What is the FICO Score?

The FICO score is the score created by the Fair Isaac Corporation for each of the 3 major credit bureaus.  The FICO score is the the score used by most lenders and creditors to gauge weather how "credit worthy" an individual is. 

 

What is a good score?

350-620   Poor Credit (in other words - hurting!)

620-660   You will be extended Sub-Prime financing.

660-720 This is Average, but you will still be assessed higher rates.

720-750 This is Excellent. We all aspire to this.

750 + Champaign pours from the heavens. This would be a perfect score.

Credit Score Breakdown

Although the exact formula for what determines your Fico score is secret, this basic structure outlines generally what criteria makes up your score. Figure 1 is a graphical breakdown of your scores.

credit score breakdown

How are the scores calculated? (source from FICO.org)

35% of your score is based on Payment History.

30% of your score is based on Amounts you owe.

15% of your score is based on Credit History

10% of your score is based on New Credit (new accounts and recent requests)

10% of your score is based on Credit in Use (types of credit - mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, etc.)

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