How Owing Money Can Impact Your Credit Score | myFICO (2024)

FAQs

How Owing Money Can Impact Your Credit Score | myFICO? ›

Amounts owed on accounts determines 30% of a FICO^® Score

A credit score can range from 300 to 900, with higher numbers indicating a better score. Approximately 35% of the score is based on payment history. Approximately 30% of the score is based on outstanding debt. A good guide is to keep your credit card balances at 25% or less of their credit limits.

Your income doesn't directly impact your credit score, though how much money you make affects your ability to pay off your loans and debts, which in turn affects your credit score. "Creditworthiness" is often shown through a credit score.

A poor credit history can have wider-ranging consequences than you might think. Not only will a spotty credit report and low credit score lead to higher interest rates and fewer loan options, it can also make it harder to find housing and obtain certain services. In some cases it can count against you in a job hunt.

What financial behaviors will typically lead to a low credit score? Maxing out your credit cards will typically lower your credit score. Your payment history and your amount of debt has the largest impact on your credit score.

Amounts owed on accounts determines 30% of a FICO^® Score

FICO research has found that your level of debt is predictive of future credit performance because the amount owed typically impacts your ability to pay all monthly credit obligations on time.

Potential impacts of money and debt stress

There's a strong link between debt and poor mental health. People with debt are more likely to face common mental health issues, such as prolonged stress, depression, and anxiety. Debt can affect your physical well-being, too.

Payment history has the biggest impact on your credit score, making up 35% of your FICO^® score. Amounts owed, which includes your credit utilization ratio, comes in at a close second, accounting for 30% of your score. The higher your credit score, the more likely you are to qualify for certain types of credit.

You Have Late or Missing Payments

It accounts for 35% of your score, and even one late or missed payment can have a negative impact. So, it's key to make sure you make all your payments on time.

As someone with a 650 credit score, you are firmly in the “fair” territory of credit. You can usually qualify for financial products like a mortgage or car loan, but you will likely pay higher interest rates than someone with a better credit score. The "good" credit range starts at 690.

What hurts your credit score? ›

Making debt payments on time every month benefits your credit scores more than any other single factor—and just one payment made 30 days late can do significant harm to your scores. An account sent to collections, a foreclosure or a bankruptcy can have even deeper, longer-lasting consequences.

Good credit can be the make-or-break detail that determines whether you get a mortgage, car loan or student loan. Bad credit, on the other hand, will make it difficult to get a credit card with a low interest rate and more expensive to borrow money for any purpose.

Late or missed payments. Collection accounts. Account balances are too high. The balance you have on revolving accounts, such as credit cards, is too close to the credit limit.

Unsecured credit cards are a type of credit card that would not require applicants for collateral. This is considered as the one that would carry the most risk because of these reasons: Unsecured credit card include range of fees such as balance-transfer, advance fees, late-payment and over-the-limit fees.

Debt collection companies, which pursue bills in default, also report payments they're seeking to the credit bureaus. Collections can include any unpaid bills, not just those related to loans or credit, and, as you'd expect, they tend to hurt your credit scores.

While paying off your debts often helps improve your credit scores, this isn't always the case. It's possible that you could see your credit scores drop after fulfilling your payment obligations on a loan or credit card debt. However, that doesn't mean you should ignore what you owe.

Settling an account rather than paying it in full and on time signals that you're a risky borrower, which will be reflected in your credit score. Additionally, working with a debt settlement company often means halting payments to your creditor in order to gain negotiation leverage.