About FICO® Scores
Working to get your FICO® Scores in the higher ranges can mean big savings!
- When you apply for credit – whether for a credit card, a car loan, or a mortgage – lenders want to know what risk they’d take by loaning money to you.
- FICO® Scores are the credit scores most lenders use to determine your credit risk. You have three FICO® Scores, one for each of the three credit bureaus - Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Each score is based on information the credit bureau keeps on file about you. As this information changes, your credit scores tend to change as well.
- Your 3 FICO® Scores affect both how much and what loan terms (interest rate, etc.) lenders will offer you at any given time.
- Taking steps to get your FICO® Scores in the higher ranges can help you qualify for better rates from lenders.
Savings Example
The higher your FICO® Scores, you the less you pay to buy on credit – no matter whether you're getting a home loan, cell phone, a car loan, or signing up for credit cards.
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For example, on a $150,000 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage using today's national rates, a person with a FICO® Score of 760 or better will pay $133 less per month than a person with a FICO® Score of 620 – that's a savings of $1,596 a year. You can see how essential it is to get your scores in the higher ranges if they are low, and also how important it is to keep them high if they are good.
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| Your FICO® Score |
Your interest rate |
Your monthly payment |
| 760 - 850 |
2.73% |
$611 |
| 700 - 759 |
2.95% |
$628 |
| 680 - 699 |
3.13% |
$643 |
| 660 - 679 |
3.34% |
$660 |
| 640 - 659 |
3.77% |
$696 |
| 620 - 639 |
4.32% |
$744 |
| Actual Rates – Updated Daily |
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