What Is a Good Credit Score? FICO and VantageScore Ranges Side by Side

A good credit score is generally 670 or above on the FICO scale, the one most often discussed [1]. On VantageScore, the other major model, scores from 661 to 780 are rated prime and 781 to 850 superprime [2].

Both models use the same 300 to 850 scale [1][2], but they draw their lines in different places. That’s why the same number can sound “good” on one app and “fair” on another. Below are both sets of ranges, what lenders tend to read into them, and what actually moves a score.

FICO and VantageScore ranges, side by side

FICO splits its scale into five named bands [1]. VantageScore uses four tiers [2]. Here they are next to each other.

The two scales line up roughly, not exactly. A 665 is “fair” to FICO [3] but “prime” to VantageScore [2]. A 790 is “very good” to FICO [3] and “superprime” to VantageScore [2]. When you see a score, check which model produced it before you decide what it means.

Why you have more than one score

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau puts it plainly: you don’t have just one credit score [4]. Your number changes with:

• The model. FICO and VantageScore each have several versions, and they weigh things differently [1][2].
• The bureau. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion don’t always hold identical information, so a score built from one file can differ from a score built from another [4].
• The date. A score is a snapshot. Pay down a card or open a new account and the next calculation can come out different [4].

A free score from a bank app or a card statement is useful for spotting a trend. It may not be the exact score a mortgage lender or car dealer pulls.

What lenders do with your score

Lenders use credit scores to decide whether to approve you for a mortgage, credit card or auto loan, and also to set your interest rate and credit limit [4]. Landlords use them to screen tenants, and some insurers use them too [4].

There’s no single cutoff that guarantees a yes. FICO says each lender sets its own criteria based on its risk tolerance, the type of loan, and other factors [3]. VantageScore says the same: each lender decides its own minimum [2]. A score in the “good” band makes approval more likely and can mean better terms. It doesn’t promise either.

What goes into a score

Both models are built from the information in your credit reports, and both put the most weight on whether you pay on time.

FICO Score [1]:

• Payment history: 35%
• Amount of debt: 30%
• Length of credit history: 15%
• New credit: 10%
• Credit mix: 10%

VantageScore 4.0 [2]:

• Payment history: 41%
• Depth of credit: 20%
• Credit utilization : 20%
• Recent credit: 11%
• Balances: 6%
• Available credit: 2%

Your income, savings and job aren’t in your credit report, so they aren’t part of these scores. A lender may still ask about them separately.

Habits that support a good score

The CFPB lists the basics that scoring models reward [5]:

1. Pay every bill on time. Repayment history is the top factor in most scores. Automatic payments or reminders help.
2. Keep card balances low. Many experts suggest using less than 30% of your total credit limit, and the CFPB notes that people with the highest scores often stay under 10% [5].
3. You don’t need to carry a balance. Paying in full each month is fine for your score and saves interest [5].
4. Apply only for credit you need. Several applications in a short time can look like financial stress to a lender [5].
5. Give it time. A longer record of on-time payments gives lenders more to go on [5].

None of these work overnight, and no one can promise a specific result.

Check the reports behind the score

Every score is calculated from a credit report, so errors in the report flow straight into the number. You can get your reports from all three bureaus free every week at AnnualCreditReport.com [6]. See Free Credit Reports: Weekly From All Three Bureaus, and the Only Official Site for how to order.

If something is wrong, dispute it with the bureau and with the company that reported it. The bureau must investigate free of charge, generally within 30 days of getting your dispute [7]. The CFPB explains what to put in a dispute letter and lets you file a complaint if a problem isn’t fixed [8].

Only inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information has to come off. Accurate, current negative information can stay for as long as the law allows, and no one, including a paid company, can legally remove it [9]. Most of it ages off after seven years; see How Long Negative Items Stay on Your Credit Report: The 7- and 10-Year Rules.

How credit repair can help

If errors are keeping your score out of the range you want, a credit repair company can help. It pulls and reviews all three reports, spots items that may be inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or unverifiable, and files and tracks disputes with each bureau and with creditors and collectors. It sends validation and goodwill letters, follows up on the investigation deadlines, keeps records, and keeps going round after round. That saves you time and lets you focus on the habits that build a good score. You can file disputes yourself; a company handles the work and the follow-up for you.

Federal law protects you when you hire one, and reputable companies follow it: a credit repair company can’t charge you until it has performed the services it promised [10], must give you a written contract that lists the services, total cost and time frame [11], and must let you cancel without penalty within three business days [12].