Finimpact

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

How can I find out my credit score?

If you have a personal loan or a credit card, check to see if they provide access to your credit score. More and more lenders and creditors are offering this perk to their customers. However, if you can’t access your score that way, consider signing up for a credit monitorin service through ExperianEquifax, or TransUnion. You can also access your credit report for free each year at annualcreditreport.com.

How long does it take to build good credit?

It takes about six months to build your credit score from scratch, and the clock starts ticking as soon as you open your first credit account and begin making payments. Growing and improving your credit score, takes longer. If you are trying to improve your credit score from poor or fair to good or very good, you can anticipate it will take one or two years of good payment history and a well-balanced approach to managing your budget and keeping your utilization low.

What information impacts my credit score?

Your credit score is influenced by the following five factors and their respective weights.

  • Payment history, 35%
  • Amounts owed, 30%
  • Credit history, 15%
  • New credit, 10%
  • Credit mix, 10% 

The most important thing you can do to achieve a good credit score is to pay those bills on time every month and ensure you are keeping your credit balances at 30% or less of your credit limits.

About the Authors

Ann Schreiber

Written by: Ann Schreiber

Seasoned Copywriter & Content Marketer

Ann has been a marketer and a content writer for over 20 years. She worked for financial institutions such as FICO, Experian, and BlueChip Financial as a director of content and brand marketing.

More about me

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