# My Credit Score **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2008, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792 "2008-06-13T11:57:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/1 "2008-06-13T11:57:35Z")
I finally got around to checking my credit score. I am at 814, better than 90-something percent of Americans. I just wanted to brag. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/2 "2008-06-13T12:06:52Z")
If you were in the US, you could get some awesome rates on your car insurance (as if your credit score somehow is a prediction of your ability to drive). ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/3 "2008-06-13T12:13:11Z")
Ummm- how do you check it? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/4 "2008-06-13T12:21:07Z")
Lemme send you a PM, I am not sure it is appropriate to mention a commercial site here. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/5 "2008-06-13T12:24:40Z")
Thanks- appreciated :). ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/6 "2008-06-13T20:09:01Z")
Mine’s 794. Not bad for being 26 without a mortgage and whatnot. 🙂 I get mine for free through my credit card. That was the perk that made me sign up for that card (as opposed to going with someone else), but they’ve since made it into a points card as well. Score! ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/7 "2008-06-13T21:12:29Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] I finally got around to checking my credit score. I am at 814, better than 90-something percent of Americans. I just wanted to brag. [/QUOTE] Is this a FICO or VantageScore? VantageScore is a new program launched by the credit bureaus which ranges from 500 - 990 and while a FICO score of 814 is indeed impressive, a 814 on VantageScore is simply a little above average. We had a FICO 777 a year and a half ago. Since then we’ve bought a house and taken on some CC debt to buy a second car(hey, CCs offering 3.9% for the life of the balance, I’ll write a cash access check rather than take an auto loan at 6.75%) so I’m pretty sure we’ve taken a hit. It’s about time I checked my score again I guess. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/8 "2008-06-13T22:05:28Z")
I’m in the process of trying to drive my credit score down. We no longer have credit card debt, and I haven’t used my credit card in over a year. In fact, when we refinanced our house, one of the notations on my report was something about “lack of recent use.” Hee hee hee. Ever since I saw [this movie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0762117/), which pointed out that your FICO score has NOTHING to do with your income, and ever since I’ve been listening to [Dave Ramsey](http://www.daveramsey.com/), I’ve had a sea-change in thinking about money and debt. We’re working on Dave’s Baby Step 3, which is building up your emergency fund to 3-6 months’ worth of expenses. YMMV. But it is working for us. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/9 "2008-06-13T22:15:12Z")
The 814 is quite impressive…but keep in mind that once you’re over 720ish it doesn’t really matter. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/10 "2008-06-14T02:07:42Z")
That is 814 on Fico. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/11 "2008-06-14T02:16:22Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] The 814 is quite impressive…but keep in mind that once you’re over 720ish it doesn’t really matter. [/QUOTE] Yep, pretty much everything over 720 is gravy and bragging rights. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It’s just that people like my boyfriend have an obsession with having a score over 850. Point the first: The highest score I’ve ever seen in 5 years of looking at credit scores daily was 834. While 850’s may exist out there, they are extremely rare. Point the second: It doesn’t matter if your score is 720 or 820. The lending tiers are the same for anything over around 720 and up. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/12 "2008-06-15T21:36:58Z")
[QUOTE=Mtgman] Is this a FICO or VantageScore? VantageScore is a new program launched by the credit bureaus which ranges from 500 - 990 and while a FICO score of 814 is indeed impressive, a 814 on VantageScore is simply a little above average. We had a FICO 777 a year and a half ago. Since then we’ve bought a house and taken on some CC debt to buy a second car(hey, CCs offering 3.9% for the life of the balance, I’ll write a cash access check rather than take an auto loan at 6.75%) so I’m pretty sure we’ve taken a hit. It’s about time I checked my score again I guess. Enjoy, Steven [/QUOTE] Read the fine print. Most of them say that they can change the rate for no reason or if you miss a payment for any reason. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/13 "2008-06-15T21:55:43Z")
That is a cool score to have but, as others mentioned, a score that high is useless over someone that has a 750. It gives you further to fall but no one is going to be sending limos with caviar to your place because of it, I once tried to get my credit score as high as possible when I was bored at work and I got in about the same range but then I learned that good enough is good enough when it comes to credit scores. It is an interesting stunt however. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/14 "2008-06-15T22:11:29Z")
I just refinanced my house and my credit score was 825. They were falling all over themselves to help me refi. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/15 "2008-06-15T22:56:27Z")
My husband’s is 840. Pretty much the only thing damaging his score is the fact that he’s 25. This OP inspired me to check on mine. It has been improving steadily over the last two years. If I have anything to brag about, it’s how much I’ve improved it–from a 530 to (as of today) a 688. I’ve worked hard to turn my finances around and it brings me great joy to watch it steadily climb. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/16 "2008-06-16T02:16:53Z")
I mentioned this to my finance guy. He said it might be because I own no real estate. I wonder if that is true. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-score/452792/17 "2008-06-16T02:32:15Z")
Seriously, congratulations, that is a wonderful score, and good on ya. But I have the feeling that you have not had a proper military response yet, so perhaps you will permit me to give you one (even though I am not in the service)… YOU SUUUUUCK!!!