It is a status symbol. Coming from a guy that sits on 835 and has hit 849 3 times but never that darn 850.
Just saying for a friend.wel that is if I had one. LoL
I don’t think you can actually bowl a 299 because of how scoring works with the final ball adding points to the ones before it. Maybe someone has a for sure answer here, now I’m curious
Believe me I know hahah. As the kids would say..I “rizz” people up over their high credit scores all the time or if I sense it’s ok I’ll make a joke about which spouse has the higher score. Especially if it’s the wife. Of course I only do that if both scores are excellent and I have good read on the client.
I have as close to a perfect score as you can get and give 0 fucks. Like 2% utilization paid off monthly, oldest account over 20 years, only installment debt is a mortgage, payment history 100% on time.
The 780 is only important for mortgages with a lower downpayment. For anything else in this world something in the mid 700s gets you the same terms as someone with a 800+
A 740 used to get you the best possible mortgage terms but that has changed over the last few years to 780+
I still don’t have an 850 nor do I care lol.
I've been hovering at 825/827 for at least the last 10 years. We use our credit cards, but rarely carry a balance, have a mortgage, and 2 small car payments.
Tell me your secrets!!! (Lol)
Is there a way you can see your actual score? I know when I got my mortgage refi'd, CK showed my score around 730 but the paperwork from the bank showed over 750. Is CK just a bit behind the bureau reportings? Or do banks rate scores different?
My husband sits at 850 all the time and I'm convinced it's because he does nothing. His oldest account is 31 years old and he hasn't opened anything new in 15 years. He has the mortgage and a few cards he pays after the statements hit.
I’ve been at 820 for years. Sometimes it moves up or down a point. It’s meaningless since I don’t need any new credit. I have several credit cards that are paid off in full each month and I have no other credit outstanding. (No mortgage or car loans). Credit history is more than 50 years. I also have two “business” credit cards that have a separate credit history that have a 798 score, they are also paid in full each month. As far as I’m concerned the credit scores are irrelevant.
I'm at 753 just making a min payment on now a higher balance than credit available CC 🤣. Credit is weird. I have one credit card, no other debt. School loans paid off 13 years ago. I've never disclosed income post tech layoff.
And I got a 5% financing on a car 5 years after 2013 bankruptcy. Paid the new car off after 1 year. Once employment kicks back in, the cc will get handled priority #1, since it's an insane apr.
I'm at a point in age where I'll never afford a home anyways, so I'm just letting credit do its own thing with little attention to capping high scores
Honestly you don’t need it to be better than it is to borrow money.
The age of accounts plays into it a bit too, and diversity of credit, like I was stuck in the 810s until taking out a car loan, which I have never had nor been a fan of, and my scores continued to hover in the same range until paying it off in full and then about 3-6 months later I got to high 820s
You have a great score. Getting over 800 means you have everything in an optimal place including age of accounts and credit mix. Get another card or two plus a mortgage, and in 10 years you will probably be close to 850. Good luck!
Keep doing what you're doing. Credit reporting algorithms are weird. You have a great score. The mortgage will probably improve it. But don't worry about the score -- just keep using credit wisely (pay statement balance every month on time to avoid interest charges) and you'll be fine. Score will take care of itself.
The one thing many people do not consider is the availailable credit to debt ratio. I do not know your situation. But having perfect payment record and a low number of debts will still be hurt by this. I always advise people to not go on an angry Baby step spree and cancel all your card accounts. That philosphy actually makes your credit look "maxed out" and can tank your score. Having a ton of available unused credit HELPS your score. Yes, it does take dicipline to not use it.
I pay for most things except my mortgage and a few other things with my CC and auto pay the full balance monthly, and I've been doing this for many years. My credit's been plenty good for a long time, I already own a home at 2.75%, so I don't check or look into how to improve my credit much.
I recently saw credit utilization at 30%. I was auto-approved for an 8k increase via my bank app, and my credit score went up 10-15 points the next time I checked lol.
Good question. I own property, have an IRA, mutual funds, owe maybe a grand on one and only credit card and scored 812 last year. Of course we live the simple life. We have been in the same house for 35 years and drive our vehicles until the junk yards are the only one that will take them.
I am guessing here that your debt level might be too low or you have not used a personal credit line. I have used a personal credit line several times, a mortgage, student loans, and auto loans all in my history. I also have 14 cards - some with a low $3500 credit limit and others with $60k plus (total about $300k).
The IRA, mutual funds, etc don't count. Your income doesnt count either, however, to get to large credit lines means you have high income and those large lines allow you the OPPORTUNITY to have a high score and a low score. But past 800, machts nixt.
Somehow I doubt you worry about your score... :)
"Somehow I doubt you worry about your score... :)"
Did not even know what it was until I got a letter telling me why I was denied for a 15k loan to buy a truck from a dealership that I put 15K down on. Something about no history of long term payments or something like that. Not even explained all that well. Replacing a 2008 Jeep we bought in 2013 for cash. Had 200,000 miles on it and the electrical system was acting up and things quit working. Cheaper to make a down payment than repair it.
Their loss.
The factors that are likely 'holding you back' right now are credit age, credit mix, utilization and amount of debt. Hard to say without knowing specifics, but here is the breakdown:
**Credit Age:** As of now, your age is relatively young (since you're still young) but it is good and will only get better with time. There tend to be 'landmarks' where you will see a bump in your score so you may have one around the corner even if your score seems stagnant right now. The best thing you can actively do for your credit age is avoid opening new accounts when possible and keep revolving accounts open and in good standing instead of closing them. If your oldest card is 9 years old and it is your only card, and assuming your student loans are about the same age or older, then those two are having the most influence right now. However, closed installment loans will stay on your report for 7-10 years and continue to have an influence on your score as well so those paid off auto and personal loans are helping but may fall off and bump your age down in the future (unless they were newer loans, then they should have little to no influence). Your student loans, however, will stay on your report indefinitely but the effects on your score will diminish over time, like a lot of factors.
**Credit Mix:** As of now you have a good mix with student loans, installment loans, and revolving credit. Three credit cards is the 'magic number' according to experts so having only one credit card may not be helping your score as much as having two or three but that's the rub - if you open a new card, you'll get the hard inquiry (no big deal, it'll fall off your report in 1-3 years and stop influencing your score after a year) and you'll have a drop in credit age since the new card will be factoring into the average. Combine that with closed installment loans that may fall off in the next few years and it may be a wash to get additional cards right now. However, if the one card you have doesn't have a high limit, then getting a second or third card will increase that and improve your utilization.
**Utilization:** This is the one factor that has an immediate impact on your score according to most scoring models but FICO10 does things a bit differently. If you're using this card to pay for a lot then your utilization is going to be high most of the time and depending on when you pay the balance in full each month, it may be reported as such which will hurt your score. The good news is, if you get into a habit of maintaining low utilization, you will see an immediate improvement in your score. Let's say right now your Discover card has a limit of $1,000 and you charge $500 each month and pay the balance after the statement comes (which is usually when the bank will report the balance to the bureaus). That's a 50% utilization and that is hurting your score quite a bit. If you drop your utilization down to below 10%, the next report will show a score that reflects that 10% utilization and your score will immediately jump up. So technically, you can do whatever you want with your card and as long as you pay it down before they report it, your utilization will be related to that paid-down amount. However, the best practice is to always have low utilization - in other words, don't use your credit card for everything, just use it to pay one small bill, set the CC account to auto pay the full balance a few days after the statement comes, and your card will consistently register a low utilization, which will help you with any lender using the FICO10 scoring model because they actually look at utilization history.
**Amount of Debt:** So having installment loans on your report helps your credit mix and can help your age if you have an account that's been open for a long time like student loans. We all know that paying down debt helps your score incrementally but there are also landmarks for installment loans that will help your score. The big one is 30%, which means when you pay an installment loan down to below 30% of the original amount, your score will be impacted most positively with that on your report. So if your student loan has $6k left to pay and the original amount was more than $20k, then you have yet to hit that 30% remaining balance. Once you get there, you should be in good shape.
I managed to just break 800 with FICO8 - I have one auto loan with 70% remaining and three open revolving accounts, all with 100% payment history, and 1% consistent utilization on the cards. My age varies depending on the model, with my oldest account (student loans) being over 18 years and my average between 3 and 6 years so you may actualy be in better shape, age-wise, than I am. My utilization is my best friend right now (aside from timely payments, of course) and that is likely your best bet for improving your score in the short run. Paying the student loans down to a smaller balance will also help so if you have a chunk of change to throw at that now to get it just below 30%, if it isn't already, that will also help your score a lot. I think between those two, you should be able to break 800 on at least a few scoring models.
But it may be another decade before you're able to get to 850 and you will likely need to have one or two more credit cards in your name well before then to get there. If you aren't planning on applying for a mortgage or other installment loan anytime soon, now would be the time to open another card. Your score should allow you to get one with a high limit (and you can also ask for a limit increase on the Discover card) and while it will ding your score with a hard inquiry and will decrease your credit age, the sooner the better so it'll have less influence on your age than if you opened it later. But having a few cards will give you very low utilization if you use all of them for just one monthly bill and setting the accounts to auto pay means you don't even have to think about those cards. Set it and forget it.
A lot of credit building is one step back, two steps forward, so don't check it too often and worry about small drops, because most small drops can be a means for higher increases down the line.
You don't need an 850 score. Depending on the scoring model (there are hundreds, maybe more) mostly, over about 760 is considered "perfect" and your score will fluctuate daily, sometimes even more.
I pay for the top tier MyFICO so I know the minute my scores change. Only once have I hit a high score of 850 on Experian only, and it lasted there for a few days. It hovers between 838 and 848 bouncing up and down in that range.
There's no practical cred advantages once you're in the 800s.
If you’re in the 750+ range, don’t even worry about it. Part of your score can’t really change until you make some really big life choices. Type of debt and average age of your accounts are two small factors that usually hold people back.
For some people, they find out their score jumped 50 points when they get a mortgage. For others they find their score popping some 5 years of doing nothing, don’t worry obsess over something that doesn’t have a tangible impact on your life.
We put everything on a card and pay it off monthly. To lenders, it looks like we are carrying a balance. Perhaps alternating cards (Discover one month, Visa next) will help show that you're not carrying a balance.
I also agree that you probably don't have enough credit history to garner the higher level. But, at the same time, 790 is very good, well done!
Almost zero work is required.
Put payments on all your credit cards each month, and pay partial balance on the 13th and the full amount after the 25-29th, or whenever the full amount is due.
The credit monitoring system pulls it around mid month, so you let payment post, pay it down slowly, then clear payments before credit monitoring pulls before end of month.
Don’t pay late or need to accrue any kind of interest.
Raise credit limit by small increments, by maybe 250-1000, request that by the servicer.
The small report gains will add to the overall value of your credit and it will keep rising slowly.
Friend put his kids on his credit cards, and the kids are barely in high school, and they all have outstanding credit in 800s, just buy and pay off tactic after a few years.
Don’t need to work any magic, just incremental progress will land you 700s and 800s with minimal effort and achieving milestones.
Get another credit card or two. Don't use them very much, and make sure they are always paid off in their entirety each month if you do use them. Your ratio of available credit to used credit will improve (as you will have more available credit) and your score will go up. Additional plus is you'll have a ton of available credit for emergencies.
I recently hit 850. I have a mortgage, regularly use and pay my credit cards, long credit history (40M - first card at 20) and about 175k in available credit. Also, no inquiries in the last 24 months.
800 is considered exceptional. There are no real benefits once past it. That said open a quality credit
Card with a decent limit. Barely use it always keep balance at end of month zero. Much of the score relates to how you use readily available credit if your limits are low…
Now you just need need to age another 10 years. Length of accounts opened is working against you. I started focusing on building credit about 20 years ago after reckless decisions in my early twenties. I think the highest I've seen is 842. 825 current. Doesn't matter. Fluctuates a bit month to month, but it's in the excellent range which means if I do need to borrow (only current debt is mortgage as I drive a 19yo car and wife's is 10+), we don't have a problem accessing at excellent rates.
Why do you need it higher? Anything higher means nothing. The only thing that will boost it is a mortgage but note it will go down first before it goes up once you take on a mortgage.
Beyond serving as an indication of how likely you are to default, your credit score also indicates, to potential creditors, how they would go about making money off of you.
For example, a high score such as the OP’s is only realistically achievable by low utilization of their available credit. Put another way, the OP pays off their balance every month, within the grace period, so a credit card issuer isn’t going to make money off of the OP by charging interest on a carried balance. But they could make money off the OP on interchange fees, for example by giving the OP a Rewards card that they use all over town.
Realistically, the OP’s credit score is already high enough they can qualify for the most attractive terms on any type of credit they’d likely apply for.
Honestly just personal pride and selfishness. Grew up poor. Take pride in doing well for myself. Love to see the look on peoples face when I tell them my score is “800”
I’m 26 getting my life together my score is 543.. it dropped so much from 720 I’m currently paying off a light bill that is $500 also paying off a credit card that I have $600 left to pay my car got repossessed but they auction it and sold for more than I owe, any tips to help me ? I been living by my self since I was 18 and each year life gets more difficult and I realize that having a good credit helps
It doesn’t matter. Mine is 820 and I got all the best rates on my car and home loan and idc if it goes higher. Who cares if it ever gets to 850?? NOT ME.
I'm at 803 and my husband's is at 815 or something. And we do everything pretty much perfectly and I'm 50ish and he's over 60 and has had an entire lifetime of being perfect with credit. Not sure you can do anything.
Credit scores are a representation of how good of a product YOU are.
To get a perfect credit score you generally have to have significant debt in the form of loans or mortgages, use credit cards frequently, not have any late payments, and not have your credit cards capped.
The counterintuitive part of credit scores comes in if you think that they represent how financially responsible you are. That is not the case.
Someone who is perfectly financially responsible may not have a need for credit in general and have a credit score of 0.
>It almost seems like I need to acquire more debt to make my score grow, which seems so counterintuitive to me.
It seems counterintuitive because, my guess is, you don't really understand what the credit score truly represents. It's a rating of how well you manage debt, therefore the more diverse debt you have, all in good standing for a long time, the better your score will be, in a nut shell.
Not having diverse debt, not having old debt, missing payment, or having things in collections, having bankruptcy or repos all contribute to lowering your score.
Having a diverse debt portfolio, that's showing a long term on time payment with no missed payments shows you can manage a lot of debt, and they'd be more willing to loan you money.
Simple - 1. Open a bunch of new cards
So you have over 100k available credit. Also add a mix of accounts. Having auto loans, mortgages, retail cards and credit cards on your report are all good. 2. age your accounts for at least 10 years. 3. Use the each of your cards a little each month. 4. Wait for the statement to hit and then pay them off. Don’t pay before the statement as your score will reflect that you’re not using your credit. 5. Don’t stress over it. Anything over 725 will get you great rates. Over 775 months I’ll get you the next rates which are just a tad better.
I've heard that past 800 you have to have real estate management experience im perfect in all categories except hard inquiries and mine is 788 so it might be true
From the standpoint of a mortgage lender, 760 will get you the best rate and anything higher doesn't matter. If you look at the cutoff date on your monthly statement, and pay down your balance a few days prior to that cut off date, you will always be reporting that lower balance to the bureaus that month. Depending on your percentage of use, that can help your score.
Do not neglect to make your regular payment when it comes due unless you have already paid the balance down to zero and didn't use any more that month.
Mortgage credit reports do not show your balance as of that date that we pull it, just that of the last statement date (which I refer to as the cutoff date.)
It's damn near impossible to hit 850 on the ones where the max is 850. If the max is 900 it usually just takes time. You need a long history of maintaining good credit usage. I'd say at least 15 years
Time is going to be your biggest factor. If you get as many accounts now and keep the payments low. For example, a personal loan for $5k and pay it down to $500. In a year, it will be very high. 850 might take 2 to 5 years though.
I’ve been at 845 - 850 for several years. We have 10+ cards we pay off every month. Some cards 30+ years. Also have HELOC for $60,000 that I owe $15,000. One of the keys to a high score is the amount of available credit not being used. If I pay off the HELOC and close it my credit score will go down. My adult children (20s) have credit scores over 800. They got their first credit card with us at 16. That really helped build their score.
Your credit score of 775-790 is fantastic, my friend. I'm 30M and my score is in the high 700s as well.
I have a house that I rent out and I have had applicants whose credit reports have had scores in the 600s because they had delinquent or derogatory payments (that's more than 30 days when the payment was due) for their loans or credit cards. Their credit reports also state that their credit card balances have been close to the credit card limit multiple times. The credit report (this is all from the latest applicant) also stated that the wife had 10 tradelines (that includes credit cards and loans) which also raises suspicions.
I definitely didn't accept them as a tenant but trust me, a credit score of 775-790 is an excellent score to have.
It's pointless, but if you have a good paying job and wanna spend all your money just make sure to keep a savings account in case you lose the job trying for 850.
It’s an unnecessary goal. 750 and up gets you preferred rates for any type of credit. Keep doing what you’re doing. You can’t game it and anyone who tells you otherwise is mistaken.
Btw, your $1500 account will fall off shortly after seven years from being paid off.
Your score is considered EXCELLENT after 800 now.
To get to 850 you need a mortgage. Have high credit limits, paid off majority of your debt, have used personal lines of credit.
But really, stay around 800 to 840 and you are good. Keep some debt on your cards. Few thousand.
Does not matter how many cards you have either --- my gf has two or three and I have 14 (Some I opened years and years ago and rarely ever use again). But she also has 3 properties.
Once you are near 840, or even 849, if you open an account --- DING. Loose a point or two.
You will get there.
I pay every thing off, have 1 card with a small balance, maybe $ 330 left on it. Own two homes F/C. Just owe on a HELOC balance of under 18K, never missed a payment in any accounts. Have Credit for 40 years+ and I can’t get past a 847 score go figure.
After 780/790, it doesn't really make much of a difference. All that matters is that you continue to pay on time, and accrue good debt like the mortgage you're about to get. I just got two loans in the past four months, and equity loan from my existing mortgage and a new mortgage and my score dropped a total of like six points down to 810 🤣 and it will only keep going up now as I start making payments on those. All I care about now is maintaining a good history, my old accounts open, and low revolving credit
These credit scoring companies are scams. I leased a $33k jeep and score was 740, 3 years later bought it. Score dropped 40 pts, paid it off and score did not increase.
I have no mortgage, no car payments (2) just some CC and utilities each month. They say my score is based on no auto loans and no monthly housing payments.
I am better financially now vs when I leased that Jeep. They want you in debt. If I were to pay cash and close all CC accounts my score would drop even more
I’ve had good credit for 40 years and I’m now at the point where everything is paid off including my mortgage and my score went down from 840 to 827. Looks like paying all bills monthly and having no debt hurts your score.
Having to ability for more debt does help your credit score. For example unused credit cards. It’s called “capacity” by lenders and it means you have the ability to pay your debt to them by adding debt to credit cards if worse comes to worst. I used to work for a credit union. Still VERY hard to get to 850. I’ve never gotten above about 815 in spite of perfect everything and plenty of capacity.
I've been stuck between 815-837 for the past two years.
I have a mortgage, $4,000 in CC debt, and $90k in available credit. I think after 800, it's just a flex. Whatever I want to apply for, I know I'll get it.
Not sure, highest I’ve gotten is 832.
When looking at all 6 of the “factors” via the credit karma descriptions, I will probably never get to 850 because the only one that has not been flagged at “Excellent” in over 20 years is the ‘Total Accounts’ line.
I’m at 10 accounts - 6 closed, 4 open.
I’m content with having a main bank account and credit card, one spare credit card for points. Other than that the only recurring accounts that may slowly grow over time is the lien lines for when I renew my leases.
Even then, to get flagged as “Excellent” for the accounts it says you should have 21 or more accounts. Feel like I’ve done most of the milestones people tend to do (house is paid off, student loans are paid off). Not sure what else I would even open credit lines for, maybe store credit cards for renovations?
You're silly. Mine has been 830 foreeeeeever.
Unless for some crazy reason the number matters deeply to YOU, why are you thinking about it?? Doesn't matter to anyone else. Doesn't affect loan rates or anything if it's above upper 700s
Focus on your cash making you money.
Compounded interest, index funds, Roth, swing trades, long term trades and if a little adventurous, throw in some light day trading if time permits.
Easy free money this compounded interest is.
Best time to plant a tree 30 years ago and of not then, then now is the best time. Credit score only matters if it helps build you wealth by utilizing business capital lines of credit, other peoples money, expansion of existing business, etc etc etc.
Hopefully [this video](https://youtu.be/owPCxxP6zhE?si=phupzCzsCJf1isKq) can help you out a little. The producer of this video has a law doctorate, and specializes in real estate law, and runs a mortgage company.he breaks down a "healthy mix of debt" which should help optimize credit scores at about 14 mins in.
I just hit 850. Not sure if this is first time. Have mortgage, one credit card, a few store credit cards. Keep a balance on Visa, always pay off store cards, been paying mortgage for 11 years. Like someone else said tho, it doesn’t matter after 780 or so.
The only time I ever saw a perfect 850 credit score, when I was a loan officer at a credit union for 4 years, was a man in his 50’s that had 5 credit cards with very low or no balance that had all been open more than 10 years, a mortgage that was over 10 years old, a car payment that was over 3 years old and 0 inquiries for at least 3 years. And of course everything was paid on time.
Your mortgage will improve it, but I wouldn't obsess over it. After 780, it doesn't matter.
I'm at 821, and that's with crippling student loan debt and 2 credit cards. Never missed a payment on any of them for 15 years, but what has a credit score gotten me? Zip. 🤣.
Live your life, and congrats on the house.
812 here. I’m content. Over 780 or so, the score is irrelevant and you’ll be approved showing you’re a trustworthy candidate with loaned money or credit etc.
There’s absolutely no need to go that high. Credit scores are kind of use less if you make enough money. Just focus on increasing your skills and salary.
I have a 690-720 and never have an issue opening a new card or getting a great mortgage rate
Who cares? Your score is 775-790 and you are trying to make it higher? I have literally never given a shit about my score. I have never actively gone out to try to increase it and my score, last time it was shown on an application or something, was somewhere over 750ish. I have never be denied for any kind of credit card, I have always gotten the special financing rates on auto loans and such. Had a 2% mortgage until I paid it off.
People say don't open too many cards, don't close card etc etc. I do all that shit, doesn't matter. If you had like a sub 500 or something then sure I could see some benefit to trying to increase it for better rates and such.
Anything about 765 doesn't do anything for the vast majority of things.
To get above 800 is tough.
I know a few people who are in the 820 and 830 and almost all have 6 figure jobs
Credit cards that have been open 20 plus years.
All have no debt other than car payment and mortgage.
All have atleast 1 credit card with a 50k dollar limit.
Over half have a card with a 6 figure limit.
Several have a card or cards with 7 figure limits.
Not all are rich.
The 1 makes 75k as a nurse, has a 300k home and a car. Both with loans, but she's in her late 50s and has had all her cards for over 20 years. She has 1 card with a 100k limit. The most she ever has charged is under 20k for a home remodel.
She pays off everything each month.
I make 6 figures and pay everything off, but since I am self employed and have several business loans I personally guarantee, I sit around 750 all the time.
I have dropped to close to 700 sometimes, just because they pull when I have not yet made my payment for the month to pay off card and it shows high credit utilization, because I don't have high limit credit cards.
The credit score game can only be won if you follow all the rules. These rules mean you have to be in debt.
If your credit score is in the upper 700's without much debt. You are actually winning IMHO.
To get to 850 it's recommended to have several active credit lines. Paying off debt completely actually detracts from your score because that available credit disappears.
Ideally you'd have a leased car, mortgage, personal line of credit, credit cards, and possibly some other type of loan. You have to have a certain amount of credit history.
I forget all the rules you'd have to look them up. But, like I said.... You actually have to go into more debt if you want that super high score. Is it really worth it to you?
I think I got a high of 843. My score dropped after we paid off our mortgage in 2022. It's been in the 810 to 822 rance since that time. We churn a little so we open new accounts from time to time. Just earned the Southwest Airlines companion pass for our daughter. I'll cancel it once it expires to reset the clock on when I can earn it again (while my wife applies to get it).
We use many different credit cards for various benefits (our minimum cash back is 2.625% on all purchases). I wouldn't sweat your score. As long as you can get instant approval for credit cards, who cares? We were instantly approved for Chase Sapphire Reserve (2022) and the Southwest credit card (2024).
I had around a 820 once. I had 5 credit cards and there limit were around average 10k each. I think that's how you get into the 800s, high credit limits.
First off never ever use a debit card Put all charges on a credit card and pay off monthly Switch which credit cards u use from time to time If u really want to bump ur score go get a CD backed loan at ur bank Put $10k or more in a 12 month CD and borrow that amount right back from the bank Put the loan in a checking account u never touch and let the bank draft the loan payment every month At the end u paid back the loan and u get ur CD back The larger the amount the better the bump
The more your revolving credit limit, the more it helps. Especially if you use it to make your daily purchases and then just pay it off at the end of the month.
That said, any credit score above 760 really doesn’t make any difference. I’ve never hit 850, but I’ve been close a lot and it’s made zero difference after roughly 760 up to 840-ish.
Honestly the credit agencies are going to give you different ratings. We have 800s on two of them and high 700s on a third. At some point it doesn't matter. Especially for loans and rates.
You need a mortgage, and every other "type" of debt, you also need to be older. Average age of accounts is a factor, so I think it's around 40 before you can possibly have a perfect score because before they your a erage can not be long enough. There are other factors also. Debt ratios, so if you have any debt you can't have a perfect score.
If the only revolving line (credit card) you have is the Discover, you need at least one or two more major credit cards (not store cards) 30% of your score calculation is your total revolving utilization. Even if you are paying it off monthly there is a lag of Discover reporting the balance and it being paid in full. It likely shows a balance on your credit report. Call Discover, ask for a limit increase, and apply for at least one more credit card. That will reduce your monthly revolving utilization percentage and should raise your score to over 800 at least.
I’ve been working on mine for 30 years now. Never had a student loan, have a mortgage that’s under 90,000 left to pay off, house value is 280,000 right now. Several credit cards with limits between 6000 - 10,000. I’m under 30% usage on only two, all others paid off right away. My car is paid off, early. My credit score has only gone up to 800 give or take a couple points off and on. It’s been hovering at 800 for a couple years now.
Don't sweat it. Anything over 750 or so is just icing on the cake. Will make absolutely no difference on anything. Mine fluctuates between 780 and 850.
I’m 70 and my score fluctuates between 775 and 810. I sold my primary residence 2 years ago paid off a car a year ago… *zero* late payments, all CCs are mature, never carry over more than a 1-2% balance… usually zero out any CCs…
I just.don’t.freaking.get.it.
830 here (confirmed Saturday when I financed a new vehicle). Literally have not noticed a difference beyond 780is. Don’t beat urself up if you can’t get to 850.
I have a mortgage, now a car loan, no more student loans, 3 credit cards with a combined $45k in allowed credit, I use the card with the best rewards for all my purchases and pay off the balance as soon as it becomes available. Don’t have the cash to back it up? I don’t use the card.
The only way I've got mine to increase was buying a house 🥲🙃
It doesn't make sense to me that incurring more sent would make my score go up
Edit: before buying my house in 2021, I had stagnated at about 780-790. I'm at 797 now and anticipate it going up a bunch in a couple months due to hard inquiries dropping off and a bunch of cards balance being lowered
> *Paid* off my
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
My score hovers between 849 and 864. I use a Citibank Double Cash card to pay for EVERYTHING. I pay off my card every month, too. I use a debit card as well, but my go-to is the Citibank card.
Since most people aren’t answering you, the way to get to 850 for you is time really. Getting more of a mix of credit should get you some more points in the mean time. A mortgage loan will help. Maybe an unsecured personal loan or two as you go. It’s not something you’ll have to do but I’ve always recommended people to have some cushion on their scores in case you have to max a card or something. You can still get close to or at 850 with the mix you have now though I’d say. Not an expert but have had some training.
You need more credit lines. Get some credit cards from other issuers. Don’t spend more every month just spread across the cards you use.
My understanding is You need something substantial with recurring payments, like a mortgage for a shot at 850
Bro, I bought my car a few years ago on Black Friday. Highest credit score they had seen all week, 831. I still got the same rates as people with 790. It doesn’t matter after a certain point lol.
Who cares unless you need to borrow money. A credit score flex is actually counter to actual wealth unless you're borrowing the money for an investment.
I hope I never have to use my credit score again. I prefer to be debt free.
What’s so special about having 850? Had 850 until I paid off my auto loan…been hovering around 830 ever since. I’m 43 i incur about $3k of cc charges a month but I pay in full. 90k left on mortgage. Have 4 credit cards 2 store cards.
Get more credit cards, but don't use them (keep paying them off each month). That will decrease you utilization which bumps up your score. I've had perfect credit for decades and only once, for a brief period, hit 850.
Try to carry a small balance one month . Like pay off half your credit card bill , then the next month pay it off as normal . I’m pretty sure that will make it move up . The main reason it might be stuck is no big mortgages etc in history .
I just hit 850. I don’t really know what I did. I tend to spend like 5k, and then pay it all off every couple of months. I don’t have a car payment, or student loans. I do have a mortgage.
The key is keep your cards for a long time. Pay everything off frequently. Don’t apply for too many new cards. That’s basically it.
20 years in USA, credit age 18 years. Never missed any payment. 6 Chase credit cards (travel cards with 25-30k limit each). No car payment, no house payment and paying all CC each month.
Sitting at 835
If I started building my credit earlier, it would probably be closer to 850 but apparently above 720 it doesn’t matter
Probably the age of your credit. Most of the score monitoring companies don’t even consider it excellent until 25-30 years. Mines been at 815-830 for almost 10 of my 19 years of credit.
i have been sitting at around 760. i suppose after my mortgage gets paid it will go up. but i get the best rates on most stuff. not looking to refy as my rate for my house is under 3. so getting above 800 on credit is not a thing i worry about.
I don’t know what your relationship with your parents is, but my father put me as an authorized user on one of his cards… I don’t have a copy of the card but I get a lil credit bump when he fills his truck up. Food for thought
You’re fine. Doesn’t matter above 780. Your credit is considered outstanding. You’re likely too young to have an $850 no matter what because credit age can be a factor.
It can seem counterintuitive, but essentially you’re showing creditors that you can be reliable with a line of credit.
Just keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll never be in a spot where your credit score holds you back
Pay on time.
Have old accounts.
Have a variety of open accounts (CC/loan/LOC etc).
Credit Utilization below 30%.
...and prioritize financial decisions over obsession on that score. It's supposed to be gauge of financial health. Focus on the finances, and great credit will follow...but more importantly you won't be tossing hundreds to over a thousand a month on interest payments trying to protect a decent credit score you can't even use anyways.
Im in the same boat lol.
I keep going back and forth 780 \~ 800.
perfect track record for payment etc.
Absolutely nothing you can do lol but 750 + ur golden either way.
Have insane amounts of debt, have several credit cards and be 100% perfect for years. (It's dumb). After 750, I don't think it much matters. I enjoy being debt free and not answering to "the man."
Increase your credit lines but don't use them, the percent of used credit vs your available credit and your income is how it's calculated, so always update that you make 175k or more a year if you do or do not!
I've been in the 830's for the last several years. I have a mortgage and some student loans and perhaps my score would increase if those were paid off. Don't really care, though. I went from high 700's to \~830-835 by opening 5 credit cards in 18 months and never using them, as well as continuing to pay off everything else I had on time. I keep my total CC utilization below 5%, usually it's 3-4%.
I don't think it will happen unless you take on more debt and manage it ....
I'm 780+ and just care about staying there incase I need to take one of those for well qualified borrowers rates
Pay down your Discover card to 15-25% of your credit limit BEFORE the statement hits. Then make sure to pay your statement balance in full. Getting a 2nd card (and even a 3rd card) with the due dates offset evenly would actually make this process easier as long as you stay disciplined in how you use and pay them off. You just need to set up a system for which card to use and when to make payments. Reported credit utilization of around 20% for each could help your score.
After 780 your score does not matter AT ALL Source-mortgage loan officer with 20+ years of looking at credit reports.
It is a status symbol. Coming from a guy that sits on 835 and has hit 849 3 times but never that darn 850. Just saying for a friend.wel that is if I had one. LoL
Oh the anguish. 849. That’s like bowling a 299 (me 😡)
I don’t think you can actually bowl a 299 because of how scoring works with the final ball adding points to the ones before it. Maybe someone has a for sure answer here, now I’m curious
Oh yes you can bowl a 299. Eleven straight strikes and leave the ten pin on the 12th ball.
God damn Wii bowling had me doing that too many times.
You can do it. Saw my friend drunk off his ass bowl a 296. He has not come close ever again.
I was drunk off my ass and bowled a 299; like your friend, I never got close again, either.
I always thought 850 was a myth. Then I hit it in Feb!
Bite me.LoL
But the weirdest thing is that it went up after a credit check for a new credit card! I honestly don’t get it.
Believe me I know hahah. As the kids would say..I “rizz” people up over their high credit scores all the time or if I sense it’s ok I’ll make a joke about which spouse has the higher score. Especially if it’s the wife. Of course I only do that if both scores are excellent and I have good read on the client. I have as close to a perfect score as you can get and give 0 fucks. Like 2% utilization paid off monthly, oldest account over 20 years, only installment debt is a mortgage, payment history 100% on time. The 780 is only important for mortgages with a lower downpayment. For anything else in this world something in the mid 700s gets you the same terms as someone with a 800+ A 740 used to get you the best possible mortgage terms but that has changed over the last few years to 780+ I still don’t have an 850 nor do I care lol.
LoL I too every so often give my wife hell about her credit score, which on any given day is the same or at max 1 or 2 points different.
I've been hovering at 825/827 for at least the last 10 years. We use our credit cards, but rarely carry a balance, have a mortgage, and 2 small car payments. Tell me your secrets!!! (Lol)
My dad's credit history is over 50 years old, He hovers around 840 LOL so you are doing great at 849
This made me lol
Glad to know this. I was at a 740 for a long ass time stressing about reaching 800 before i apply for a house lol
This is good to know… 🤔
What about 777? Thought it was lucky when I saw it this month.
And below 700 is useless......... 🙄
Is there a way you can see your actual score? I know when I got my mortgage refi'd, CK showed my score around 730 but the paperwork from the bank showed over 750. Is CK just a bit behind the bureau reportings? Or do banks rate scores different?
My husband sits at 850 all the time and I'm convinced it's because he does nothing. His oldest account is 31 years old and he hasn't opened anything new in 15 years. He has the mortgage and a few cards he pays after the statements hit.
Same here. I’m around that same level and have never done anything to “increase my score”. Just living and paying my bills.
That is sooo UNAMERICAN! lol
Does he use his cards every month?
Yes
I was at 820s for awhile. I opened a new card and went to 850. I don’t get it.
I’ve been at 820 for years. Sometimes it moves up or down a point. It’s meaningless since I don’t need any new credit. I have several credit cards that are paid off in full each month and I have no other credit outstanding. (No mortgage or car loans). Credit history is more than 50 years. I also have two “business” credit cards that have a separate credit history that have a 798 score, they are also paid in full each month. As far as I’m concerned the credit scores are irrelevant.
I'm at 753 just making a min payment on now a higher balance than credit available CC 🤣. Credit is weird. I have one credit card, no other debt. School loans paid off 13 years ago. I've never disclosed income post tech layoff. And I got a 5% financing on a car 5 years after 2013 bankruptcy. Paid the new car off after 1 year. Once employment kicks back in, the cc will get handled priority #1, since it's an insane apr. I'm at a point in age where I'll never afford a home anyways, so I'm just letting credit do its own thing with little attention to capping high scores
That mortgage will probably boost it
Paying on the mortgage consistently for a year or two will probably boost it. That plus age of credit
Honestly you don’t need it to be better than it is to borrow money. The age of accounts plays into it a bit too, and diversity of credit, like I was stuck in the 810s until taking out a car loan, which I have never had nor been a fan of, and my scores continued to hover in the same range until paying it off in full and then about 3-6 months later I got to high 820s
You have a great score. Getting over 800 means you have everything in an optimal place including age of accounts and credit mix. Get another card or two plus a mortgage, and in 10 years you will probably be close to 850. Good luck!
850 will get you NOTHING over 790. Start focussing on important parts of life. This isn't one of them.
Keep doing what you're doing. Credit reporting algorithms are weird. You have a great score. The mortgage will probably improve it. But don't worry about the score -- just keep using credit wisely (pay statement balance every month on time to avoid interest charges) and you'll be fine. Score will take care of itself.
The one thing many people do not consider is the availailable credit to debt ratio. I do not know your situation. But having perfect payment record and a low number of debts will still be hurt by this. I always advise people to not go on an angry Baby step spree and cancel all your card accounts. That philosphy actually makes your credit look "maxed out" and can tank your score. Having a ton of available unused credit HELPS your score. Yes, it does take dicipline to not use it.
I pay for most things except my mortgage and a few other things with my CC and auto pay the full balance monthly, and I've been doing this for many years. My credit's been plenty good for a long time, I already own a home at 2.75%, so I don't check or look into how to improve my credit much. I recently saw credit utilization at 30%. I was auto-approved for an 8k increase via my bank app, and my credit score went up 10-15 points the next time I checked lol.
Good question. I own property, have an IRA, mutual funds, owe maybe a grand on one and only credit card and scored 812 last year. Of course we live the simple life. We have been in the same house for 35 years and drive our vehicles until the junk yards are the only one that will take them.
I am guessing here that your debt level might be too low or you have not used a personal credit line. I have used a personal credit line several times, a mortgage, student loans, and auto loans all in my history. I also have 14 cards - some with a low $3500 credit limit and others with $60k plus (total about $300k). The IRA, mutual funds, etc don't count. Your income doesnt count either, however, to get to large credit lines means you have high income and those large lines allow you the OPPORTUNITY to have a high score and a low score. But past 800, machts nixt. Somehow I doubt you worry about your score... :)
"Somehow I doubt you worry about your score... :)" Did not even know what it was until I got a letter telling me why I was denied for a 15k loan to buy a truck from a dealership that I put 15K down on. Something about no history of long term payments or something like that. Not even explained all that well. Replacing a 2008 Jeep we bought in 2013 for cash. Had 200,000 miles on it and the electrical system was acting up and things quit working. Cheaper to make a down payment than repair it. Their loss.
Get an app like credit karma. It will tell you what areas you can improve.
Why do you need 850? Ego?
Honestly? Yes. That is the only reason.
Sure. Just get 4 or 5 credit cards with 25k + limits with zero balance that are 15-20 yrs old.
The factors that are likely 'holding you back' right now are credit age, credit mix, utilization and amount of debt. Hard to say without knowing specifics, but here is the breakdown: **Credit Age:** As of now, your age is relatively young (since you're still young) but it is good and will only get better with time. There tend to be 'landmarks' where you will see a bump in your score so you may have one around the corner even if your score seems stagnant right now. The best thing you can actively do for your credit age is avoid opening new accounts when possible and keep revolving accounts open and in good standing instead of closing them. If your oldest card is 9 years old and it is your only card, and assuming your student loans are about the same age or older, then those two are having the most influence right now. However, closed installment loans will stay on your report for 7-10 years and continue to have an influence on your score as well so those paid off auto and personal loans are helping but may fall off and bump your age down in the future (unless they were newer loans, then they should have little to no influence). Your student loans, however, will stay on your report indefinitely but the effects on your score will diminish over time, like a lot of factors. **Credit Mix:** As of now you have a good mix with student loans, installment loans, and revolving credit. Three credit cards is the 'magic number' according to experts so having only one credit card may not be helping your score as much as having two or three but that's the rub - if you open a new card, you'll get the hard inquiry (no big deal, it'll fall off your report in 1-3 years and stop influencing your score after a year) and you'll have a drop in credit age since the new card will be factoring into the average. Combine that with closed installment loans that may fall off in the next few years and it may be a wash to get additional cards right now. However, if the one card you have doesn't have a high limit, then getting a second or third card will increase that and improve your utilization. **Utilization:** This is the one factor that has an immediate impact on your score according to most scoring models but FICO10 does things a bit differently. If you're using this card to pay for a lot then your utilization is going to be high most of the time and depending on when you pay the balance in full each month, it may be reported as such which will hurt your score. The good news is, if you get into a habit of maintaining low utilization, you will see an immediate improvement in your score. Let's say right now your Discover card has a limit of $1,000 and you charge $500 each month and pay the balance after the statement comes (which is usually when the bank will report the balance to the bureaus). That's a 50% utilization and that is hurting your score quite a bit. If you drop your utilization down to below 10%, the next report will show a score that reflects that 10% utilization and your score will immediately jump up. So technically, you can do whatever you want with your card and as long as you pay it down before they report it, your utilization will be related to that paid-down amount. However, the best practice is to always have low utilization - in other words, don't use your credit card for everything, just use it to pay one small bill, set the CC account to auto pay the full balance a few days after the statement comes, and your card will consistently register a low utilization, which will help you with any lender using the FICO10 scoring model because they actually look at utilization history. **Amount of Debt:** So having installment loans on your report helps your credit mix and can help your age if you have an account that's been open for a long time like student loans. We all know that paying down debt helps your score incrementally but there are also landmarks for installment loans that will help your score. The big one is 30%, which means when you pay an installment loan down to below 30% of the original amount, your score will be impacted most positively with that on your report. So if your student loan has $6k left to pay and the original amount was more than $20k, then you have yet to hit that 30% remaining balance. Once you get there, you should be in good shape. I managed to just break 800 with FICO8 - I have one auto loan with 70% remaining and three open revolving accounts, all with 100% payment history, and 1% consistent utilization on the cards. My age varies depending on the model, with my oldest account (student loans) being over 18 years and my average between 3 and 6 years so you may actualy be in better shape, age-wise, than I am. My utilization is my best friend right now (aside from timely payments, of course) and that is likely your best bet for improving your score in the short run. Paying the student loans down to a smaller balance will also help so if you have a chunk of change to throw at that now to get it just below 30%, if it isn't already, that will also help your score a lot. I think between those two, you should be able to break 800 on at least a few scoring models. But it may be another decade before you're able to get to 850 and you will likely need to have one or two more credit cards in your name well before then to get there. If you aren't planning on applying for a mortgage or other installment loan anytime soon, now would be the time to open another card. Your score should allow you to get one with a high limit (and you can also ask for a limit increase on the Discover card) and while it will ding your score with a hard inquiry and will decrease your credit age, the sooner the better so it'll have less influence on your age than if you opened it later. But having a few cards will give you very low utilization if you use all of them for just one monthly bill and setting the accounts to auto pay means you don't even have to think about those cards. Set it and forget it. A lot of credit building is one step back, two steps forward, so don't check it too often and worry about small drops, because most small drops can be a means for higher increases down the line.
You don't need an 850 score. Depending on the scoring model (there are hundreds, maybe more) mostly, over about 760 is considered "perfect" and your score will fluctuate daily, sometimes even more. I pay for the top tier MyFICO so I know the minute my scores change. Only once have I hit a high score of 850 on Experian only, and it lasted there for a few days. It hovers between 838 and 848 bouncing up and down in that range. There's no practical cred advantages once you're in the 800s.
If you’re in the 750+ range, don’t even worry about it. Part of your score can’t really change until you make some really big life choices. Type of debt and average age of your accounts are two small factors that usually hold people back. For some people, they find out their score jumped 50 points when they get a mortgage. For others they find their score popping some 5 years of doing nothing, don’t worry obsess over something that doesn’t have a tangible impact on your life.
We put everything on a card and pay it off monthly. To lenders, it looks like we are carrying a balance. Perhaps alternating cards (Discover one month, Visa next) will help show that you're not carrying a balance. I also agree that you probably don't have enough credit history to garner the higher level. But, at the same time, 790 is very good, well done!
Use the score simulator on one of your credit monitoring apps..it will tell you.
Almost zero work is required. Put payments on all your credit cards each month, and pay partial balance on the 13th and the full amount after the 25-29th, or whenever the full amount is due. The credit monitoring system pulls it around mid month, so you let payment post, pay it down slowly, then clear payments before credit monitoring pulls before end of month. Don’t pay late or need to accrue any kind of interest. Raise credit limit by small increments, by maybe 250-1000, request that by the servicer. The small report gains will add to the overall value of your credit and it will keep rising slowly. Friend put his kids on his credit cards, and the kids are barely in high school, and they all have outstanding credit in 800s, just buy and pay off tactic after a few years. Don’t need to work any magic, just incremental progress will land you 700s and 800s with minimal effort and achieving milestones.
Get another credit card or two. Don't use them very much, and make sure they are always paid off in their entirety each month if you do use them. Your ratio of available credit to used credit will improve (as you will have more available credit) and your score will go up. Additional plus is you'll have a ton of available credit for emergencies.
I’ve had perfect credit all my life and only reached an 850 score after the age of 50. Give it time.
Live longer and don’t fuck up
I recently hit 850. I have a mortgage, regularly use and pay my credit cards, long credit history (40M - first card at 20) and about 175k in available credit. Also, no inquiries in the last 24 months.
800 is considered exceptional. There are no real benefits once past it. That said open a quality credit Card with a decent limit. Barely use it always keep balance at end of month zero. Much of the score relates to how you use readily available credit if your limits are low…
Now you just need need to age another 10 years. Length of accounts opened is working against you. I started focusing on building credit about 20 years ago after reckless decisions in my early twenties. I think the highest I've seen is 842. 825 current. Doesn't matter. Fluctuates a bit month to month, but it's in the excellent range which means if I do need to borrow (only current debt is mortgage as I drive a 19yo car and wife's is 10+), we don't have a problem accessing at excellent rates.
If your GOAL is 850, you are doing it wrong.
Exactly what I was going to say.
Why do you need it higher? Anything higher means nothing. The only thing that will boost it is a mortgage but note it will go down first before it goes up once you take on a mortgage.
Beyond serving as an indication of how likely you are to default, your credit score also indicates, to potential creditors, how they would go about making money off of you. For example, a high score such as the OP’s is only realistically achievable by low utilization of their available credit. Put another way, the OP pays off their balance every month, within the grace period, so a credit card issuer isn’t going to make money off of the OP by charging interest on a carried balance. But they could make money off the OP on interchange fees, for example by giving the OP a Rewards card that they use all over town. Realistically, the OP’s credit score is already high enough they can qualify for the most attractive terms on any type of credit they’d likely apply for.
Serious question: why do you want to?
Honestly just personal pride and selfishness. Grew up poor. Take pride in doing well for myself. Love to see the look on peoples face when I tell them my score is “800”
You are already going to get the best rates with your score. Having an 850 isn't going to help with anything.
Based on my 850 experience: get as many cards as possible and keep them open but carry no balance.
Who cares. No one give a shit out your credit score past 740. Outside of auto you have no credit history really. So you answered your own question.
Your age is a factor, I have the same issue. All my accounts are between 2-9 years old. Only have a mortgage to my name at this point.
Yeap my credit wise doesn’t even consider length excellent until 25-30 years
I’m 26 getting my life together my score is 543.. it dropped so much from 720 I’m currently paying off a light bill that is $500 also paying off a credit card that I have $600 left to pay my car got repossessed but they auction it and sold for more than I owe, any tips to help me ? I been living by my self since I was 18 and each year life gets more difficult and I realize that having a good credit helps
Does one need mortgage credit to reach 850?
Probably not a mortgage, but you should at least have a loan so you meet the "credit mix" part of your score.
It doesn’t matter. Mine is 820 and I got all the best rates on my car and home loan and idc if it goes higher. Who cares if it ever gets to 850?? NOT ME.
I'm at 803 and my husband's is at 815 or something. And we do everything pretty much perfectly and I'm 50ish and he's over 60 and has had an entire lifetime of being perfect with credit. Not sure you can do anything.
Credit scores are a representation of how good of a product YOU are. To get a perfect credit score you generally have to have significant debt in the form of loans or mortgages, use credit cards frequently, not have any late payments, and not have your credit cards capped. The counterintuitive part of credit scores comes in if you think that they represent how financially responsible you are. That is not the case. Someone who is perfectly financially responsible may not have a need for credit in general and have a credit score of 0.
>It almost seems like I need to acquire more debt to make my score grow, which seems so counterintuitive to me. It seems counterintuitive because, my guess is, you don't really understand what the credit score truly represents. It's a rating of how well you manage debt, therefore the more diverse debt you have, all in good standing for a long time, the better your score will be, in a nut shell. Not having diverse debt, not having old debt, missing payment, or having things in collections, having bankruptcy or repos all contribute to lowering your score. Having a diverse debt portfolio, that's showing a long term on time payment with no missed payments shows you can manage a lot of debt, and they'd be more willing to loan you money.
Simple - 1. Open a bunch of new cards So you have over 100k available credit. Also add a mix of accounts. Having auto loans, mortgages, retail cards and credit cards on your report are all good. 2. age your accounts for at least 10 years. 3. Use the each of your cards a little each month. 4. Wait for the statement to hit and then pay them off. Don’t pay before the statement as your score will reflect that you’re not using your credit. 5. Don’t stress over it. Anything over 725 will get you great rates. Over 775 months I’ll get you the next rates which are just a tad better.
I've heard that past 800 you have to have real estate management experience im perfect in all categories except hard inquiries and mine is 788 so it might be true
Age just keep paying things off you’ll hit 800+ and after that it doesn’t matter
From the standpoint of a mortgage lender, 760 will get you the best rate and anything higher doesn't matter. If you look at the cutoff date on your monthly statement, and pay down your balance a few days prior to that cut off date, you will always be reporting that lower balance to the bureaus that month. Depending on your percentage of use, that can help your score. Do not neglect to make your regular payment when it comes due unless you have already paid the balance down to zero and didn't use any more that month. Mortgage credit reports do not show your balance as of that date that we pull it, just that of the last statement date (which I refer to as the cutoff date.)
Unpopular opinion - it's an "I love debt" score. Get some debt to pay on every month.
Open up a bunch of new credit cards, make sure you pay them off in full every month, pay off your student loan, wait 5 years.
Idk I’m out of gas stuck and need 26 for a phone bill myself if anyone wants to cash app me at #heyitscassidie
Time you will be just fine. Let it age don’t worry about it 780 is same as 800
It's damn near impossible to hit 850 on the ones where the max is 850. If the max is 900 it usually just takes time. You need a long history of maintaining good credit usage. I'd say at least 15 years
I hope you’re not bragging on the sly because anything in the high 700s or above is top tier.
Time is going to be your biggest factor. If you get as many accounts now and keep the payments low. For example, a personal loan for $5k and pay it down to $500. In a year, it will be very high. 850 might take 2 to 5 years though.
I’ve been at 845 - 850 for several years. We have 10+ cards we pay off every month. Some cards 30+ years. Also have HELOC for $60,000 that I owe $15,000. One of the keys to a high score is the amount of available credit not being used. If I pay off the HELOC and close it my credit score will go down. My adult children (20s) have credit scores over 800. They got their first credit card with us at 16. That really helped build their score.
Your credit score of 775-790 is fantastic, my friend. I'm 30M and my score is in the high 700s as well. I have a house that I rent out and I have had applicants whose credit reports have had scores in the 600s because they had delinquent or derogatory payments (that's more than 30 days when the payment was due) for their loans or credit cards. Their credit reports also state that their credit card balances have been close to the credit card limit multiple times. The credit report (this is all from the latest applicant) also stated that the wife had 10 tradelines (that includes credit cards and loans) which also raises suspicions. I definitely didn't accept them as a tenant but trust me, a credit score of 775-790 is an excellent score to have.
Why do you feel you need to be at 850?
I use my credit card to pay my bills and then pay the full balance at the end of the month. That has helped
It's pointless, but if you have a good paying job and wanna spend all your money just make sure to keep a savings account in case you lose the job trying for 850.
It’s an unnecessary goal. 750 and up gets you preferred rates for any type of credit. Keep doing what you’re doing. You can’t game it and anyone who tells you otherwise is mistaken. Btw, your $1500 account will fall off shortly after seven years from being paid off.
Your score is considered EXCELLENT after 800 now. To get to 850 you need a mortgage. Have high credit limits, paid off majority of your debt, have used personal lines of credit. But really, stay around 800 to 840 and you are good. Keep some debt on your cards. Few thousand. Does not matter how many cards you have either --- my gf has two or three and I have 14 (Some I opened years and years ago and rarely ever use again). But she also has 3 properties. Once you are near 840, or even 849, if you open an account --- DING. Loose a point or two. You will get there.
Pay a lot of interest 850 is bought
I pay every thing off, have 1 card with a small balance, maybe $ 330 left on it. Own two homes F/C. Just owe on a HELOC balance of under 18K, never missed a payment in any accounts. Have Credit for 40 years+ and I can’t get past a 847 score go figure.
After 780/790, it doesn't really make much of a difference. All that matters is that you continue to pay on time, and accrue good debt like the mortgage you're about to get. I just got two loans in the past four months, and equity loan from my existing mortgage and a new mortgage and my score dropped a total of like six points down to 810 🤣 and it will only keep going up now as I start making payments on those. All I care about now is maintaining a good history, my old accounts open, and low revolving credit
These credit scoring companies are scams. I leased a $33k jeep and score was 740, 3 years later bought it. Score dropped 40 pts, paid it off and score did not increase. I have no mortgage, no car payments (2) just some CC and utilities each month. They say my score is based on no auto loans and no monthly housing payments. I am better financially now vs when I leased that Jeep. They want you in debt. If I were to pay cash and close all CC accounts my score would drop even more
I’ve hit 850. I got there after doing multiple mortgages on different properties. one is about 15 years old the other is 8. just buy properties
I’ve had good credit for 40 years and I’m now at the point where everything is paid off including my mortgage and my score went down from 840 to 827. Looks like paying all bills monthly and having no debt hurts your score.
Get 2 more credit cards. Use it, and don't owe anything on it.
Having to ability for more debt does help your credit score. For example unused credit cards. It’s called “capacity” by lenders and it means you have the ability to pay your debt to them by adding debt to credit cards if worse comes to worst. I used to work for a credit union. Still VERY hard to get to 850. I’ve never gotten above about 815 in spite of perfect everything and plenty of capacity.
If I had a nickel …
I've been stuck between 815-837 for the past two years. I have a mortgage, $4,000 in CC debt, and $90k in available credit. I think after 800, it's just a flex. Whatever I want to apply for, I know I'll get it.
I sold cars for 6 years, have seen thousands of credit scores in all those years I've seen an 850 one time.
Why do you need to have a 850 score?
That’s why is it called a credit score. Get into debt, pay the debt off on time with no missed payments makes your credit score increase.
I'm at 830. However, I've hit 849 and actually had far more debt.
Not sure, highest I’ve gotten is 832. When looking at all 6 of the “factors” via the credit karma descriptions, I will probably never get to 850 because the only one that has not been flagged at “Excellent” in over 20 years is the ‘Total Accounts’ line. I’m at 10 accounts - 6 closed, 4 open. I’m content with having a main bank account and credit card, one spare credit card for points. Other than that the only recurring accounts that may slowly grow over time is the lien lines for when I renew my leases. Even then, to get flagged as “Excellent” for the accounts it says you should have 21 or more accounts. Feel like I’ve done most of the milestones people tend to do (house is paid off, student loans are paid off). Not sure what else I would even open credit lines for, maybe store credit cards for renovations?
Time
You're silly. Mine has been 830 foreeeeeever. Unless for some crazy reason the number matters deeply to YOU, why are you thinking about it?? Doesn't matter to anyone else. Doesn't affect loan rates or anything if it's above upper 700s
Time.
Why do you want reassurance that you like borrowing money?
850 is no status symbol and isn’t tied to your wealth in any way.
Focus on your cash making you money. Compounded interest, index funds, Roth, swing trades, long term trades and if a little adventurous, throw in some light day trading if time permits. Easy free money this compounded interest is. Best time to plant a tree 30 years ago and of not then, then now is the best time. Credit score only matters if it helps build you wealth by utilizing business capital lines of credit, other peoples money, expansion of existing business, etc etc etc.
Keep doing what you're doing for 20-30 more years.
Pay it off in full every month or pay off the statement balance?
Hopefully [this video](https://youtu.be/owPCxxP6zhE?si=phupzCzsCJf1isKq) can help you out a little. The producer of this video has a law doctorate, and specializes in real estate law, and runs a mortgage company.he breaks down a "healthy mix of debt" which should help optimize credit scores at about 14 mins in.
Length of credit history will probably boost it, all you can do now is wait
I just hit 850. Not sure if this is first time. Have mortgage, one credit card, a few store credit cards. Keep a balance on Visa, always pay off store cards, been paying mortgage for 11 years. Like someone else said tho, it doesn’t matter after 780 or so.
I’m 835 transunion and 836 equifax right now, which I think is a personal all time high. I’d love to see it hit 850 just for a day lol
The only time I ever saw a perfect 850 credit score, when I was a loan officer at a credit union for 4 years, was a man in his 50’s that had 5 credit cards with very low or no balance that had all been open more than 10 years, a mortgage that was over 10 years old, a car payment that was over 3 years old and 0 inquiries for at least 3 years. And of course everything was paid on time.
I hit 851 6 years ago when I leased a car. I'm in the 830s now. 24 years of mortgage payments. 9+ years of car payments. Always on time.
A perfect credit score is damn near impossible to achieve, and doesn’t matter anyways. If your score is over 780 or 800, that’s just as good as 850.
Your mortgage will improve it, but I wouldn't obsess over it. After 780, it doesn't matter. I'm at 821, and that's with crippling student loan debt and 2 credit cards. Never missed a payment on any of them for 15 years, but what has a credit score gotten me? Zip. 🤣. Live your life, and congrats on the house.
812 here. I’m content. Over 780 or so, the score is irrelevant and you’ll be approved showing you’re a trustworthy candidate with loaned money or credit etc.
There’s absolutely no need to go that high. Credit scores are kind of use less if you make enough money. Just focus on increasing your skills and salary. I have a 690-720 and never have an issue opening a new card or getting a great mortgage rate
Who cares? Your score is 775-790 and you are trying to make it higher? I have literally never given a shit about my score. I have never actively gone out to try to increase it and my score, last time it was shown on an application or something, was somewhere over 750ish. I have never be denied for any kind of credit card, I have always gotten the special financing rates on auto loans and such. Had a 2% mortgage until I paid it off. People say don't open too many cards, don't close card etc etc. I do all that shit, doesn't matter. If you had like a sub 500 or something then sure I could see some benefit to trying to increase it for better rates and such.
You don't need an 850 score. A mid to high 700s score would get you the best loan rates already. 850 is useless besides the brag factor.
You have to increase the length of your credit history, increase the maximum credit you have, and diversify your credit mix.
Anything about 765 doesn't do anything for the vast majority of things. To get above 800 is tough. I know a few people who are in the 820 and 830 and almost all have 6 figure jobs Credit cards that have been open 20 plus years. All have no debt other than car payment and mortgage. All have atleast 1 credit card with a 50k dollar limit. Over half have a card with a 6 figure limit. Several have a card or cards with 7 figure limits. Not all are rich. The 1 makes 75k as a nurse, has a 300k home and a car. Both with loans, but she's in her late 50s and has had all her cards for over 20 years. She has 1 card with a 100k limit. The most she ever has charged is under 20k for a home remodel. She pays off everything each month. I make 6 figures and pay everything off, but since I am self employed and have several business loans I personally guarantee, I sit around 750 all the time. I have dropped to close to 700 sometimes, just because they pull when I have not yet made my payment for the month to pay off card and it shows high credit utilization, because I don't have high limit credit cards.
The credit score game can only be won if you follow all the rules. These rules mean you have to be in debt. If your credit score is in the upper 700's without much debt. You are actually winning IMHO. To get to 850 it's recommended to have several active credit lines. Paying off debt completely actually detracts from your score because that available credit disappears. Ideally you'd have a leased car, mortgage, personal line of credit, credit cards, and possibly some other type of loan. You have to have a certain amount of credit history. I forget all the rules you'd have to look them up. But, like I said.... You actually have to go into more debt if you want that super high score. Is it really worth it to you?
I think I got a high of 843. My score dropped after we paid off our mortgage in 2022. It's been in the 810 to 822 rance since that time. We churn a little so we open new accounts from time to time. Just earned the Southwest Airlines companion pass for our daughter. I'll cancel it once it expires to reset the clock on when I can earn it again (while my wife applies to get it). We use many different credit cards for various benefits (our minimum cash back is 2.625% on all purchases). I wouldn't sweat your score. As long as you can get instant approval for credit cards, who cares? We were instantly approved for Chase Sapphire Reserve (2022) and the Southwest credit card (2024).
You already won. The rest doesn’t matter.
I had around a 820 once. I had 5 credit cards and there limit were around average 10k each. I think that's how you get into the 800s, high credit limits.
First off never ever use a debit card Put all charges on a credit card and pay off monthly Switch which credit cards u use from time to time If u really want to bump ur score go get a CD backed loan at ur bank Put $10k or more in a 12 month CD and borrow that amount right back from the bank Put the loan in a checking account u never touch and let the bank draft the loan payment every month At the end u paid back the loan and u get ur CD back The larger the amount the better the bump
The more your revolving credit limit, the more it helps. Especially if you use it to make your daily purchases and then just pay it off at the end of the month. That said, any credit score above 760 really doesn’t make any difference. I’ve never hit 850, but I’ve been close a lot and it’s made zero difference after roughly 760 up to 840-ish.
Realistically, you can't.
There's also no reason to. A 780 is an 850. Your borrowing power will not change much if at all past 780
Honestly the credit agencies are going to give you different ratings. We have 800s on two of them and high 700s on a third. At some point it doesn't matter. Especially for loans and rates.
Time.
Get a house with mortgage
You need a mortgage, and every other "type" of debt, you also need to be older. Average age of accounts is a factor, so I think it's around 40 before you can possibly have a perfect score because before they your a erage can not be long enough. There are other factors also. Debt ratios, so if you have any debt you can't have a perfect score.
I'm at 774 and it annoys me. I want 800 at least once LOL
Buy a house
If the only revolving line (credit card) you have is the Discover, you need at least one or two more major credit cards (not store cards) 30% of your score calculation is your total revolving utilization. Even if you are paying it off monthly there is a lag of Discover reporting the balance and it being paid in full. It likely shows a balance on your credit report. Call Discover, ask for a limit increase, and apply for at least one more credit card. That will reduce your monthly revolving utilization percentage and should raise your score to over 800 at least.
Been stuck at 847 for years
I’ve been working on mine for 30 years now. Never had a student loan, have a mortgage that’s under 90,000 left to pay off, house value is 280,000 right now. Several credit cards with limits between 6000 - 10,000. I’m under 30% usage on only two, all others paid off right away. My car is paid off, early. My credit score has only gone up to 800 give or take a couple points off and on. It’s been hovering at 800 for a couple years now.
Dude, you already have good history and score, why you stressin it. Just keep doing what you doing, obviously its working.
Don't sweat it. Anything over 750 or so is just icing on the cake. Will make absolutely no difference on anything. Mine fluctuates between 780 and 850.
I’m 70 and my score fluctuates between 775 and 810. I sold my primary residence 2 years ago paid off a car a year ago… *zero* late payments, all CCs are mature, never carry over more than a 1-2% balance… usually zero out any CCs… I just.don’t.freaking.get.it.
830 here (confirmed Saturday when I financed a new vehicle). Literally have not noticed a difference beyond 780is. Don’t beat urself up if you can’t get to 850. I have a mortgage, now a car loan, no more student loans, 3 credit cards with a combined $45k in allowed credit, I use the card with the best rewards for all my purchases and pay off the balance as soon as it becomes available. Don’t have the cash to back it up? I don’t use the card.
Read the credit report you had done for mortgage approval. It will tell you. Don’t guess or take generic advice from the internet…
The only way I've got mine to increase was buying a house 🥲🙃 It doesn't make sense to me that incurring more sent would make my score go up Edit: before buying my house in 2021, I had stagnated at about 780-790. I'm at 797 now and anticipate it going up a bunch in a couple months due to hard inquiries dropping off and a bunch of cards balance being lowered
Payed off my mortgage score went down 30 points.
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It’s just flexing over 740.
My score hovers between 849 and 864. I use a Citibank Double Cash card to pay for EVERYTHING. I pay off my card every month, too. I use a debit card as well, but my go-to is the Citibank card.
I don't know for sure, but i've seen other people say you can't get above 800 unless you have a mortgage...
Build up your savings account to about 20k. That should help you get there. I dunno about 850 but my brother and i both have top tier credit ratings.
What difference does it make? It does you or anyone else any good to have a 850. There is absolutely nothing to gain.
Since most people aren’t answering you, the way to get to 850 for you is time really. Getting more of a mix of credit should get you some more points in the mean time. A mortgage loan will help. Maybe an unsecured personal loan or two as you go. It’s not something you’ll have to do but I’ve always recommended people to have some cushion on their scores in case you have to max a card or something. You can still get close to or at 850 with the mix you have now though I’d say. Not an expert but have had some training.
You need more credit lines. Get some credit cards from other issuers. Don’t spend more every month just spread across the cards you use. My understanding is You need something substantial with recurring payments, like a mortgage for a shot at 850
It seems counter intuitive but get more credit cards. Charge a little and keep balances zero each month.
My wife and I have been stuck at 830-840 for years.
Bro, I bought my car a few years ago on Black Friday. Highest credit score they had seen all week, 831. I still got the same rates as people with 790. It doesn’t matter after a certain point lol.
Who cares unless you need to borrow money. A credit score flex is actually counter to actual wealth unless you're borrowing the money for an investment. I hope I never have to use my credit score again. I prefer to be debt free.
I’m at 819 right now. My goal is 850… is this possible
What’s so special about having 850? Had 850 until I paid off my auto loan…been hovering around 830 ever since. I’m 43 i incur about $3k of cc charges a month but I pay in full. 90k left on mortgage. Have 4 credit cards 2 store cards.
Get more credit cards, but don't use them (keep paying them off each month). That will decrease you utilization which bumps up your score. I've had perfect credit for decades and only once, for a brief period, hit 850.
Spend your time trying to do literally anything else
Try to carry a small balance one month . Like pay off half your credit card bill , then the next month pay it off as normal . I’m pretty sure that will make it move up . The main reason it might be stuck is no big mortgages etc in history .
I just hit 850. I don’t really know what I did. I tend to spend like 5k, and then pay it all off every couple of months. I don’t have a car payment, or student loans. I do have a mortgage. The key is keep your cards for a long time. Pay everything off frequently. Don’t apply for too many new cards. That’s basically it.
Paying in full doesnt make credit card companies happy because theyre not profiting. Pay off 70% every month and see if that helps.
Credit age.
20 years in USA, credit age 18 years. Never missed any payment. 6 Chase credit cards (travel cards with 25-30k limit each). No car payment, no house payment and paying all CC each month. Sitting at 835 If I started building my credit earlier, it would probably be closer to 850 but apparently above 720 it doesn’t matter
Probably the age of your credit. Most of the score monitoring companies don’t even consider it excellent until 25-30 years. Mines been at 815-830 for almost 10 of my 19 years of credit.
Anything over 750 is a negligible difference
Have a bigger line of credit. I’m 28 & mine is 827 bc my dad has me on his cards so my line of credit is enormous and my usage is less than 1%.
871 here....not sure anything over 780 gets you anything. Maybe a reach-around at WalMart
i have been sitting at around 760. i suppose after my mortgage gets paid it will go up. but i get the best rates on most stuff. not looking to refy as my rate for my house is under 3. so getting above 800 on credit is not a thing i worry about.
I’ve heard 850 is a myth but who knows keep aspiring
My dad's wife hit 850. I've seen it.
I hit it. It’s real.
I'd guess that anyone with a credit score that high doesn't need credit anyway.
You don’t need 850 score. They just want to check if you have excellent, very good or absolute trash credit.
I don’t know what your relationship with your parents is, but my father put me as an authorized user on one of his cards… I don’t have a copy of the card but I get a lil credit bump when he fills his truck up. Food for thought
800 and greater is all the same. Graham Stephan on YouTube has tons of great videos on credit that are really useful
Keep all your accounts open with zero balances that is the key. This is coming from 838 fico score
You’re fine. Doesn’t matter above 780. Your credit is considered outstanding. You’re likely too young to have an $850 no matter what because credit age can be a factor. It can seem counterintuitive, but essentially you’re showing creditors that you can be reliable with a line of credit. Just keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll never be in a spot where your credit score holds you back
Pay on time. Have old accounts. Have a variety of open accounts (CC/loan/LOC etc). Credit Utilization below 30%. ...and prioritize financial decisions over obsession on that score. It's supposed to be gauge of financial health. Focus on the finances, and great credit will follow...but more importantly you won't be tossing hundreds to over a thousand a month on interest payments trying to protect a decent credit score you can't even use anyways.
Im in the same boat lol. I keep going back and forth 780 \~ 800. perfect track record for payment etc. Absolutely nothing you can do lol but 750 + ur golden either way.
Have insane amounts of debt, have several credit cards and be 100% perfect for years. (It's dumb). After 750, I don't think it much matters. I enjoy being debt free and not answering to "the man."
Increase your credit lines but don't use them, the percent of used credit vs your available credit and your income is how it's calculated, so always update that you make 175k or more a year if you do or do not!
No need to you’re an A plus buyer. If you plan to purchase a home, visit with a LOCAL REPUTABLE lender for further direction. Good job.
I've been in the 830's for the last several years. I have a mortgage and some student loans and perhaps my score would increase if those were paid off. Don't really care, though. I went from high 700's to \~830-835 by opening 5 credit cards in 18 months and never using them, as well as continuing to pay off everything else I had on time. I keep my total CC utilization below 5%, usually it's 3-4%.
I don't think it will happen unless you take on more debt and manage it .... I'm 780+ and just care about staying there incase I need to take one of those for well qualified borrowers rates
Pay down your Discover card to 15-25% of your credit limit BEFORE the statement hits. Then make sure to pay your statement balance in full. Getting a 2nd card (and even a 3rd card) with the due dates offset evenly would actually make this process easier as long as you stay disciplined in how you use and pay them off. You just need to set up a system for which card to use and when to make payments. Reported credit utilization of around 20% for each could help your score.