Your credit score is one of the most critical numbers in your life. Financial institutions use this three-digit number to determine whether or not you’re eligible for a loan & at what interest rate and is reflected in your credit reports.
As important as credit scores are, they can also be confusing, especially when you’re not sure how often they update. Do delinquent payments show up right away? How long does it take for a new credit line to affect your score? How do lenders make reports?
So it may be advantageous to know how often credit scores are updated so they can make more educated financial decisions.
What Is A Credit Score And How Is It Calculated?
A credit score is a number found on your credit report representing your creditworthiness. Lenders use it to determine whether you are a good candidate for a loan. The higher the credit score on your credit report, the more likely you are to be approved for a loan.
The FICO score is the most commonly used credit scoring system, which ranges from 300 to 850. A score of 700 or above is generally considered good, while a score below 600 is considered poor.
Many factors go into calculating a credit score, but the most important are payment history and credit utilization:
- Payment history records whether you have made your payments on time.
- Credit utilization is the percentage of your available credit that you are using.
Both of these factors are important because they appear on your credit report and show lenders & credit bureaus how likely you are to repay a loan. There are other factors that go into calculating a credit score, but these are the two most important.
Derogatory marks on credit reports can also last up to seven years. If you have a good payment history and low credit utilization, you could have a good credit score that will show up on your credit reports.
How Often Do Credit Scores Update, And Why Is That Important To Know?
Your credit score is a crucial factor in determining your creditworthiness. Lenders and credit bureaus use this three-digit number to evaluate your riskiness as a borrower and to set the interest on loans.
Given its importance, you might assume that the credit score on your credit report is updated constantly. However, the reality is that this isn’t the case. So how often does the FICO score update?
FICO scores are updated every month and throughout the month, but not necessarily on the same day of the month for every person. The specific date on which your score is updated depends on when the lender reports your payment information to the credit bureaus, typically every 30 to 45 days.
Most lenders generally report information to the credit bureaus at the end of each month. As a result, your credit score will likely update sometime during the last week of the month.
It’s essential to know how often your credit score updates and how often they report to credit bureaus because it can fluctuate from month to month based on changes in your credit profile.
For example, your score will go down if you miss a loan payment. Conversely, if you pay off your credit card balance in full, it will go up.
The simplest way to access free credit scores is through the site designated online for the major bureaus [Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union]. All three of these companies have different scoring systems, so it is important to check all three of them to get an accurate idea of your credit score.
Consumers can access their free credit reports from the three credit reporting agencies at: www.annualcreditreport.com. Consumers should review all items appearing in each section of their credit reports. If an error is identified, consumers should immediately contact the credit reporting agency to correct that information.
The updated information on your credit reports can also help you improve your credit score by helping you identify negative items that you can dispute. Check your credit, and if you find inaccurate new information on your credit report, you can file a dispute with the creditor and have the item removed from your credit history.
Keep in mind that understanding how and how often reports are updated, especially on a monthly basis, can help you track these changes and monitor your credit health over time.
Knowing when your credit score update is and how often your credit update is also helpful in timing major financial decisions. For instance, if you’re planning on applying for a mortgage, you’ll want to ensure that your most recent credit scores are used to get the best interest rate possible.
Similarly, if you’re close to maxing out a credit card, you may want to wait until after your next credit report statement closes (and is reported to the credit bureaus) to avoid taking too much of a hit to your score.
In short, understanding how often your credit score updates is essential for staying on top of your credit health and making smart financial decisions. Keep an eye on when those updates occur and use that information to manage your credit profile accordingly.
How Can You Get Started On Improving Your Credit Score Today?
It’s no secret that having good credit scores is important. It can help you qualify for loans, get better interest rates, better offers on products and services, and even improve your employment prospects.
Conversely, a low credit score reflected on a credit report can make it difficult to get approved for credit products and may even result in you paying higher insurance premiums. So how do you improve your credit to avoid paying these extra costs?
One of the most important things you can do to improve your credit is to find out how often your credit scores change. Check your credit report and do consistent credit monitoring. Use credit cards responsibly too.
This will vary depending on the scoring system used, but reporting agencies report information on a monthly or quarterly basis. This means that if you make any changes to your credit habits, you may not see an immediate impact on your score. However, those changes will start to add up over time, and you’ll see a gradual improvement in your score.
Another tip for improving your credit score is to use your credit responsibly. That means making sure you only charge what you can afford to achieve paying your loan balance back and pay your bills on time.
If you’re unsure how to use credit responsibly, there are financial institutions and plenty of resources available online that can help you learn the basics.
Bottom-line
While knowing your exact number gives you a general idea of where you stand, don’t obsess over slight variations in the score itself. Instead, focus on building strong personal credit habits that could help improve all of your scores over time. Use your credit cards wisely and check your credit report.
Keep in mind that it takes time to build up a good credit score, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Just keep working at it and eventually, your score will improve. Credit reports will no longer give you unwanted anxiety, and you can keep using your credit card more effectively.
Other readings:
Why Did My Credit Score Drop For No Reason? 9 Likely Explanations Why