Your score is not your worth. It's a reflection of habits — and habits can be trained.
FICO publishes approximate weights for its scores (myFICO). Other models weigh things differently, so treat this as education, not a prediction.
1. Payment history (~35%)
Paying on time, every time, is the biggest lever. Automate at least the minimum payment on every account so a busy week never becomes a late mark.
2. Amounts owed (~30%)
Utilization is your balances divided by your limits. Lower is generally better; many educators suggest staying under 30%, and under 10% is often cited as strong. Use our utilization calculator.
3. Length of credit history (~15%)
Older accounts help. Think twice before closing your oldest no-fee card.
4. New credit (~10%)
Hard inquiries from applications can ding a score for a while. Checking your own report is a soft inquiry and doesn't hurt. Space applications out.
5. Credit mix (~10%)
A blend of revolving (cards) and installment (loans) accounts can help, but never borrow just to improve your mix.
How long things stay
Most accurate negative items can report for about seven years; bankruptcies up to ten. Only inaccurate items can be disputed — anyone promising to "remove all negatives" is a red flag.