FICO Score
The credit scoring model used in the large majority of US lending decisions, ranging from 300 to 850.
What FICO Score means
FICO is a specific credit scoring model developed by the Fair Isaac Corporation. It dominates US consumer lending — the great majority of mortgage, auto, and card decisions use some version of it.
The published weighting is payment history 35%, amounts owed 30%, length of credit history 15%, new credit 10%, and credit mix 10%. Paying on time and keeping balances low relative to limits therefore account for about two-thirds of the score.
There is no single FICO score. Versions differ by industry and vintage — mortgage lenders often still pull older models, while auto and card issuers use industry-specific variants — so the number a free app shows you may not match what a lender sees.
VantageScore is the main competing model. It uses the same 300–850 range but weighs the inputs differently, which is another reason your scores vary by source.
Related terms
Credit Score
A three-digit number, typically 300 to 850, that lenders use to estimate how likely you are to repay borrowed money.
Debt-to-Income Ratio (DTI)
The share of your gross monthly income that goes to debt payments — a key test lenders apply when sizing a mortgage.
Underwriting
The process a lender or insurer uses to verify your finances and decide whether to approve you, and on what terms.
APR (Annual Percentage Rate)
The yearly cost of borrowing, expressed as a percentage that includes the interest rate plus most lender fees.
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