# Transunion: why do I have "insufficient length of credit history?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transunion-why-do-i-have-insufficient-length-of-credit-history/628469 "2012-07-17T01:35:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transunion-why-do-i-have-insufficient-length-of-credit-history/628469/1 "2012-07-17T01:35:06Z")
In the middle of a refinance right now, and the lender has sent me a copy of my credit report from Transunion. My score is pretty good - 811 out of a possible 839. They have a section titled “key factors that adversely affected your credit score,” and two of the items made sense: **TIME SINCE MOST RECENT ACCOUNT OPENING IS TOO SHORT** (OK, I started a new credit card in January) **TOO MANY ACCOUNTS WITH BALANCES** (I have four credit cards, two of them with a balance that get paid off every month) but two of them didn’t: **INSUFFICIENT LENGTH OF REVOLVING CREDIT HISTORY** **INSUFFICIENT LENGTH OF CREDIT HISTORY** Um, I’m 42. I’ve had one or more credit cards at all times since I was 18, and I’ve paid off a couple of five-year vehicle loans. How is it that my credit history, revolving or otherwise, could possibly be of insufficient length? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transunion-why-do-i-have-insufficient-length-of-credit-history/628469/2 "2012-07-17T01:40:59Z")
Well, first I can’t imagine that you aren’t going to get the best available rate with an 811 score. As to the length thing - does your Transunion report show those old cards and auto loans? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transunion-why-do-i-have-insufficient-length-of-credit-history/628469/3 "2012-07-17T01:55:24Z")
It’s relative to the perfect score; it’s not ‘derog’. Whatever factors lead to a perfect score, you are off a bit. Some numerical calculation goes into the score, so if the numbers don’t add up to a perfect score, you get some type of response. Why didn’t I score a TD? I started from the 1 and ran 98 yards before being tackled!!? Insufficient length of run. Insufficient breaking of tackles. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transunion-why-do-i-have-insufficient-length-of-credit-history/628469/4 "2012-07-17T02:39:36Z")
Do you still have the same accounts from when you were 18? I believe the “length of credit history” type things are only deduced from the age of your accounts. If you have a bunch of old ones you paid off and closed, they eventually drop off your report, just like the bad stuff that might be on there. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transunion-why-do-i-have-insufficient-length-of-credit-history/628469/5 "2012-07-17T02:39:50Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Why didn’t I score a TD? I started from the 1 and ran 98 yards before being tackled!!? > > Insufficient length of run. > Insufficient breaking of tackles. Sounds reasonable. So if I continue taking good care of my credit, when I get to be 60 or 70 years old, will I see “INSUFFICIENT LENGTH OF CREDIT HISTORY” removed as a reason for my not-quite-perfect score? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transunion-why-do-i-have-insufficient-length-of-credit-history/628469/6 "2012-07-17T03:55:10Z")
I work at TU and I’ve seen one perfect score in 19 years: My wife. Multiple cards since she was 18. Multiple mortgages 5x over. Mutliple installment accounts. Multiple everything – all under limits, but all had high credits that were paid down. Deep, high-dollar credit of every facet. I’m low 800’s to upper 700’s. Just keep analogies in mind. Even a ‘perfect game’ in baseball could be better. So, over 800 is getting pretty darn perfect, and will always net you the best rates on everything, but if you have a perfect game, it can be better: 27 up and 27 down on all strikeouts: Wow – perfect, right? Maybe that would still fall short: Too many pitches thrown Too many balls in the dirt . ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transunion-why-do-i-have-insufficient-length-of-credit-history/628469/7 "2012-07-17T04:07:00Z")
It always says that on my credit report as well and my score is pretty effn’ high. I think all they’re saying is that that’s one of the things that’s pulling you down from a perfect score. But you’d think after a certain point it wouldn’t matter how long the account’s been open. IOW, I can understand that an account that’s been open for 2 years is different then one that’s been open for 5, but does it really matter if it’s been open for 25 years or 35? I would think at some point it would pass a threshold and the “length of credit history” thing would max out. At one point (and it must have been a strange glitch since it disappeared right away) it said “Not enough mortgage accounts” So, one mortgage isn’t enough?