800+
Exceptional
Best available rates across cards, autos, and mortgages. Above 800, more points rarely change the offer you get.
Money Guide
The Credit Score Range Cheat Sheet
Full Range300 – 850
"Good" Starts At670
"Exceptional" Starts At800
US Average~717
Best Rates Usually Need740+
Biggest Single FactorPayment History
I check mine through my bank's app once a month, free, ten seconds, no hard inquiry. Not because I'm obsessed with the number, but because that number is the difference between a decent rate and a bad one on anything you finance. Here's what the ranges actually mean and where the real cutoffs are.
01 · The five tiers
Where 300 to 850 actually breaks down
This is the FICO scale, the one most lenders quote. VantageScore uses the same 300 to 850 range but shifts the tier cutoffs slightly, so treat these as the standard, not gospel.
Poor300–579Approvals get rare, rates get bad when they happen.
Fair580–669Subprime territory. You'll get offers, just not good ones.
Good670–739The line most approvals start clearing.
Very Good740–799Where the best mortgage and auto rates usually kick in.
Exceptional800–850Top tier. Little practical difference between 800 and 850.
02 · What actually moves it
The score isn't one thing, it's five
These are FICO's own published weights. Not every factor is worth chasing equally, and the top two account for nearly two thirds of the score.
Payment History35%
What it means: on time, every time. One 30 day late payment can knock real points off, and it stays on your report for seven years.
Amounts Owed (Utilization)30%
What it means: how much of your available credit you're using. Under 30% is the usual guidance, under 10% is where it stops mattering much.
Length of Credit History15%
What it means: average age of your accounts, including closed ones. Time in the game, and there's no shortcut for it.
New Credit10%
What it means: recent hard inquiries and new accounts. Opening four cards in a year reads as risk, even if you pay every bill on time.
Credit Mix10%
What it means: a blend of revolving credit (cards) and installment loans (auto, mortgage). Smallest lever here, not worth opening a loan just to add variety.
03 · What the number gets you
Same application, different outcome
The tiers aren't just labels. They translate directly into what you get offered when you actually apply for something.
670–799
Good to Very Good
Qualifies for most mainstream cards and loans. Rates keep improving as you climb through this band, so it's still worth closing the gap.
Under 670
Fair or Poor
Approvals get harder to come by, rates jump when they do, and some lenders will pass entirely in favor of a stronger applicant.
04 · Common mistakes
Where people trip themselves up
Most of the damage isn't dramatic. It's a handful of habits people don't realize are working against them.
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Thinking checking your own score hurts it
Checking your own score is a soft inquiry and doesn't touch it. Only a lender running a hard inquiry counts.
Checking your own score is a soft inquiry and doesn't touch it. Only a lender running a hard inquiry counts.
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Closing old cards to "clean up"
Closing an old account can shorten your average history and shrink your available credit, which raises utilization on what's left.
Closing an old account can shorten your average history and shrink your available credit, which raises utilization on what's left.
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Carrying a balance to "build credit"
Paying in full every month builds credit just fine. Carrying a balance just hands the credit card company interest for nothing.
Paying in full every month builds credit just fine. Carrying a balance just hands the credit card company interest for nothing.
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Ignoring it until you need a loan
Score damage takes months to repair. By the time you're shopping for a mortgage rate, it's too late to fix anything.
Score damage takes months to repair. By the time you're shopping for a mortgage rate, it's too late to fix anything.
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Assuming FICO and VantageScore always match
They weight things differently and can land 20 or more points apart. Know which one a lender is actually pulling.
They weight things differently and can land 20 or more points apart. Know which one a lender is actually pulling.
Tiers shown reflect FICO's standard scoring bands. VantageScore uses the same 300–850 scale but different tier cutoffs, and actual approval decisions vary by lender.