How credit scores work
The five things a FICO score looks at, and which ones you control right away.
Checked Oct 20, 2026The five parts of a FICO score
FICO publishes the rough weight of each part for the general population:
- Payment history · Paying on time35%
- Amounts owed · How much of your limit you use30%
- Length of history · How old your accounts are15%
- New credit · Recent applications10%
- Credit mix · Cards plus loans10%
The top two, paying on time and keeping balances low, are 65% of it, and both are habits.
- 1
Payment history, 35%
Whether you've paid on time. One payment 30 or more days late can hurt for years. This is the biggest one, and it's fully in your control.
- 2
Amounts owed, 30%
How much of your available credit you're using, called utilization. Lower is better. Very high balances look risky even if you pay them off.
- 3
Length of credit history, 15%
The age of your oldest account, your newest, and the average. This only improves with time, which is why keeping your first no fee card open matters.
- 4
New credit, 10%
Opening several accounts in a short time counts against you, more so when your history is short.
- 5
Credit mix, 10%
Having different kinds of credit, like cards and an installment loan. Never borrow just to improve this.
Things that don't hurt your score
- Checking your own credit report or score.
- Freezing your credit.
- Being preapproved or prequalified through a soft check.
- Your income, job, or bank balance. They matter for approval, not for the score itself.
Hard and soft inquiries
A hard inquiry happens when you actually apply and a lender pulls your report. It can lower your score a little for a while. A soft inquiry, like checking your own score or a prequalification tool, doesn't affect it.