[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":99},["ShallowReactive",2],{"term:credit-score":3},{"term":4,"related":86},{"id":5,"title":6,"body":7,"category":65,"description":66,"extension":67,"faq":68,"meta":72,"navigation":73,"path":74,"related":75,"seo":79,"stem":80,"takeaways":81,"__hash__":85},"terms\u002Fterms\u002Fcredit-score.md","Credit Score",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":58},"minimark",[10,15,19,22,26,34,38],[11,12,14],"h2",{"id":13},"understanding-credit-score","Understanding Credit Score",[16,17,18],"p",{},"Lenders use credit scores to decide whether to lend and at what interest rate. The most widely used U.S. model, FICO, ranges from 300 to 850.",[16,20,21],{},"FICO weights payment history most heavily (about 35%), followed by amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%), and credit mix (10%).",[11,23,25],{"id":24},"in-2026","In 2026",[16,27,28,29,33],{},"Mortgage lending is changing which score counts. In 2026, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac opened ",[30,31,32],"strong",{},"VantageScore 4.0"," to all approved lenders as an alternative to the long-used Classic FICO score; a lender picks one model per loan. VantageScore 4.0 can use rent and utility payment history and ignores small unpaid medical collections. FICO 10T is also approved, with adoption expected later.",[11,35,37],{"id":36},"sources","Sources",[39,40,41,51],"ul",{},[42,43,44],"li",{},[45,46,50],"a",{"href":47,"rel":48},"https:\u002F\u002Fvantagescore.com\u002Fresources\u002Fknowledge-center\u002Fpress_releases\u002Ffhfa-approves-vantagescore-4-0-for-mortgages-delivered-to-fannie-mae-and-freddie-mac",[49],"nofollow","VantageScore: FHFA approves VantageScore 4.0 for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac",[42,52,53],{},[45,54,57],{"href":55,"rel":56},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.housingwire.com\u002Farticles\u002Fgses-broaden-vantagescore-4-0-access-rocket-uwm-dominate-volume\u002F",[49],"HousingWire: GSEs broaden VantageScore 4.0 access",{"title":59,"searchDepth":60,"depth":60,"links":61},"",2,[62,63,64],{"id":13,"depth":60,"text":14},{"id":24,"depth":60,"text":25},{"id":36,"depth":60,"text":37},"personal-finance","A number that summarizes how likely you are to repay borrowed money, based on your credit history.","md",[69],{"q":70,"a":71},"Does checking my own score lower it?","No. Checking your own score is a soft inquiry and does not affect it. Applications for new credit can cause small, temporary drops.",{},true,"\u002Fterms\u002Fcredit-score",[76,77,78],"annual-percentage-rate","debt-to-income-ratio","mortgage",{"title":6,"description":66},"terms\u002Fcredit-score",[82,83,84],"A credit score predicts how reliably you repay debt.","Paying on time and keeping balances low matter most.","A higher score usually means lower borrowing costs.","le-NBQKy4s-GrPxLHOf19MB98s9lg0kI-nVNyvykkPg",[87,91,95],{"title":88,"description":89,"path":90},"Annual Percentage Rate (APR)","The yearly cost of borrowing, including interest and certain fees, as a percentage.","\u002Fterms\u002Fannual-percentage-rate",{"title":92,"description":93,"path":94},"Debt-to-Income Ratio (DTI)","Your monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income.","\u002Fterms\u002Fdebt-to-income-ratio",{"title":96,"description":97,"path":98},"Mortgage","A loan used to buy property, with the property itself as collateral.","\u002Fterms\u002Fmortgage",1793374004851]