Understanding FICO® Scoring

[princesswarrior]

some of this is very confusing.... i thought i was doing the right thing buy paying cash for houses and real estate and vehicles ... and for carrying few credit cards that i paid the balance in full each month, but often fully utilized them ....  and i have actually damaged my credit rating, altho my banker loves me  i have a net worth of 3.4K with 129K in total debt (a commercial real estate mortgage) with FICO scores in the mid 600's but I'm huntin'em down silly wabbits'   thanks for all the common sense talk, this is like an advanced game of monopoly ...  it's all in strategy and that roll of the dice that get sometimes put you in park for just a bit ....  thanks for this educationally illuminating fun house ....

[ChumChurum]

Score just crossed the 806, as I paid of balances transfers.

Date: April 2, 2008

CRA: Equifax

Score: 806

Positive Factors:

1.  No missed payments,

2.  Ratio of balances to credit limits on revolving accounts: 1%,

3.1.  Oldest account: 12 Years, 3 Months,

3.2.  Average age of accounts: 5 years (5 years, 10 months, from Equifax actual report),

4.  You have shown recent use of cards.

Negative factors:

None

Credit-at-a-glance

Balances by account type:

- Revolving balances: $15

- Mortgages: none

- Installments loans: none

Total Accounts: 19

w/ Balances: 1

Opened in the last year: 9 (there is a flag next to this, indicating this lowers my score),

Inquiries: 1

Additional info, not showin in the summary:

- accounts opened in the past 1 months: 1

- accounts opened in the past 3 months: 1

- accounts opened in the past 6 months: 2

- accounts opened in the past 9 months: 2

- accounts opened in the past 12 months: 9

Incidentally, I only have revolving accounts, i.e., 1 out of 3 possible types of accounts.

Message Edited by ChumChurum on 04-03-2008 10:00 PM

[ChumChurum]

Here is my credit snapshot from about 9 months ago.

Date: June 26, 2007

CRA: Equifax

Score: 765

Positive Factors:

1.  No missed payments,

2.  Ratio of balances to credit limits on revolving accounts: 1%,

3.1  Oldest account: 11 Years,

3.2  Average age of accounts: 7 years,

4.  You have limited the use of your available credit: 39% (haha, not really .

Negative factors:

1.  Your newest account was opened: 1 month ago.

Credit-at-a-glance

Balances by account type:

- Revolving balances: $xx,xxx.00 (I don't want to disclose the amt, but it's well into five digits)

- Mortgages: none

- Installments loans: none

Total Accounts: 19

w/ Balances: 5

Opened in the last year: 7 (there is a flag next to this),

Inquiries: 0

Additional info, not showin in the summary:

- accounts opened in the past 1 months: 4

- accounts opened in the past 3 months: 4

- accounts opened in the past 6 months: 4

- accounts opened in the past 9 months: 4

- accounts opened in the past 12 months: 4

Message Edited by ChumChurum on 04-03-2008 09:51 PM

[ChumChurum]

Here is my credit snapshot from about 10 months ago.

Date: June 10, 2007

CRA: Equifax

Score: 811

Positive Factors:

1.  No missed payments,

2.  Ratio of balances to credit limits on revolving accounts: 1%,

3.1  Oldest account: 11 Years,

3.2  Average age of accounts: 7 years,

4.  You have shown recent use of cards.

Negative factors:

None

Credit-at-a-glance

Balances by account type:

- Revolving balances: $x,xxx.00 (very low 4 digits)

- Mortgages: none

- Installments loans: none

Total Accounts: 16

w/ Balances: 2

Opened in the last year: 4 (there is NO flag next to this),

Inquiries: 0

Additional info, not showin in the summary:

- accounts opened in the past 1 months: 4

- accounts opened in the past 3 months: 4

- accounts opened in the past 6 months: 4

- accounts opened in the past 9 months: 4

- accounts opened in the past 12 months: 4

Message Edited by ChumChurum on 04-03-2008 09:52 PM

[haulingthescoreup]

Wow, congrats on the 800+, and on the bee-yootiful reports! This might well be my new long-term FICO goal:

Negative factors:

None

edit: correction: this is my new long-term goal! (see below)

Message Edited by haulingthescoreup on 04-04-2008 09:48 AM

[MidnightVoice]

---

haulingthescoreup wrote:

Negative factors:

None

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Benn there, done that 

[psychic]

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haulingthescoreup wrote:
Wow, congrats on the 800+, and on the bee-yootiful reports! This might well be my new long-term FICO goal:

Negative factors:

None

edit: correction: this is my new long-term goal! (see below)

Message Edited by haulingthescoreup on 04-04-2008 09:48 AM

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You'll have a scale that looks like this--

Message Edited by psychic on 04-13-2008 09:20 AM

[haulingthescoreup]

---

psychic wrote:

---

haulingthescoreup wrote:
Wow, congrats on the 800+, and on the bee-yootiful reports! This might well be my new long-term FICO goal:

Negative factors:

None

edit: correction: this is my new long-term goal! (see below)

---

You'll have a scale that looks like this--

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Aaaaaargggghhhh!

I don't know if I'm more bothered by the thought of how long that will take, or by the affront to my Libran need for balance. It's kinda pretty, though, I have to admit.

[scramblingin2007]

Hauling, I figure if my last late was 1 year ago..so since I am committed to paying everything ontime and in full...in 6 years I'll have a scale that looks somewhat like that..and I'll still be in my 40's Hopefully....