Credit glossary
FICO Score
The family of credit scores built by Fair Isaac Corporation, known as FICO, and used in most U.S. lending decisions.
A FICO Score is calculated only from one bureau's credit report. FICO groups the data into five categories: payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%) and credit mix (10%). Those weights describe the general population, and FICO says the importance of each varies by person. Base FICO Scores run from 300 to 850.
FICO sells many versions at once. FICO 8 remains widely used for cards and general lending, mortgage lenders still largely use FICO 2, 5 and 4, auto and card lenders often use industry scores on a 250 to 900 scale, and newer versions like FICO 9 and FICO 10T change how specific data counts. Your FICO Score depends on which version a lender buys, and from which bureau.
Guides that go deeper
- How a credit score is calculated, without the pie-chart mythsFICO's 35/30/15/10/10 split describes the general population, not point values. What each factor reads on your report, with the math worked out.
- FICO 8, 9, 10 and 10T: which version lenders actually useYou have dozens of FICO Scores. What changed in FICO 8, 9, 10 and 10T, which lenders use each, and how to learn which one you'll face.
- FICO vs. VantageScore: the real differences that change your numberFICO and VantageScore share a 300 to 850 scale but split on paid collections, thin files, rent and medical debt, so your lender's choice matters.
Sources
- What's in my FICO Scores?, myFICO
- FICO Score versions, myFICO
- What is a FICO Score?, myFICO
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