What Credit Score Do You Start Out With

Your Credit Score Doesn’t Start At Zero

Starting with no credit score doesn’t mean your score is zero. Rather, your score simply doesn’t exist. That’s because your credit score is calculated only at the moment that a lender, credit card issuer or other entity requests it to check your creditworthiness. If you haven’t yet built a credit history, there’s no information on which to base that calculation, so there’s no score at all.

Once you begin to establish a credit history, you might assume that your credit score will start at 300 . But it’s highly unlikely your first credit score will be that low, unless you start off with very poor credit habits. Nor will your first credit score be the highest level . When you’re new to using credit, you simply don’t have a robust enough credit history to earn the highest score.

What Are The Fico Credit Score Ranges

In addition to understanding how a FICO credit score is calculated, its a good idea to know the FICO credit score ranges. FICO scores range from 300 to 850, and are divided into the following categories:

• Exceptional: 800-850
• Fair: 580-669
• Very Poor: 300-579

Your goal should be to get your FICO score above 670 as quickly as possible. Once you have good credit, youll be able to apply for some of todays best credit cardsplus, itll be easier to take out a mortgage, rent an apartment, buy a car, sign up for a new smartphone plan and more.

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Who Can See And Use Your Credit Report

Those allowed to see your credit report include:

• banks, credit unions and other financial institutions

• offer you a promotion
• offer you a credit increase

A lender or other organization may ask to check your credit or pull your report”. When they do so, they are asking to access your credit report at the credit bureau. This results in an inquiry in your credit report.

Lenders may be concerned if there are too many credit checks, or inquiries in your credit report.

It can seem like you’re:

• urgently seeking credit
• trying to live beyond your means

How To Improve Your Credit Score With No Credit History

• The Bottom Line

are three-digit numbers that measure how responsible you are when it comes to managing money and repaying debt. These scores are generated by the information thats contained in your , so it follows that to have a credit score, you must first have a .

Can you improve your credit score if you have a limited or no credit history? Yes, you can, but first its important to understand a little bit about how credit scoring works.

• A credit score is a three-digit number that measures how responsibly you manage money and repay debts.
• Everyones credit score starts off differently, though the lowest credit score you can have is 300.
• Some of the best ways to improve your credit score quickly when you have no credit history include becoming an authorized user, opening secured credit cards, or getting a small loan in your name.

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What If Im Denied Credit Or Insurance Or Dont Get The Terms I Want

Under federal law, a creditors scoring system may not use certain characteristics for example, race, sex, marital status, national origin, or religion as factors when figuring out whether to give you credit. The law lets creditors use age, but any credit scoring system that includes age must give equal treatment to applicants who are older.

You have the right to:

Know whether your application was accepted or rejected within 30 days of filing a complete application.

Know why the creditor rejected your application. The creditor must

• tell you the specific reason for the rejection or
• that you are entitled to learn the reason if you ask within 60 days.

Learn the specific reason the lender offered you less favorable terms than you applied for, but only if you reject these terms. For example, if the lender offers you a smaller loan or a higher interest rate, and you dont accept the offer, you have the right to know why those terms were offered. Read to learn more.

If a business denies your application for credit or insurance because of information in your credit report, federal law says the business has to

• give you a notice that includes, among other things, the name, address, and phone number of the credit bureau that supplied the information.
• include your credit score in the notice if your credit score was a factor in the decision to deny you credit or to offer you terms less favorable than most other customers get.

If you get one of these notices:

What’s The Starting Credit Score

If you are just starting out, you don’t have a credit history. However, the starting credit score isn’t zero. Since credit scores range from 300 850, 300 could be considered the starting score. Most peoples credit score doesnt start at the bottom of the scale.

Payment history and credit utilization are the major factors that influence an individual’s credit score. While your credit score may not start at the bottom of the scale, it can fall quickly if you default on credit repayments or frequently hit your credit card limits.

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What Is Credit Monitoring

Canadas credit bureaus, as well as many credit card issuers and financial institutions, offer credit monitoring services. These services provide you with a notification after certain updates to your credit file, such as a credit inquiry.

You could consider using this service if you think youve been the victim of fraud or if you have been affected by a data breach. This can help you see if somebody is trying to apply for credit in your name.

You usually need to pay for these services.

Tips For Landlords When It Comes To Tenant Credit Scores

When it comes to running a credit check, here are a few things landlords need to remember:

• Before you run a tenant credit check, make sure to be transparent and let them know you require it for every applicant if they object it could be a red flag.
• Decide how you will cover the cost most landlords include it in the rental application fee.
• Once you receive their rental application and consent, ensure you also run a complete tenant background check in addition to the credit check.
• Use a secure system to run a credit check as you will need to collect sensitive information: name, social security number, and date of birth.
• The general rule of thumb for landlords is to accept a score of 560-850 and potentially even 538-559.

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What Credit Score Do You Start With

You might be surprised to learn we all start out with no credit score at all. Your basic information isnt reported until youve actually had credit in your name for at least 6 months. However, this doesnt mean that your credit score starts out at 0. There are 3 bureaus and each has their own unique scoring range, most of which start around 300.

Lets take a closer look at credit score ranges, and how each bureau views them.

As you can see, while each bureau has their own specific values that coordinate with the various credit score ranges, they are all relatively close in value. So, if your credit score doesnt start at 0 where does it start?

Next Steps: Build Excellent Credit

Once creditors start reporting information to the credit bureaus, the credit bureaus can use that information to create credit reports. Scoring companies can then analyze your credit reports to create credit scores.

Dont worry if you cant get a FICO® credit score immediately, because you need to have an account thats been opened for at least six months on your credit report before youre eligible for a FICO score. In contrast, VantageScore can provide you with a score after just one month. You can access your free VantageScore 3.0 credit scores from Equifax and TransUnion on Credit Karma anytime from any device.

As you start building credit, your financial goals may go beyond simply getting a credit score. Good or excellent scores can help you qualify for the best offers and not get held back by a lack of credit. Here are some steps you can take as you work toward building excellent credit.

While there are many intricacies to credit, you dont need to know all the ins and outs to build excellent credit. Start by opening accounts with creditors that report to the main consumer credit bureaus, paying your bills on time and limiting your credit card usage and, over time, you can get there.

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Howto Check Your Starter Credit Score

You can check your starter credit score and available credit by requesting a credit report online. In the U.S., there are three main credit bureaus that work to compile your credit reports: Experian®, TransUnion® and Equifax®. , youre entitled to one free credit report per year from each of these bureaus.

The government-approved site for requesting these credit reports is AnnualCreditReport.com. Log on to this website to request your reports, and be ready to provide identity verification.

Each bureau uses a slightly different scale when reporting credit scores:

• The Equifax credit score ranges from 280 850
• TransUnion ranges from 300 850
• Experian scores range from 300 850

When reading through your credit report, pay attention to morethan just your score. Take a look at your credit history and payments, and takenote of any areas where you could improve.

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What Is A Credit Score

A credit score is a three-digit number summarizing your credit risk, based on your credit data. A credit score helps lenders evaluate your credit profile and influences the credit thats available to you, including loan and credit card approvals, interest rates, credit limits and more. For example, most FICO® Credit Scores range from 300-850 based on your credit history and can be viewed as a summary of your credit report.

How Can I Build Credit If I Dont Have Credit

Now that youre familiar with what a good credit score is and what you can do to raise it, you may be wondering where to start. Its a bit of a chicken-and-egg scenario. You want to start building credit, maybe by applying for a credit card, but your lack of credit may make it difficult to get approved.

Theres no magic fix that will fast-track you to an excellent credit score. However, there are some options for those who are just starting their credit journey.

• Entry-level credit cards: Student credit cards give young cardholders the chance to establish credit, but watch out for high interest rates and low credit limits. You may also consider a secured credit card, which requires a cash collateral in case you miss a payment. Just make sure the card doesnt charge an annual fee.
• Co-signers: If youre struggling to get approved for a credit card, student loan, or car loan, you may need to have a parent co-sign. With a co-signer, the risk for the lender is decreased because you have someone else likely with better credit on the hook for payments. If youre under 21 and cant show that you earn enough money to consistently make payments, a co-signer is usually required.
• Rent: Consistently paying rent on time is a great way to build credit without a credit card. Ask your landlord to report your payment history to credit reporting agencies. To go a step further, ask your utilities companies to do the same.

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What If You Dont Have A Score

If you donât use credit or loans, then you probably wonât have a score at all. This means the credit bureaus canât calculate a score for you because you donât have enough scorable information, therefore making you unscorable.

You may also be considered invisible to the credit bureaus if you donât have any credit or loan products in your name or if you only use cash. If this is the case, itâs a good idea to learn how to build credit. In times of need, you may find yourself strapped for money, and having good credit can help get you through those difficult times.

Good credit can help facilitate major purchases, such as a home, car, or other assets which might not be feasible to buy with a lump sum of cash, but poor credit can work against you. For instance, lenders are notorious for giving high interest rates for auto loans to people with no credit or bad credit.

What Is A Good Business Credit Score

At the end of the day, this is perhaps the most important question in this article. Unfortunately, its one of the most difficult questions to answer directly because every lender has their own formula for deciding when to grant credit.

Most small business lenders like to see a business credit score above 75, but local lenders may consider lower scores for small businesses or startups. Conventional consumer financing companies rarely make loans to individuals with credit scores below 500. If you are willing to pay higher interest rates with stiffer payment terms, there are other options available.

Thischart from Nav.comprovides a helpful understanding of how small business lenders make their lending decisions. As you can see, a business credit score in the red zone is in trouble. You do not want your business in the red zone when it comes to credit reporting.

Learn more about what really goes into a business credit score.

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Apply For An Unsecured Credit Card

Unlike a secured card, an unsecured credit card has a starting credit limit based on factors like your credit score and income. Your interest rate and approval odds are also based on your score. Because of this, this option is best for those with some credit history and good credit.

Best Unsecured Card for No Credit

The best credit card for students or borrowers with no credit is the Discover It Student Cash Back card. It offers up to 5% cashback and doesnt have an annual fee.

Myth : Carrying A Balance Helps Your Credit Score

Carrying a balance on your credit card doesn’t help your credit score, it only has the potential to hurt it and it will end up becoming expensive over time paying interest. Not to mention, it’s a waste of money to pay interest on your balance if you can afford to pay off your credit card bill in full each month.

If you do have a credit card balance that you need to pay off over time, consider transferring it to a card with temporary 0% APR. It won’t necessarily change your credit score, but a 0% APR card can save you on interest and help you pay off your balance faster, which ultimately helps out both your score and your budget.

Here is our pick for the best balance transfer credit card with the longest intro period:

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Option : Get Credit For Paying Monthly Utility And Cell Phone Bills On Time

Having a credit card is not the only way to build credit. If you are already responsible about making your utility and cell phone payments on time, but you don’t have a credit card, then you should check out Experian Boost. It’s a free and easy way for consumers to improve their credit scores. Roughly two out of three people see instant increases to their credit scores, with an average increase of 10 points, and many people become scoreable for the first time as a result, according to Rod Griffin, senior director of consumer education and advocacy at Experian.

The way it works is simple: Connect your bank account to Experian Boost so it can identify your utility and cell phone payment history. Once you verify the data and confirm you want it added to your Experian credit file, you’ll get an updated FICO score delivered to you in real time. Visit Experian to read more and register. By signing up, you will receive a free credit report and FICO score instantly.