Credit Scores & Credit Cards
Understand what actually moves a FICO score — and what doesn't.
Credit scores respond to a small number of inputs with very different weights. Payment history and credit utilization together account for roughly two-thirds of a FICO score; almost everything people worry about falls in the remaining third.
These tools quantify the two that matter most, so you can prioritize the actions that move the number rather than the ones that feel productive.
Tools
Credit calculators
Credit Utilization Calculator
Utilization is 30% of your FICO score and has no memory. It can improve in one billing cycle.
Credit Score Simulator
Model paying down cards, opening accounts or a late payment before you do it.
Most used here
Guides
Understand the decisions behind the credit numbers.
- beginner9 min read
The Credit Score Guide
How FICO scores are calculated, what each factor is worth, and the actions that genuinely improve a credit score versus the ones that feel productive.
Updated January 15, 2026
Related goals
See how credit fits into the bigger picture.
Improve Credit
Two factors drive two-thirds of your score. Start there.
Get Out of Debt
A payoff date beats a vague intention every time.
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Credit questions
What credit utilization should I aim for?
Under 30% is the widely cited threshold, but scoring models reward lower. People with scores above 800 typically sit under 10%. Utilization is calculated both per card and across all cards, and it has no memory — it is recalculated whenever your issuer reports, so paying a balance down before the statement date improves the reported figure immediately.
How long does negative information stay on my report?
Most negatives, including late payments, collections and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, remain for seven years. Chapter 7 bankruptcy remains for ten. Hard inquiries stay for two years but stop affecting your score after one. Impact fades well before removal — a late payment from four years ago weighs far less than one from four months ago.
Does checking my own credit score hurt it?
No. Checking your own report is a soft inquiry and has no effect, no matter how often you do it. Only hard inquiries from applying for credit affect your score, and typically by fewer than five points. Rate shopping for a mortgage or auto loan within a short window counts as a single inquiry.
Should I close a credit card I no longer use?
Usually not, if it has no annual fee. Closing it removes its limit from your utilization calculation, which raises your ratio across remaining cards, and eventually shortens your average account age. Keeping it open with a small recurring charge preserves both. If it carries an annual fee that isn't earning its keep, ask the issuer to downgrade it to a no-fee card in the same family instead of closing it.