FICO Score
Also known as: FICO
The 300–850 credit score produced by the Fair Isaac Corporation's scoring models. The score model used by the majority of US lenders for consumer credit underwriting. Calculated from bureau data on payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, credit mix, and new credit.
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FICO is the dominant US credit scoring model by a wide margin in lender adoption. Approximately 90% of US lenders use a FICO score variant in some part of their underwriting process. The model was introduced by Fair Isaac Corporation in 1989 and has been updated periodically — FICO 8 remains the most widely used variant in 2026 despite the existence of newer FICO 9 and FICO 10/10T versions, because lenders adopt new versions slowly and many credit-scoring infrastructure systems remain pinned to FICO 8 by inertia.
FICO scores range from 300 to 850 and are categorized roughly as follows: 800+ is exceptional (top 20% of US consumers), 740–799 is very good, 670–739 is good, 580–669 is fair, and below 580 is poor. The categories matter because lenders typically price loans in tiers — the rate offered to a 760 borrower can differ meaningfully from the rate offered to a 720 borrower on the same loan product. The most impactful threshold for mortgages is generally 740 (best-tier rates often start here) and 760 (often the next favorable tier); for credit cards, 740+ unlocks most premium product approvals.
FICO's published factor weights — the official documentation of what drives the score — break down as follows: payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), credit mix (10%), new credit (10%). Payment history is dominated by whether you have any 30-day-late or worse payments in the past 7 years; a single 30-day-late can drop a high FICO by 90+ points. Amounts owed is dominated by credit utilization (revolving balance vs revolving limit). Length of credit history considers the age of your oldest account, average age of all accounts, and age of newest account. Credit mix rewards diversity of credit types (revolving + installment). New credit looks at recent hard pulls and recently opened accounts.
FICO publishes consumer-facing guidance at myfico.com and through partnerships with major issuers. Many US credit card issuers (Discover, Citi, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, American Express, Chase) provide a free FICO score to cardholders, usually FICO 8 or a FICO Bankcard variant. Experian.com offers a free FICO 8 score directly. These free scores are not always the exact version a specific lender uses (mortgage underwriters use older FICO mortgage variants — FICO 2, 4, or 5 — and auto lenders use FICO Auto Score variants), but they correlate closely enough to give consumers a meaningful indicator. Credit Karma's scores are VantageScore, not FICO, and can differ from FICO by 20–50 points; do not assume Credit Karma equals FICO.
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- Credit card charge-off: 180 days past due + 7 years (15 U.S.C. 1681c) Both clocks verified: charge-off at 180 days past due is an FFIEC bank rule the CFPB echoes; removal comes 7 years + 180 days after first delinquency (§1681c).
- VantageScore A competing US credit scoring model developed jointly by the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). Used heavily in marketing scores, Credit Karma, and increasingly by some lenders. Different methodology from FICO; scores commonly differ by 20–50 points for the same consumer.
- Credit utilization The ratio of revolving credit balances to revolving credit limits, expressed as a percentage. Both aggregate utilization (across all cards) and per-card utilization matter. The second-largest FICO factor (30%) and the lever most readily adjustable in 30–60 days.
- Hard pull A lender-initiated credit inquiry triggered by an application for new credit. Appears on your credit report, typically lowers FICO by 2–5 points for 12 months, and ages off entirely after 24 months.
- FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) The 1970 federal law that regulates how consumer reporting agencies collect, share, and report consumer credit information. The legal backbone of credit-report accuracy, dispute rights, and the 7-year reporting limit on most negative information.
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