Credit Score Education
How credit scores work, told through the moments that move them: a new card, a missed bill, a paid-off loan.
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Kitchen-table money tips by text
Short money tips on credit, saving and staying safe from scams, about one a day.
- Credit Score Education
Credit Report or Credit Score: Reading the Record Before the Number
A credit report is the detailed file of credit activity, and a credit score is a number calculated from that file, so checking both helps you spot errors and compare scores in context.
- Credit Score Education
Start at the Only Federally Authorized Site for Your Credit Files
The federally authorized site, phone line, and mail form all deliver free reports, so confirming the source before you share personal details is the most important step.
- Credit Score Education
Why You Can Have Several Credit Scores at Once
Different reporting companies, scoring models, versions, and calculation dates can each produce a valid number for the same person.
- Credit Score Education
What a FICO Score Measures, and Why the Model Matters
A credit score is a model-based snapshot of credit-report information on a given date, so the model, the report source, and the timing all shape the number you see.
- Credit Score Education
VantageScore and FICO: What the 2026 Mortgage Shift Means for Borrowers
New FHA rules let some loans use VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T alongside Classic FICO, so checking your credit reports and asking your lender which model it will use matter more than comparing scores across models.
- Credit Score Education
What a Credit Inquiry Means on Your Report
Hard and soft inquiries look similar on a report but carry different consequences, and checking who made the request is the first step to understanding one.
- Credit Score Education
How Long a Hard Inquiry Stays on Your Credit Report and Score
A hard inquiry can stay on your report for two years, but FICO Scores consider only the past 12 months, and the gap between those two timelines matters.
- Credit Score Education
Why Payment History Carries So Much Weight in a Credit Score
Payment history is the largest factor in many scoring models because it records whether bills were paid as agreed, and it can keep affecting a report long after the payment is made.
- Credit Score Education
Credit Utilization: How the Ratio Works and What It Leaves Out
Credit utilization compares reported revolving balances to credit limits, but that single percentage cannot explain a full credit score on its own.
- Credit Score Education
Closing an Old Card: How Utilization and Account Age Come Into Play
Closing a card can raise your credit utilization and shorten your available credit, but its effect depends on the rest of your credit file and the account's history.
- Credit Score Education
How Credit History Length Fits Into a Credit Report
Account dates shape how scoring models read a file, but age is one factor among many and does not override the rest of the report.
By text
Kitchen-table money tips by text
Short money tips on credit, saving and staying safe from scams, about one a day.
More topics to explore
Credit Reporting & Consumer RightsWhat is on your report, and fixing it
Personal Finance TipsMoney moves for busy households
Budgeting & Money ManagementA family budget that lasts the month
Identity Theft & Fraud PreventionKeeping scammers away from the family
Credit Card EducationCards at the checkout and on the statement
Consumer Financial NewsThe money news, over coffee
Cost of Living & InflationGroceries, rent and the paycheck
Banking & Savings EducationWhere the family money lives
Consumer Protection & Financial LiteracyYour rights as a customer