Terms of Use 

Your FICO® scores, from Fair Isaac and Company (FICO), are the credit scores most lenders use to determine your credit risk. You have three FICO® scores, one for each of the three credit bureaus – Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Each credit score is based on information the credit bureau keeps on file about you. As this information changes, your credit scores tend to change as well.

Credit scores consider five main kinds of credit information. Listed from most important to least important, these include:

  • Payment history

  • Amount owed

  • Length of credit history

  • New credit

  • Types of credit in use

Things not considered when computing credit scores include:

  • Race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or marital status

  • Age

  • Salary, occupation, title, employer, date employed, or employment history

  • Where you live

  • Any interest rate being charged on a particular credit card or other account

  • Certain types of inquiries (such as promotional, account review, insurance or employment-related inquiries)

  • Any information not found in your credit report

Things you can do to improve your credit score:

  • Pay all bills on time -- Just one or two late payment(s) can adversely impact your score

  • Keep balances low on credit cards and other revolving credit products

  • Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed

  • Review your credit report from the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and contact them if you believe that your credit report contains inaccuracies. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com to get your free credit report each year.

What if your credit score contains incorrect information?

If you report an error to any of the credit reporting agencies, they are required to investigate and respond to you within 30 days. If you are in the process of applying for a loan, immediately notify your lender of any incorrect information in your report. Your lender will need to reorder your credit report and credit score once any changes have been made to your information at the credit reporting agencies.

Rapid rescoring is a fee-based service offered by many lenders and brokers to help their customers/members accelerate the dispute process.  While normal dispute resolution can take weeks or months, rapid rescoring can mend your credit report and increase your score in a matter of days.  The fee for rapid rescoring varies, but is about $50 for each account that needs to be addressed.  While the fee can add up if you are disputing many items, it may be well worth it compared with the difference in the interest rate you'd be eligible for if you didn't get your credit score revised.