What do the different credit score ranges mean?

From Yahoo Finance: 2025-05-27 18:07:00

Understanding credit score ranges can help you navigate the financial world better. FICO and VantageScore have different ranges for “excellent” to “poor” scores. Higher scores open doors to better loans and job opportunities. Each creditor has its own requirements, but anything over 760 usually gets you the best rates.

Free credit score monitoring is available through many banks and credit card issuers. You can access your FICO score with Bank of America and Vantage score with US Bank for free. Chase Credit Journey and CapitalOne CreditWise offer free scores even if you’re not a customer.

You can sign up for My Money platform for free access to TransUnion VantageScores. If you want to see your FICO scores, sign up for FICO Free Plan for FICO 8 score. Using FICO’s score estimator tool is also an option. In 2025, average FICO score is 715 and VantageScore is 702, falling into the good credit score range.

Most mortgage lenders require a minimum credit score of 620, but some programs accept scores as low as 500. Don’t pay for credit scores when you can get them for free through various banks or FICO’s Free Plan. Understanding credit ranges can help you make better financial decisions.



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