Skip to main content
SECU Logo
Contact Us
Find a Branch and ATM
Rates & Fees
Lending Rates
Share & Deposit Account Rates
Account & Lending Fees
FAQs
Routing Number: 253177049
Financial Education

Understanding your FICO® Score

Woman loving on her dog

A FICO Score is the most common credit score used by lenders to make decisions about your credit worthiness when applying for a loan. Most scores range from 300 to 850. The higher your score, the better. A lower score can impact your ability to obtain new credit. Learn more about how a FICO Score is determined.

What is a FICO Score?

A FICO Score is the most common credit score used by lenders to make decisions about your credit worthiness when applying for a loan. Most scores range from 300 to 850. The higher your score, the better. A lower score can impact your ability to obtain new credit.

FICO Scores assess five main areas of your credit report:

Payment history (35% of score)Do you make your payments on time? Late or missed payments, collection items and bankruptcy filings can lower your score.
Amount owed compared to credit limits (30%) Having a lot of debt may not necessarily lower your score; however, carrying high balances (e.g., maxing out your available credit lines) can lower your score.
Length of credit history (15%)Generally, the longer you have had credit history, the better your score. FICO Scores consider the age of your oldest and newest accounts and the average age of your accounts overall.
New credit accounts and inquiries (10%)Frequent credit inquiries or opening a lot of new accounts in a short period of time can lower your score. 
Credit mix (10%)Having a balanced mix of installment loans (e.g., car or mortgage loans) and revolving credit lines (e.g., credit cards or home equity lines of credit) can help increase your score.

View your score in Member Access

If you have an active lending relationship with us, you can view your FICO Score in Member Access from any device. Viewing your FICO Score does not impact your credit score. While your FICO Score can change daily, we obtain the score from Equifax and update the score in Member Access on a monthly basis.1

To learn more about FICO Scores, review the FICO® Score FAQs and Understanding Your FICO® Score.

Receive a free credit report

Obtain a free copy of your credit report once a year from all three credit bureaus.

Related resources

  • man signing documents in home

    article

    Five Proven Ways to Rebuild Credit

    Learn how to get your financial future back on track with these proven credit-building strategies.
    Read article
  • woman with curly hair using laptop

    article

    Guide to Credit Reports

    Understanding your credit report is a key part of financial planning. Learn your rights and how to fix errors with our credit report guide.
    Read article
View all learning resources

This material is provided by FICO. Information provided may not reflect the view of your Credit Union. FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and other countries.

  1. The FICO Score service does not impact your credit score.