What's your credit score?

Aimster

Lifer
Jan 5, 2003
16,129
2
0
closing a credit card is bad?

I have a stupid SEARS mastercard. I want to get rid of it.
 

novasatori

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2003
3,851
1
0
Originally posted by: Aimster
closing a credit card is bad?

I have a stupid SEARS mastercard. I want to get rid of it.

Credit scores are designed to measure the risk of default by taking into account various factors in a person's financial history. Although the exact formulas for calculating credit scores are closely guarded secrets, the Fair Isaac Corporation has disclosed the following components and the approximate weighted contribution of each:
* 35% ? punctuality of payment in the past (only includes payments later than 30 days past due)
* 30% ? the amount of debt, expressed as the ratio of current revolving debt (credit card balances, etc.) to total available revolving credit (credit limits)
* 15% ? length of credit history
* 10% ? types of credit used (installment, revolving, consumer finance)
* 10% ? recent search for credit and/or amount of credit obtained recently

wp:credit scores (us)

falls under "length of credit history" and can also affect "the amount of debt, expressed as the ratio of current revolving debt (credit card balances, etc.) to total available revolving credit (credit limits)" negatively.
 

hzl eyed grl

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Dec 28, 1999
13,107
67
91
Didn't you know that everyone at AT has perfect/near perfect credit and earn six figures a year?
 

xeemzor

Platinum Member
Mar 27, 2005
2,599
1
71
Originally posted by: hzl eyed grl
Didn't you know that everyone at AT has perfect/near perfect credit and earn six figures a year?

Only six figures? I'm offended. ;)
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
79,004
429
136
Originally posted by: hzl eyed grl
Didn't you know that everyone at AT has perfect/near perfect credit and earn six figures a year?

While their better than Maxim model girlfriends fawn over them offering copious amounts of ...
 

grohl

Platinum Member
Jun 27, 2004
2,849
0
76
Should be a lot better...

Make those college loan payments on time, kids!

*grumble*
 

flxnimprtmscl

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2003
7,962
2
0
<standard ATOT response> 900, but I just closed my Amex black card account so it dropped a few points </standard ATOT response>
 

hzl eyed grl

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Dec 28, 1999
13,107
67
91
Originally posted by: RossMAN
Originally posted by: hzl eyed grl
Didn't you know that everyone at AT has perfect/near perfect credit and earn six figures a year?

While their better than Maxim model girlfriends fawn over them offering copious amounts of ...

Beer
 

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Originally posted by: needalife
Originally posted by: WombRaider
Experian: 741 out of 830.

19 year old student.
what did u do to get it that good?
Get a card even if all you charge to it is $50 a month and after a year or so, you should be above 700. If you charge $300-$400 to it monthly for a year or two, you should be getting closer to 800 at the end of the second year.

As a student, just charge your books, food, etc. all to it rather than using cash or a debit card.
 

xeemzor

Platinum Member
Mar 27, 2005
2,599
1
71
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Originally posted by: needalife
Originally posted by: WombRaider
Experian: 741 out of 830.

19 year old student.
what did u do to get it that good?
Get a card even if all you charge to it is $50 a month and after a year or so, you should be above 700. If you charge $300-$400 to it monthly for a year or two, you should be getting closer to 800 at the end of the second year.

As a student, just charge your books, food, etc. all to it rather than using cash or a debit card.

Why would it matter how much you pay, as long as you pay on time? As someone else said on this board once, a statement of $0 is still a statement paid on time.
 

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Originally posted by: xeemzor
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Originally posted by: needalife
Originally posted by: WombRaider
Experian: 741 out of 830.

19 year old student.
what did u do to get it that good?
Get a card even if all you charge to it is $50 a month and after a year or so, you should be above 700. If you charge $300-$400 to it monthly for a year or two, you should be getting closer to 800 at the end of the second year.

As a student, just charge your books, food, etc. all to it rather than using cash or a debit card.

Why would it matter how much you pay, as long as you pay on time? As someone else said on this board once, a statement of $0 is still a statement paid on time.
The amount you pay is probably linked to the limits that your provider gives your card.

Your right, the amount you pay might not be directly related, but indirectly, it does. If two people have a 1k limit, but one spends $50 every month, while the other spends $400, and both pay on time in full, the one spending $400 is more likely to get an increase because it would encourage him to spend more, meaning more profit for the CC company.

Edit: The reason this affects your score is that it modifies your debt to credit availability percentage, or whatever the proper term is.
 
Dec 10, 2005
28,651
13,764
136
Mine's probably really good, but I wouldn't bother paying for the score. I'm a 19 year old college student who has 2 CCs (and not with crap <$1k limits) (1 for over a year, 1 for 4 months) and have always made on time and full payments.
 

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Originally posted by: Brainonska511
Mine's probably really good, but I wouldn't bother paying for the score. I'm a 19 year old college student who has 2 CCs (and not with crap <$1k limits) (1 for over a year, 1 for 4 months) and have always made on time and full payments.
It's free - freecreditreport.com doesn't charge for it if you cancel before 30 days.
 
Dec 10, 2005
28,651
13,764
136
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Originally posted by: Brainonska511
Mine's probably really good, but I wouldn't bother paying for the score. I'm a 19 year old college student who has 2 CCs (and not with crap <$1k limits) (1 for over a year, 1 for 4 months) and have always made on time and full payments.
It's free - freecreditreport.com doesn't charge for it if you cancel before 30 days.

Meh.... I could always do that, but I don't need to worry about the hassle of setting up some other account on something. I'm sure it's good enough.