The Basics to Understanding your Credit Score pt4

July 10, 2008 at 1:20 pm | Credit Information, Credit Repair | No comment

Five Parts to Your FICO© Credit Scores

As a rule, credit scores analyze the credit-related information on your credit report. How they do this varies. Since FICO© scores are frequently used, here is how these scores assess what is on your credit report.

  1. Your payment history – about 35% of a FICO score. Have you paid your credit accounts on time? Late payments, bankruptcies, and other negative items can hurt your credit score. But a solid record of on-time payments helps your score.
  2. How much you owe – about 30% of a FICO score. FICO scores look at the amounts you owe on all your accounts, the number of accounts with balances, and how much of your available credit you are using. The more you owe compared to your credit limit, the lower your score will be.
  3. Length of your credit history – about 15% of a FICO score. A longer credit history will increase your score. However, you can get a high score with a short credit history if the rest of your credit report shows responsible credit management.
  4. New credit – about 10% of a FICO score. If you have recently applied for or opened new credit accounts, your credit score will weigh this fact against the rest of your credit history. FICO scores distinguish between a search for a single loan and a search for many new credit lines, in part by the length of time over which inquiries occur. If you need a loan, do your rate shopping within a focused period of time, such as 30 days, to avoid lowering your FICO score.
  5. Other factors – about 10% of a FICO score. Several minor factors also can influence your score. For example, having a mix of credit types on your credit report – credit cards, installment loans such as a mortgage or auto loan, and personal lines of credit – is normal for people with longer credit histories and can add slightly to their scores.
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