Credit Score (2024)

FAQs

What is a credit score answers? ›

A credit score is a three-digit number, typically between 300 and 850, designed to represent your credit risk, or the likelihood you will pay your bills on time.

Although ranges vary depending on the credit scoring model, generally credit scores from 580 to 669 are considered fair; 670 to 739 are considered good; 740 to 799 are considered very good; and 800 and up are considered excellent.

Less than 2% of Americans have a perfect credit score.

“If you're at 760, or 780, you're already getting the best you can get,” Jim Droske, president of the credit counseling company Illinois Credit Services, said. “You're already hitting that pinnacle of what lenders care about. Anything above that is just pride.”

Highlights: While older models of credit scores used to go as high as 900, you can no longer achieve a 900 credit score. The highest score you can receive today is 850. Anything above 800 is considered an excellent credit score.

A perfect credit score of 850 is hard to get, but an excellent credit score is more achievable. If you want to get the best credit cards, mortgages and competitive loan rates — which can save you money over time — excellent credit can help you qualify. "Excellent" is the highest tier of credit scores you can have.

For a conventional mortgage in California, you typically need a minimum score of at least 600. If you qualify for certain government-backed loans, however, you may be able to buy a home with a score as low as 500. Read on to learn about credit scores and how they affect your ability to make a home purchase.

You can borrow from $1,000 to $100,000 or more with a 700 credit score. The exact amount of money you will get depends on other factors besides your credit score, such as your income, your employment status, the type of loan you get, and even the lender.

A credit score of 1,000 is not possible because the standard credit score range used by FICO and VantageScore is 300 to 850. Other credit scoring models have a high of 900 or 950, but they are industry-specific and only used by certain financial institutions.

You can borrow over $100,000 with a 780 credit score if you get a mortgage or a home equity loan. Keep in mind, the exact amount of money you will get depends on other factors in addition to your credit score, such as your income, your employment status and even the lender.

A credit score of 999 from Experian is the highest you can get. It usually means you don't have many marks on your credit file and are very likely to be accepted for a loan or credit card.

Is a 999 credit score rare? ›

How common is a 999 credit score? Most people won't have the top score of 999. But remember that any score that's classed as “excellent” by a credit reference agency will give you access to the best deals.

Your credit score is a major factor in whether you'll be approved for a car loan. Some lenders use specialized credit scores, such as a FICO Auto Score. In general, you'll need at least prime credit, meaning a credit score of 661 or up, to get a loan at a good interest rate.

Although a lot of people might like the idea of a perfect credit score, they'd likely have a hard time actually achieving it. In the U.S., only about 1.7 percent of the scorable population had a perfect 850 FICO credit score in April 2023, according to FICO data.

A credit score is a prediction of your credit behavior, such as how likely you are to pay a loan back on time, based on information from your credit reports.

Credit Score. - a numerical rating based on credit report information; represents a person's level of credit worthiness; heavily influences your approval for bank loans and credit cards.

So while you may be a tier 1 borrower with one lender, you may have tier 2 or tier 3 status with another. In FICO's scoring model, scores in the 800 to 850 range are considered exceptional, or best. A given lender, however, may consider scores in the 750 to 850 range as best and categorize those borrowers as tier 1.

-A numerical rating of your credit-worthiness (how likely you are to pay off your debts).