How my FICO Scores are calculated FICO® Scores are calculated from many different pieces of credit data in your credit report. This data is grouped into five categories as outlined below. The percentages in the chart reflect how important each of the categories is in determining how your FICO Scores are calculated. Your FICO Scores...Read More

[sg_popup id=”1″ event=”onload”][/sg_popup]Once you have a low credit score, life can become a lot more expensive. Getting approved for a mortgage or credit card with a score below 650 can be challenging. Even if you are approved, the interest rate will be shockingly high. In most states, even your auto insurance premium will be higher...Read More

[sg_popup id=”1″ event=”onload”][/sg_popup]Credit scores can wield a lot of influence in your life. They can lead to good or bad interest rates offered by lenders when you want to buy a home, or finance a car. You may not realize that they matter even beyond the financial realm. For example, according to a 2016 Bankrate.com survey,...Read More

“Trended data” tracks borrowing behavior over time. Be aware there are multiple scoring models. Don’t make major changes ahead of applying for a mortgage or car loan. Worried about getting a higher credit score? In that case, don’t be so quick to shift your behavior to game the latest credit scoring model. VantageScore, created by...Read More

New changes are coming in the fall to how one major credit score is calculated, and the shift could make the key number more forgiving for people who have debt. The VantageScore, a credit scoring model developed by the three major credit reporting bureaus TransUnion, Equifax and Experian, will soon put more weight on the trends in...Read More