Credit Score Intelligence Center
Educational reference for every major credit scoring model.
Plain-language coverage of FICO 8/9/10, FICO Auto, mortgage scores, VantageScore, and the underlying factors that drive every model.
All Articles (15)
FICO 8
FICO 8 is the most widely used consumer credit scoring model - emphasizing payment history and utilization while being less forgiving of single missed payments than older versions.
FICO 9
FICO 9 reduced the impact of medical collections and added support for using rental payment history - modernizing the model without replacing FICO 8 in most decisions.
FICO 10 and FICO 10 T
FICO 10 and FICO 10 T are the newest FICO models - with FICO 10 T incorporating trended data that looks at how balances change over time rather than a single point-in-time snapshot.
FICO Auto Scores
FICO Auto scores are industry-specific models that weight auto-loan history more heavily than general-purpose FICO scores - and can return different numbers than the consumer's 'general' score.
Mortgage Scores
Mortgage lenders typically rely on older FICO models - FICO 2, 4, and 5 - which often score the same credit profile lower than FICO 8 does.
VantageScore
VantageScore is a non-FICO scoring model jointly developed by the three major credit bureaus - used in many free credit-score products and increasingly in lender decisioning.
Credit Utilization
Credit utilization is the ratio of revolving balances to revolving credit limits - typically the second most influential factor in most credit scoring models.
Hard Inquiries
Hard inquiries occur when a lender pulls credit to make a lending decision - typically producing a small short-term score impact that fades over time.
Soft Inquiries
Soft inquiries occur when credit is pulled without a lending decision - by the consumer, for pre-approvals, or for account reviews - and do not affect credit scores.
Length of Credit History
Length of credit history factors in the age of the oldest account, the average age of all accounts, and the age of specific account types - typically representing around 15% of a FICO score.
Credit Mix
Credit mix refers to the variety of credit types on a file - typically a smaller factor (~10%) but one that rewards having both revolving and installment accounts.
Payment History
Payment history is typically the largest single factor in credit scoring - accounting for around 35% of a FICO score.
How Credit Scores Are Calculated
FICO scores combine five factors - payment history (~35%), amounts owed (~30%), length of history (~15%), new credit (~10%), and credit mix (~10%).
Improving Scores Responsibly
Sustainable score improvement combines consistent on-time payment, reducing utilization, avoiding unnecessary new applications, and patience - there are no genuine shortcuts.
Score Recovery Strategies
Score recovery combines stopping further damage, disputing inaccuracies, paying down high balances, and consistently demonstrating on-time payment over time.