FICO Scores are calculated using many different pieces of credit data in your credit report. This data is grouped into five categories: payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%) and credit mix (10%).
Your FICO Scores consider both positive and negative information in your credit report. The percentages in the chart reflect how important each of the categories is in determining how your FICO Scores are calculated. The importance of these categories may vary from one person to another—we'll cover that in the next section.
The importance of credit categories varies by person
Your FICO Scores are unique, just like you. They are calculated based on the five categories referenced above, but for some people, the importance of these categories can be different. For example, scores for people who have not been using credit long will be calculated differently than those with a longer credit history.
In addition, as the information in your credit report changes, so does the evaluation of these factors in determining your FICO Scores.
Your credit report and FICO Scores evolve frequently. Because of this, it's not possible to measure the exact impact of a single factor in how your FICO Score is calculated without looking at your entire report. Even the levels of importance shown in the FICO Scores chart above are for the general population and may be different for different credit profiles.
Your FICO Scores only look at information in your credit report
Your FICO Score is calculated only from the information in your credit report. However, lenders may look at many things when making a credit decision, such as your income, how long you have worked at your current job, and the kind of credit you are requesting.
What categories are considered when calculating my FICO Score?
Payment history (35%)
The first thing any lender wants to know is whether you've paid past credit accounts on time. This helps a lender figure out the amount of risk it will take on when extending credit. This is the most important factor in a FICO Score.
Having credit accounts and owing money on them does not necessarily mean you are a high-risk borrower with a low FICO Score. However, if you are using a lot of your available credit, this may indicate that you are overextended—and banks can interpret this to mean that you are at a higher risk of defaulting.
In general, having a longer credit history is positive for your FICO Scores, but is not required for a good credit score.
Your FICO Scores take into account:
How long your credit accounts have been established, including the age of your oldest account, the age of your newest account and an average age of all your accounts
How long specific credit accounts have been established
How long it has been since you used certain accounts
FICO Scores will consider your mix of credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, finance company accounts and mortgage loans. Don't worry, it's not necessary to have one of each.
Research shows that opening several credit accounts in a short amount of time represents a greater risk—especially for people who don't have a long credit history.
The FICO Mortgage Score and FICO Score XD 2 are between 300 and 850. Higher scores indicate lower credit risk. Experian classifies FICO credit scores lower than 580 as very poor, 580–669 as fair, 670–739 as good, 740–799 as very good, and 800–850 as exceptional.
are calculated using many different pieces of credit data in your credit report. This data is grouped into five categories: payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%) and credit mix (10%).
The main categories considered are a person's payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit accounts (10%), and types of credit used (10%). FICO scores are available from each of the three major credit bureaus, based on information contained in consumers' credit reports.
However, they do not consider: Your race, color, religion, national origin, sex and marital status. US law prohibits credit scoring from considering these facts, as well as any receipt of public assistance, or the exercise of any consumer right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Your age.
Your payment history accounts for 35% of your score. This shows whether you make payments on time, how often you miss payments, how many days past the due date you pay your bills, and how recently payments have been missed.
After all, three million Americans have climbed the Mount Everest of credit score figures. If they can pull it off, why can't you do the same? A score of 850 can only be achieved with 10+ years of credit, excellent on-time payment history, low credit utilization, and no recent hard inquiries, which is a tall ask.
The accuracy of your score will depend on factors such as which FICO Score model is being used; the credit bureau your report is pulled from; and whether your credit reports have up-to-date information. Errors on your credit report could also affect the accuracy of your FICO score.
The primary credit scoring models are FICO® and VantageScore®, and both are equally accurate. Although both are accurate, most lenders are looking at your FICO score when you apply for a loan. There's a lot to learn about credit scores and credit reports and having more than one credit score can get confusing.
FICO Scores are calculated using many different pieces of credit data in your credit report. This data is grouped into five categories: payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%) and credit mix (10%).
Your FICO® Score uses the information on your credit reports to calculate your FICO Score, so inaccurate or incorrect information on your credit report can hurt your score. All disputes with Equifax are handled online. All disputes with Experian are handled online.
Is "credit score" the same as "FICO® score"? Basically, "credit score" and "FICO® score" are all referring to the same thing. A FICO® score is a type of credit scoring model. While different reporting agencies may weigh factors slightly differently, they are all essentially measuring the same thing.
Reasons why your credit score could have dropped include a missing or late payment, a recent application for new credit, running up a large credit card balance or closing a credit card.
While older models of credit scores used to go as high as 900, you can no longer achieve a 900 credit score. The highest score you can receive today is 850. Anything above 800 is considered an excellent credit score.
What is the average credit score? The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024. Credit scores, which are like a grade for your borrowing history, fall in the range of 300 to 850.
Less than 21% of people have a credit score in the 800-850 range. An 800+ credit score, such as 835, is considered perfect credit, indicates a borrower uses credit responsibly, and qualifies the person for the best loan and credit card terms.
Why is my FICO score higher than my other credit scores? Every credit-scoring model is different. And credit scores can change based on what credit report is used to inform the model. Those variances can make some scores higher or lower than others.
Your credit score is a major factor in whether you'll be approved for a car loan. Some lenders use specialized credit scores, such as a FICO Auto Score. In general, you'll need at least prime credit, meaning a credit score of 661 or up, to get a loan at a good interest rate.
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