5 Fascinating Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Credit Scores

You’ve heard the old adage about how “knowledge is power,” and perhaps nothing demonstrates this saying more than when it comes to knowing about your credit information. Yes, the more you know about these details of your consumer history and you’re able to make better decisions when it comes to your future behavior.

First and foremost, it’s important to know your credit score, but it’s never a bad idea to brush up on some of the more intricate details that shape your score.

Here’s a look at five things you probably didn’t know about credit scores:

5 Interesting Credit Score Facts

  1. The big 5: Do you know the five factors that go into calculating your credit score? You should! Payment history is the largest single factor, worth 35 percent of your score. It validates the importance of paying your bills on time. Credit utilization ratio is next, at 30 percent. For a good lender-friendly ratio, keep it at 30 percent or less. Length of credit history factors into 15 percent of the score, and new credit and your credit mix each account for 10 percent of the score.
  2. 700: That’s the credit score of the average U.S. adult. A score of 700 is considered to be in the “good” category. This “good” category applies to scores between 670 and 739.
  3. Do you know your score? If you don’t know your score, you aren’t alone. In fact, it’s estimated that three out of every five Americans don’t know what their credit score is. That’s 60 percent of the country, and there’s really no excuse for it based on how important that three-digit number is to your purchasing power and how easy it has become to access.
  4. Credit report doesn’t equal credit score: Up to 20 percent of all credit reports contain some sort of error. That’s why it’s a good idea to utilize your right to obtain a free annual credit report. But contrary to what many believe, checking your credit report doesn’t permit you access to your actual credit score. We know it seems odd, but that’s the way it works. To get your score, check your credit card statements, subscribe to a free credit check website or talk to your bank or credit union.
  5. Late payments can do terrible things to your score: As we noted above, payment history is the largest consideration factor when it comes to calculating a credit score. Noting this, it probably doesn’t surprise you that late or skipped payments don’t bode well for your score. But what you may be surprised to learn is just how hurtful they can be. In fact, a 30-day late payment could cause your credit score to dip an entire 100 points! The lesson: Pay your bills on time!
Importance of Payment History

Payment History – Credit Tip #19

According to Nick, paying on time, every time is crucial to maintaining a good credit score. Since your payment history makes up 35% of your FICO score, it is the single, biggest item that you need to be concerned about affecting it. You are adversely affecting your credit score for seven years each time you pay a bill more than 30 days after it is due. When you must pay a bill late, it is critical that it be paid within those first 30 days in order to prevent a lowering of your credit score.

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factors making up your fico

Payment History – Why It’s So Important?

Of the five categories that make up a FICO score, “payment history” is the one that carries the most weight. Specifically, payment history accounts for 35 percent of your total credit score, while amounts owed (30 percent), length of credit history (15 percent), new credit (10 percent) and types of credit used (10 percent) round out the rest of what goes into your score.

But just why is payment history so important? Here’s a look:

  • The whole point of a credit score is to inform a lender of whether you’re a reliable borrower. And a big part of being a reliable borrower is making on-time payments. That’s the biggest thing that the “payment history” category tells a lender — whether or not on-time payments have been consistently made on things like credit cards, retail accounts and loans.
  • A common query many consumers have is whether a late payment here or there will harm their credit score. And the answer, in most cases, is no if your score is otherwise favorable. However, if you have regular late payments, credit repair is necessary. Luckily, in this case, it’s simple to repair credit — just make on-time payments.
  • What’s in the score? Specifically, when it comes to late payments, a FICO score considers not just how many late payments there are, but how late they were, how much was owed and how recently each one occurred.

Like we already noted, the good news regarding the payment history portion of the credit score is that it’s easy to correct. There’s no debt management involved, just the matter of making on-time payments. So take these credit tips from us as it pertains to your finances. Make sure your credit history is in check. It’s the biggest piece of the FICO pie.