05/15/2026
🔢 Main factors that affect your credit score
1. Payment history (≈ 35%)
This is the most important factor
* Do you pay bills on time?
* Late payments, defaults, or collections lower your score
👉 Example: Missing a credit card payment can significantly drop your score.
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💳 2. Credit utilization (≈ 30%)
This measures how much credit you’re using compared to your limit
* Formula: Credit used ÷ Total credit limit
* Lower is better (ideally below 30%)
👉 Example:
If your limit is $1,000 and you use $300 → utilization = 30%
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📅 3. Length of credit history (≈ 15%)
* How long your accounts have been open
* Older accounts = better score
👉 Lenders like to see a long track record of responsible borrowing.
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🔍 4. Credit mix (≈ 10%)
* Variety of credit types you have
* Credit cards
* Loans (auto, home, student)
👉 A mix shows you can handle different types of debt.
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🧾 5. New credit inquiries (≈ 10%)
* Applying for many loans/credit cards in a short time can lower your score
* Each application causes a hard inquiry
👉 Too many inquiries may signal risk to lenders.