What is a good credit score?

This should help you to understand how credit scores work..

FICO scores from 300 to 850 and Vantage scores from 501 to 990.

Here is the breakdown for both systems.

Vantage Plus system scores from 501-990.
A-901-990
B-801-900
C-701-800
D-601-700
F-501-600

FICO system scores from 300-850.
Elite-740-& up
Prime-700-739
Preferred-660-699
Standard-625-659
Sub-prime-624-& under

FICO is the only one that matters since it’s the one that all major lenders look at.

So as you can see it depends on if your looking at a true FICO score or a Vantage plus score.

As far as what makes up credit scores it’s the following;
1. Payment history (longer the better) 35%
2. Time in bureau (longer the better) 15%
3. Types of credit (mix of credit cards & installment loans) 10%
4. New credit (new accounts and inquiries) 10%
5. Debt to credit ratio (lower the better) 30%

And just so you will know Experian only uses Vantage, Equifax only uses FICO and Transunion uses both depending of which type of credit report is requested of which there are 3. The standard that people get from the Internet, the auto enhanced which only car dealers and lenders see and the factual which only mortgage people see. The last two are not available to the general public.

To have the very best score and profile people need 3-4 credit card accounts (revolving) with balances below 30% of their credit limits and 2 cars, homes, boats, motorcycles, computers, furniture or personal accounts (installment) all with good long payment history’s.

Add to this that unless you get your scores either direct from the credit bureaus, myfico.com or through annualcreditreport.com your getting what’s called a FAKO score which makes it even worse because they all have their own system to calculate scores.

Add to all of the above the fact that all lenders don’t report to all credit bureaus and you can begin to understand why every-ones scores can differ so much.

Since your score is a “C” it must be a Vantage Plus score which is worthless. Go to either Equifax or myfico.com to get your true F.I.C.O. score.

Finance Manager for over 9-years / 2009 edition Consumer Action Handbook / Tinker Federal Credit Union.