Credit Score

FICO scores range from 300 to 850. The score ranges commonly labeled "Good" (670–739), "Very Good" (740–799), and "Exceptional" (800+) are general benchmarks, not guarantees of approval or specific terms. Individual lenders set their own criteria, and approval depends on the issuer's underwriting and your overall credit profile. If you are planning a major purchase, consider reviewing your credit reports and addressing any issues before applying.

Your score updates whenever your creditors report new information to the credit bureaus, which typically happens monthly (around your statement date). Major changes like paying off debt or missing a payment can be reflected within 30 days. Credit-monitoring services may update on different schedules and may use data from different credit bureaus. Check the service's current terms for its update frequency and data sources.

No. Checking your own credit is a "soft inquiry" and never affects your score. Only "hard inquiries" — triggered when a lender checks your credit during a loan or card application — can lower your score. You can check your score as often as you want without any negative effect.

Late payments and collections stay for 7 years. Bankruptcies stay for 7–10 years depending on the type. Hard inquiries stay for 2 years but only affect your score for about 12 months. The good news: negative items have less impact as they age, and consistent positive behavior can outweigh them over time.