I got a message from scorewatch saying my FICO increase by 4 points because of a change to one of my accounts. I went to check how the account had changed and it wasn't clear what had happened. Below the account, Scorewatch provided me these details:
How account changes impact your score:
The following are reasons why a change to an account can cause your FICO score to go up. (A change to an account in the opposite direction can cause your score to go down.)
* The balance on the account decreased. Generally, less debt is better for your FICO score.
* The credit limit on the account was raised while the balance stayed the same. Since carrying a balance too close to the credit limit is a sign of a consumer who needs credit and cannot pay it back, a higher credit limit actually helps your FICO score.
* The history of late payments or description for this account is revised to be less derogatory. For example, if a late payment on your account was mistakenly reported, correcting this on your credit report may help your score.
The account they are referring to is a Student loan that I have had forever and has rarely ever been late. It was 60 days past due maybe 2 years ago. I guess because I made a bigger payment and decreased the balance faster and it's been even longer since I had a late payment my FICO improved.