Credit Score Range Guide

Welcome to Credit Score Range Guide!

Knowing your credit score range may be the difference between prosperous financial health and potential ruin. Improving your score by just a few points can mean having ten thousand dollars in your pocket at the end of a mortgage that you just wouldn’t have with higher rates. Your credit history is like a permanent record that you are issued in high school except instead of grades you are given a number to represent your fiscal responsibility. Just about any qualified lender these days will carefully scrutinize every detail on your financial record, but the credit score determines how hard the lender will look at your history.

Credit companies often have credit score ranges that are set in stone. They may vary, but being one point beneath the cutoff can translate into money lost or even applications rejected. Credit reports can be ordered online at the convenience of the financially responsible. There are many ways to fix a damaged credit score but it would certainly help to know what each score range really means.

499 and Lower

A rating this low is only accomplished by about two percent of the population each year. The only way to end up in this range is to commit some serious financial mistakes. A professional is advised in any situation that has grown this dire. It’s often difficult to rebound from this sort of credit damage.

500-619

Even at the high end of this spectrum, you will be considered a significant risk. There is a good chance of being denied a loan if your credit score dips below 580. Although it is still possible to obtain loans and mortgages the rates will be too expensive to be worth it in many cases.

620-679

This credit score range is considered to be “fair” risk. You may not be approved for every loan and certain restrictions may be placed on your credit activity. Interest rates at this level are no laughing matter – they will make it even more difficult to keep up payments and improve credit.

680-699

Approvals for loans and credit are often approved at this range. The interest rates may seem a little heavy, but there are definitely more possibilities to shop around. The range of potential lenders will expand significantly, but it may still be wise to improve your score to the 700s range to ensure the best rates. Why not? You’re almost there!

700-799

This is where those who have mastered their finances reside. Loans will almost surely be approved and lenders are less likely to scrutinize your past credit mishaps. Rates will always be fair because lenders won’t see you as being much of a risk.

800+

Those with no credit history will sometimes find themselves in this elite range without being granted any of the benefits. Those with no history have nothing to support a lender’s faith in our ability to repay. Those who have extensive credit histories and have a score above eight hundred will be granted approval for almost any loan with the fairest rates possible. There is really no need to shoot any higher than this! Those in this credit score range have faithfully paid debts, sustained credit, and built a great foundation for financial activity.

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An excellent credit score range can only be accomplished one way: by maintaining an impeccable record of financial health. Lenders will look at your score to determine how much money, if any, they can trust you to repay. The amount of credit you have available as well as how you have handled debts in the past will affect how a creditor is going to view your application. Having an unsatisfactory score will make rates skyrocket as well limit your resources available to secure a loan.

There are five main factors that FICO uses to determine your credit score. Mastery over these areas will ensure your credit rating will be perfect and lenders will be anxious to secure you the best deals possible. It takes work and dedication to get a great score. Nobody can just avoid credit and hope that their score will be good – you must establish a reliable credit history that instills trust.

The areas that you need to be watching are as follows:

Types of Credit Used

Are you successfully balancing a mix of mortgage, credit cards, installment loans, and retail accounts? The ability to multi-task your financial life is something that is praised by lenders. They will see that you have the ability to manage the accounts you already have and that you are capable of taking on another. However, if you have a huge mix of credit accounts but you favor some over others, this will be very apparent on your credit history. No lender wants to run the risk of taking on yet another delinquent account.

New Credit

Any time your financial activity fluctuates in a significant way your credit score becomes “red-flagged”. If you have made a high number of credit queries or recently opened accounts, a lender will assume that you have been having financial difficulty. Sometimes opening new accounts is a symptom of paying off debt with debt, which will immediately turn off any lender. Since new credit only accounts for about ten percent of your credit score, you still have plenty of room to grow even with significant new financial activity.

Amounts Owed

This is a pretty big one. FICO takes into account all of the amounts owed on accounts and number of accounts with balances. If you have recently closed an account with a balance your credit will appear to be maxed out, which will make a huge negative impact on your score. Having a large amount of credit available means that you have room for emergencies and any lender will take this as a guarantee that they will get paid on time.

Credit History Length

It is possible to have a great credit score without having much to back it up. In this case, your length of credit history is what is holding you back from good rates and loan approvals. In order to be trusted with a loan with good rates, you need to have a good history of payment. Banks and lenders will be looking at the amount of time that has passed since account activity and new accounts opened.

Payment History

This category is the most heavily considered of all. Payment history accounts for 35% of your FICO score, meaning that you need to have a reliable history to back up your claims. Lawsuits, mortgages, bankruptcy and all other adverse public records fall into this section. The severity and number of past-due items will be weighed as well.

Maintaining an excellent credit score range is much easier than obtaining one. There are many ways to repair damaged credit, but it can take years to reach a level that will present significant savings. Prevention is the best policy when it comes to credit. Don’t jump into the game too fast and regularly check your credit score.

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