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About Your Credit Risk Score
Provided by the credit scoring experts at Fair Isaac Corporation
Your credit risk score is a number used by lenders that provides a snapshot of your credit risk picture at a particular point in time. It helps the lender decide: "If I give this person a loan or credit card, how likely is it that I'll get paid back on time?" The higher your score, the lower your risk to the lender and the better your loan terms are likely to be.
The credit score used by most lenders is the FICO® score, developed by Fair Isaac Corporation. The FICO® score is calculated by each of the three major credit reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian or TransUnion - from a mathematical equation that evaluates many types of information from your credit report. The resulting score gives lenders a quick, objective measurement of an applicant's credit risk.
Because lenders use FICO® scores to approve loans, set credit limits and assign interest rates, knowing your credit score and how to improve it gives you a powerful tool for financial health.
How do people score?
The chart below shows how FICO® scores are distributed in the general U.S. population. FICO® scores range from 300 to 850.
What is a good FICO® score?
Since there is no standard "minimum score" accepted by all lenders, it is hard to say what a good score is outside of the context of a particular lending decision. For example, a FICO® score of 750 may qualify you for a platinum credit card, whereas a score of 675 may indicate that you are a better match for a standard card. Your lender may be able to give you guidance on what you need to qualify for a given credit product. However, at myFICO.com you can now see what interest rates lenders typically offer consumers based on specific FICO® score ranges.
How credit scoring has helped consumers
Before the use of scoring, the credit granting process could be slow, inconsistent and unfairly biased. Credit scores have made big improvements in the credit process by giving lenders a fast, objective measure of your credit risk. Because of credit scores, consumers can:
- Get credit faster. FICO® scores can be delivered almost instantaneously, helping lenders make credit approvals within minutes. A mortgage application or a small business loan, which might otherwise take weeks, can be approved in hours. Scoring also allows retail stores, Internet sites and other lenders to make on-the-spot credit decisions.
- Be treated fairly. Using credit scoring, lenders focus only on the facts related to credit risk, rather than subjective factors. Factors such as gender, race, religion, nationality and marital status are not considered by credit scoring.
- Have more credit available. Because FICO® scores give a more precise assessment of credit risk, lenders have the confidence to make more credit available. Scoring helps lenders identify people who are likely to be good customers, even though their credit history may show problems.
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