How FICO Scores are Established
Approximately 15% of your score is based on your credit
history.
Generally a longer credit history
will increase your score. The score considers both the
age of your oldest account and an average age of all
your accounts.
10% of your score is based on new credit or if you are
taking on new debt.
Opening a couple of new
credit lines in a short period will hurt this score. If
you are planning on buying real estate in the near
future, put off buying a car until after it closes. A
new car loan can have a big impact on what price of
house you can qualify for.
10% of your score is based on types of credit in use.
The score will consider your mix of credit cards,
retail accounts, installment loans, finance company
accounts and mortgage loans.
30% of your score is based on amounts owed on all
accounts.
Even if you pay off your credit cards in full
every month, your credit report may show a balance on
those cards. The total balance on your last statement is
generally the amount that will show in your credit
report. The score considers the amount you owe on
specific types of accounts, such as credit cards and
installment loans.
Small balances without missing a
payment shows that you have managed credit responsibly,
and may be slightly better than no balance at all.
Closing unused credit accounts that show zero balances
and that are in good standing will not generally raise
your score. A large number of accounts can indicate
higher risk of over-extension.
35% is based on payment history.
The first
thing any lender would want to know is whether you have
paid past credit accounts on time. This is also one of
the most important factors though late payments are not
an automatic "score-killer." An overall good credit
picture can outweigh one or two instances of, say, late
credit card payments.
Good FICO Scores = Best Loan Rates