Credit Scores
How credit scores are calculated and what the numbers mean
This guide is general educational information for U.S. readers. It is not financial advice and does not describe your individual credit file. Figures such as score ranges and timeline estimates are typical examples, not promises.
Guides in this topic
Credit Mix Explained: What Types of Credit Accounts Count
Credit mix is one factor in credit scores. Learn what credit mix means, which account types count, and how scoring models weigh a thin or limited…
Credit Score Ranges Explained: The 300 to 850 Scale
Credit score ranges explained: what the 300 to 850 scale means, how FICO and VantageScore ranges differ, and which factors are considered in a…
Credit Score vs Credit Report: What Is the Difference?
Learn the difference between a credit score and a credit report: what each contains, who creates each one, how both are used, and your rights under…
Credit Utilization Explained: How the Ratio Is Calculated
Credit utilization is the share of your revolving credit limits in use. Learn what the credit utilization ratio is and how it is calculated by…
Does Checking Your Credit Score Lower It? What to Know
Checking your own credit score is a soft inquiry and does not lower it. Here is how hard inquiries work and how scoring models treat them in your…
FICO vs VantageScore: How the Two Credit Scores Differ
FICO and VantageScore both use a 300 to 850 range, but they weigh credit factors differently. Learn how each model works and why scores can differ…
Free Credit Scores Explained: Are They Really Accurate?
Learn how free credit score services work, where free scores come from, and whether the free credit scores are truly as accurate as the scores…
How Credit Score Simulators Work and What They Show
A credit score simulator estimates how certain changes could affect a score. Learn what a what-if simulator does, its limits, and how the estimates…
How Credit Scores Are Calculated: Factors Explained
Learn how credit scores are calculated: the FICO factor weights, VantageScore's approach, what data feeds a score, and how your credit reports…
How Lenders Use Credit Scores When Reviewing Applications
How lenders use credit scores: what lenders look at beyond the score, why they check your credit report, and how underwriting and pricing decisions…
How Length of Credit History Affects Your Credit Scores
Length of credit history is about 15% of a FICO score. See how the average age of accounts and the age of your credit history are used in scoring…
How Long Does It Take for Credit Scores to Change?
Credit scores can change within weeks or months after new information reaches your reports. Learn how often scores update and what affects how fast…
How New Credit Accounts and Hard Inquiries Affect a Score
New credit counts for about 10% of a FICO score. Learn how hard inquiries and new accounts are recorded, how long each stays, and how scores treat…
How Payment History Affects Credit Scores Explained
Payment history is the largest factor in most FICO scores at about 35%. Learn how late payments and reporting timelines appear on your own credit…
What Factors Affect a Credit Score? How Scoring Works
Payment history, amounts owed, credit history length, new credit, and credit mix are the main factors that affect a credit score. Learn how each is…
What Is a Bad Credit Score? Ranges and What They Mean
A bad credit score usually means a FICO or VantageScore in the poor range. See where the boundaries fall, what factors shape them, and how scoring…
What Is a Good Credit Score? FICO Score Ranges Explained
Learn what counts as a good credit score, how FICO and VantageScore ranges work, and which key factors shape where a score falls on the 300 to 850…
What Is the Average Credit Score? Averages Explained
What the average credit score means, how it differs from the median credit score, and why published averages depend on the model and population…
Why Your Credit Score Differs by Lender and Scoring Model
Credit scores differ by lender because the scoring model, the data pulled, and each lender's own criteria vary. Learn why your scores can differ…
Related terms
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