Understanding exactly what is hurting your credit score can be difficult. The truth is that even seemingly small things can have a profound effect on your score.
FICO credit scores are the most widely used scores by lenders and typically range from 300 to 850. This score is calculated from information in your credit report — including whether you’ve paid accounts on time, how much you owe, how long you’ve had credit, what types of credit you have and how many new accounts you have.
Although there are five main factors used to figure out your credit score, there are countless ways to screw it up.
“There’s a lot of things you could be doing wrong,” said credit coach Jeanne Kelly. “Most of the time, the people who come to me don’t even realize what they’ve done wrong.”
Whether you want to increase your credit score or repair credit issues of the past, knowing what can trip you up can help ensure you don’t hurt your credit score.
