Guide to Credit Score
and Credit Reports

Learn how refinancing can temporarily affect your credit score and get our expert tips on how you can continue to build healthy credit in the long run.

Establishing credit from scratch takes at least six months, but using that time wisely can help you build a strong foundation for your credit future.

Consider these personal finance tips to help you succeed after graduating college: build a credit history, use credit cards responsibly, and invest to benefit your future self.

Interest rates are based on many factors, including the type of loan and your creditworthiness. A higher credit score may allow you to save money on interest.

Is a 900 credit score possible for you? Get answers, see common score ranges, and get tips for making positive impacts on your credit score.

Learn why a high 700-800 score qualifies as an excellent credit score, see high score benefits, and learn strategies for strengthening your credit.

Learn how to build credit, including strategies for establishing credit if you don’t have a credit history and tips to help you build credit over time.

By both FICO® and VantageScore® standards, the highest credit score is 850. See how a high credit score can benefit you, and tips for improving your credit.

Leasing a car can help build your credit, but it can also hurt your credit score if you default. Learn more about how leasing a car affects your credit history.

Wondering what affects your credit score? Learn how payment history and other factors determine your creditworthiness so you can take steps to build credit.

It’s possible to buy a car when you have bad credit, but it can be harder to qualify for a loan. These tips may help low-credit buyers improve their financing options.

So, you have no credit history? Find the best credit card to help build your credit by following these expert tips.

Credit cards can help you build your credit, but also lower your score if not used responsibly. Learn how you can rebuild your credit, starting today.

Average credit scores tend to change based on age, state, and income. But none of these are actually used to calculate your score. Good credit habits matter most.

There’s no minimum credit score needed to lease a car, but your credit history still matters. Having good credit can help you get approved with more favorable lease terms.

Buy now, pay later arrangements could soon help you build your credit score – but only if you pay on time. Learn how to make these services work in your favor.

Learn how student loans can affect your credit, how a history of on-time payments can help you in the long run, and what you should do if you’re unable to make a payment.

A 700 credit score is typically considered good. See what loans and other forms of credit you may be able to get with a 700 credit score.

Typically, an 800 credit score is considered to be excellent or exceptional credit. See some of the benefits of having an 800 credit score, or higher.

Using a debit card typically can’t help you establish or improve your credit score. Learn strategies you can use to help build credit instead.

Knowing – and avoiding – financial moves that can make your credit score go down is key to helping you build excellent credit and maintaining it over time.

Good credit can offer a number of benefits. See strategies that can help you to maintain a good credit score and learn more about managing your credit.

A “fair” FICO credit score lands between 580 and 669, and it generally means higher interest rates on credit cards and loans.1 But there are ways to raise that score.

Getting a perfect credit score is a notable financial goal. See what impacts your credit score – and what it takes to get a perfect 850 FICO score.

Some of the reasons your credit score can go down are obvious – but other times, it’s less evident. Learn what could cause your credit score to drop.

Paying a rent or phone bill late usually won’t affect credit scores, but if your debt goes into collections, scores may nosedive.

“Bad” credit scores are more accurately described as below average, but credit scores aren’t permanent. There are plenty of ways to turn a score from bad to good.

Learn how making a balance transfer might affect your credit score and what you may be able to do to make sure any negative impact is only temporary.

Becoming an authorized user on someone else’s credit card could help you build credit, but this will depend on a few different factors.

Learn about the role of a cosigner for a credit card. See responsibilities, benefits, and potential risks for both the primary cardholder and the cosigner.

Need an apartment but have “bad” credit? Though many landlords require a credit check, there are plenty of ways renters with bad or no credit can get an apartment.

Learn how credit score simulators can help you estimate the potential impact of different financial decisions that can boost or burden your credit score.

Earning a top credit score takes time. Learn the different factors that affect your score and four strategies that may help to improve it.

Learn how to help establish credit for your child, from financial education to adding your child to your credit card as an authorized user.

Your credit score can play a key role in whether or not you’ll be approved to rent an apartment, but it’s not the only factor.

Curious about how often your credit score updates? Find out how often your score typically updates, and how it can impact your financial health.

Applying for loans can cause your credit score to dip, but usually only temporarily. Learn more about how loan applications may affect your credit score.

If you have to break a lease, there are ways to do it without hurting your credit. But if your landlord sends any unpaid debt to collections, it can have negative effects.

Your starting credit score might surprise you – it’s not zero. Using credit responsibly can help you begin with a good credit score and maintain it long term.

You can’t have a zero credit score but you can have no credit score. Learn why living without a credit score can make some financial goals harder to achieve.

Learn how to protect your credit with different types of credit protection including credit insurance, credit monitoring, and identity theft protection.

Economic swings typically add to the challenge of protecting your credit score. But there are steps you can take to help maintain your credit – or even improve it.

It's a good idea to check your credit report regularly in order to spot errors or signs of fraud. Learn how easy it is to check on your credit health.

Learn about how credit monitoring services work, the types of protection you can get from them, and whether they’re effective.

Identity theft monitoring alerts you to suspicious activity that could otherwise go unnoticed. These services help you take action to prevent theft.

Understanding how "credit score" is defined, how credit scores work, and how they're calculated can help you establish a positive financial future.

Your credit limit may be the maximum balance that you’re allowed to charge to your credit card. See how it can impact your credit score.

Learn how to freeze your credit online for free. See what information you may need to freeze your credit at all three credit bureaus.

Medical debt may affect your credit. See how unpaid medical bills could impact your score, and steps you can take to help protect your credit.

Myths persist about what a credit score is, how scores can be improved, and who can see them. It pays to separate fact from fiction.

Closing a credit card account can negatively affect your credit score, but by how much? See how to decide whether you should close a credit card.

A personal line of credit might be an effective way to manage temporary cash-flow problems. Learn what a line of credit is and what to know before applying for one.

Wondering how to self-report to credit bureaus? While direct reporting isn't an option, you can authorize certain information to be included in your credit report.

Your credit utilization ratio is a factor in determining your credit score. See how your credit utilization ratio is calculated and how to lower it.

Revolving credit may allow you to borrow up to a set limit on an ongoing basis. You can repay it and borrow again. Learn how revolving credit works.

While there’s no such thing as too many hard credit inquiries, each hard inquiry can drop a credit score by a few points – and make the borrower appear riskier to lenders.

Learn about credit scores and reports. See how they work together to give you a picture of your financial health. Learn how to check them for free.

Wondering if you should freeze your credit and whether it’s worth it or not? Here is why you may consider freezing your credit.

It’s time to unfreeze your credit, but you’re not sure exactly what to do. Here’s how to unfreeze for free at all 3 credit bureaus.

Credit history is the record of how you repay your credit cards, loans, and other debts. Learn what it takes to establish good credit with this intro to credit history.

There are many factors that can influence your credit score. Find out how late payments, debt, and credit history can impact your score.

Overdrafts won’t typically impact your credit score, but in some cases, they can. Learn how overdrafts work and the impact they could have on your credit.

American Express® MyCredit Guide gives you access to the FICO® Score Simulator and FICO® Score Planner to help you build positive credit habits that support a healthy credit score.

What credit score do you need to get a credit card? Learn about credit score requirements and explore your credit card options if your credit score needs improvement.

The five Cs of credit are character, capacity, capital, collateral, and conditions. Lenders use these factors to decide whether to extend credit to an individual.

Millions of Americans lack access to credit. A new DIY credit reporting tool is among the initiatives aiming to give them a new chance.

A credit tradeline is the credit bureau term for an account on your credit report. Here are the three types of tradelines and what information each includes.

Enroll in American Express® MyCredit Guide to access your Experian® credit report and explore credit building tools any time.

Late student loan payments will taint your credit score once they’re reported to the credit bureaus, but deferment or forbearance programs can help mitigate damage.

Identity theft protection services can help you safeguard your identity for a fee. While there are ways to protect yourself, many feel that such services are worth the cost.

Learn how prequalification for loans or credit cards can impact your credit score. See situations where it could make sense to get prequalified.

FICO scores are credit scores but not all credit scores are FICO scores. Learn the difference between credit score types to better understand your creditworthiness.

A repossession, or repo, happens when a lender seizes property after a debt goes unpaid. Learn more about what a repo is – and how and why to avoid one.

Closed-end credit is a set amount of money that you borrow for a specific time period. This differs from open-end credit, which you can draw from repeatedly.

Open-end credit is also revolving credit that a borrower can draw from repeatedly. Learn how it works and how it could impact your credit score.