Knowing your credit score is an important part of the financial planning process. You probably know that a high credit score is better than a low one. But do you know what creditors consider a good score or how you can achieve a good credit profile, such as with Credit Builder Plus?
We’ll take a closer look at the 760 credit score and also give you some simple tips you can use to increase your score.
Is a 760 Credit Score Good?
Most credit reporting bureaus consider a 760 score to be in the “very good” range of credit scores.
A 760 credit score puts you less than 100 points away from a perfect score. This makes you a much more appealing candidate for loans and cards than other applicants with lower scores. A 760 credit score gives you a wider choice of lenders and credit card providers, who must compete with one another for your business. You might be offered exclusive rewards, competitive interest rates and exclusive loans.
A credit score in the “good” range (usually a score between 670 and 749) means you won’t have a problem getting a credit card or loan and you’ll get best interest rates the lender offers. Raising your score a few points (into the “very good” range) can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest.
What is an Average Credit Score?
Most Americans have a credit score that’s between 600 points and 750 points, according to data from the credit reporting bureau Experian. But where does your credit score come from — and what does it mean?
Your credit score comes from credit reporting bureaus. Every month, the three major credit reporting bureaus (TransUnion, Experian and Equifax) collect, store and organize data on how you use credit. This information makes up your “credit report,” which you can authorize lenders, employers and landlords to view.
Each credit reporting bureau gives you a credit score based on the items on your report. Your score will be higher if you have a lot of positive items on your credit report. Your score will be lower if you have negative items on your report. Your credit score can also vary by bureau because not every creditor you work with submits data to all three bureaus.
Your credit score might also vary by bureau because each credit reporting bureau uses its own method to calculate your score. The two most popular scoring models are the FICO and the VantageScore models. Each scoring model varies slightly, but they both place great importance on your payment history and the amount of credit you use.
Let’s take a look at the scoring ranges for each credit reporting bureau.
Equifax
Equifax uses a version of the VantageScore scoring model. Equifax’s scoring ranges are as follows:
- Poor: Below 559 points
- Fair: 560 to 659 points
- Good: 660 to 724 points
- Very good: 725 to 759 points
- Excellent: 760 to 850 points
A credit scoring range between 760 and 850 points is the most common; about 37% of Americans have Equifax scores in that range. The highest Equifax score you can get is 850 and a 760 credit score means you’ve got excellent credit.
TransUnion
TransUnion uses the VantageScore scoring model. Instead of rating your score on a scale of “poor” to “excellent,” TransUnion gives you a grade for your credit score. An F is the worst grade and an A is the best. TransUnion’s score rankings are as follows:
- F: 300 to 600 points
- D: 601 to 657 points
- C: 658 to 719 points
- B: 720 to 780 points
- A: 781 to 850 points
The highest TransUnion score that you can have is 850 and a “B” is the most popular range for TransUnion scores. About 27% of Americans have this score. You’ve earned a “B” grade if your credit score is 760. This corresponds to the other bureaus’ “very good” range.
Experian
FICO scores are the scores used by most lenders and creditors when they make decisions about your loan, so pay attention to your Experian score in particular. Experian’s scoring ranges are as follows:
- Very poor: 300 to 579 points
- Fair: 580 to 669 points
- Good: 670 to 739 points
- Very good: 740 to 799 points
- Exceptional: 800 to 850 points
“Very good” is the most common scoring range for Experian credit scores and includes about 25% of the population. The highest Experian score you can have is 850. A credit score of 760 points is in the “very good” range.
From 760 to 850: How to Increase Your Credit Score
What if you want to push your 760 score into “exceptional” territory? Achieving a perfect 850 credit score is hard — but it’s not impossible. Here’s how you can do it.
Monitor Your Payment History
Your payment history makes up over 35% of your credit score. This makes it the single most important factor in building your credit score. The best way to increase your score is by making on-time payments on your loans and credit cards.
Make sure that you’re always making your credit card and loan payments on time or ahead of schedule if you want to achieve perfect credit. Sit down with all of your credit cards and loan statements. Write down when each payment is due and the minimum amount you need to pay every month. Place this information somewhere you’ll see it often, like at your desk or in your day planner. This will help you avoid accidentally missing a payment.
You may also want to sign up for auto-pay if your creditor offers it. Auto-pay is a program that links your bank account and automatically deducts your minimum payments on your due date. Some credit card providers even allow you to choose when you want your withdrawal to go through.
Keep Your Utilization Low
Creditors don’t like to lend money to people who use too much credit. You’re more likely to miss a payment or fall behind on your loan schedule. You might hear a lender refer to this as your “credit utilization rate.”
Your credit utilization rate is the percentage of total available credit that you use on a month-to-month basis. For example, if you have a credit card with a maximum limit of $1,000 and you make a $100 purchase on it every month, you have a utilization rate of 10%.
Using too much of your available credit lowers your score. You can increase your credit score by building up a history of low utilization rates. Most lenders like to work with other applicants who have utilization rates below 30%. Aim to keep your utilization at or below 10% to see the maximum increase in your score.
You can also consider asking your lender for an increase in credit. A credit line increase automatically lowers your utilization rate and allows you to spend the same amount of money on your cards.
Diversify with a Personal Loan
Your go-to way to build credit might be paying back the money you’ve charged on your credit card each month. Lenders want to see that you have experience managing multiple types of credit and adding a small loan to your credit mix can help build up your score.
Your best bet is to choose a small personal loan if you’ve never taken out a loan before. Unlike other types of loans (like auto loans, student loans or mortgages) you can use a personal loan for just about anything. You can get a loan, treat yourself to some new furniture or a weekend away, pay it back and see your score rise.
Are you looking for an easy way to get a personal loan to boost your score? MoneyLion Plus members can get up to $500 in a low-interest personal loan with a few taps of a smartphone. Seventy percent of people who take out a credit builder loan with MoneyLion see their score rise. Get a MoneyLion membership if your credit profile needs a little more diversity.
Be Patient
You won’t see an increase in your credit score overnight, even if you’re doing everything perfectly. Creditors put more weight on accounts that you’ve had open for a long time because you’re less likely to abuse them. It’ll take some time to see our score start to rise if you’ve just gotten started on your credit-building journey. This is especially true if you’ve just opened a new loan or card to pump up your score.
It can take months or even years to achieve a perfect 850 credit score. Don’t get frustrated if you’re already on track with your payments and your utilization is low. Stick to the plan and keep at it and you’ll see your score go up over time.
Benefits of Credit Tracking with MoneyLion
Watching your credit score is crucial if you’re on a journey to raise your numbers. Sign up with a credit monitoring service to help you keep track of how your score changes and to help you prevent fraud.
MoneyLion offers a credit monitoring service for members. You can check your credit score without damaging it, access advice, and get alerts when a new item appears on your credit report. Get access to all of these features and much more by signing up for Credit Builder Plus, which is MoneyLion’s credit-building program that gives you access to a loan up to $1000. You’ll also get weekly credit score updates in the MoneyLion app.
Work Toward Better Credit
No matter whether you have a 760 credit score or are working to improve your opportunities by raising your score. Create a plan of action to conquer the credit formula today for a healthier financial future tomorrow.
Are you ready for a better credit score? Let MoneyLion be your guide. Download the MoneyLion app from the Google Play or Apple App store today to get started.
