The FICO® score is one of the most widely used credit scoring models in the United States. According to data from FICO, 90% of lenders use some version of the FICO score to determine a person’s creditworthiness. FICO was the first company to build a credit scoring system and became the industry standard for general use.
A FICO score is generated at least six months after there has been activity in your first credit account. The base FICO score ranges from 300-850, with 300 being a poor credit score and 850 being excellent. FICO also has multiple versions of its credit scoring algorithm (at least 16 different ones as of 2023) with some industry-specific scores such as Auto Score and Bankcard score for auto loans and credit card companies, respectively.
To check your FICO score, you can subscribe to their monthly plans on myfico.com and get both your credit scores as well as credit reports from one bureau to three bureaus depending on the plan you choose. You can also check your credit score for free through your credit card statements every month, provided your lender also uses the FICO scoring model to calculate your credit score.
Depending on the score, you will fall into one of these categories:
300-579: Poor
580-669: Fair
670-739: Good
740-799: Very good
800-850: Excellent
The higher your credit score, the more likely you are to get the best interest rates and rewards on loans and credit cards.
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