The 5 Factors in Your Credit Score, Ranked by Impact
Payment history and utilization dominate the score; the other three are supporting cast. Fix in this order and the number follows.
The two that are 65% of everything.
Payment history (35%). Every on-time payment is a deposit; every 30-day late is a wound that reports for seven years. Autopay minimums exist precisely to make this factor bulletproof.
Utilization (30%)—statement balances divided by limits, scored on each card and in total. Under 30% is decent; under 10% is optimal—and the score only reflects what reports on statement day.
The supporting three
Age of accounts (15%). Average account age rewards old cards that stay open. Length is built by time and destroyed by closing your oldest card.
Credit mix (10%) and new inquiries (10%): minor factors you shouldn't engineer, just avoid mugging yourself with six applications in a month.
Common questions
Does checking my own score hurt it?
No—self-checks are soft inquiries and never touch the score. Only lender-initiated hard pulls count.
How fast can a score rise?
Utilization fixes reflect in 30 to 60 days. Late payments fade over years. Time is the only repair for history.