below 40%, she turned her credit score from 650 to 750 and secured her dream home loan.
Managing EMIs wisely is not just about reducing financial stress but also about unlocking better financial opportunities. A well-maintained credit score ensures lower interest rates, higher loan approvals, and greater financial freedom.
If you’re struggling with multiple EMIs, take action today—analyse your debts, prioritise repayments, and make informed financial choices. The road to a rockstar credit score begins with managing your EMIs smartly!
What number of EMIs do I need to handle without damaging my credit score?
Your credit rating stays strong if you control EMI payments to 30-40% of your income.
What happens when I fail to make my EMI payment?
Not paying an EMI payment affects your credit rating and brings financial penalties from the lender.
Do higher monthly instalments boost my credit rating?
Selecting larger EMIs for your loans enables you to reach your higher credit score sooner because your repayment term will decrease and you will pay less interest.
How quickly does my EMI payment activity show up on my credit report?
After you make an EMI payment, your lender will most likely report it to credit organisations between 30 and 45 days.
About the Author
LoansJagat Team
We are a team of writers, editors, and proofreaders with 15+ years of experience in the finance field. We are your personal finance gurus! But, we will explain everything in simplified language. Our aim is to make personal and business finance easier for you. While we help you upgrade your financial knowledge, why don't you read some of our blogs?
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