Building credit safely (and what NOT to do)
Your credit score follows you for decades. The good news: building it is mostly boring habits.
FICO score weights
- •35% — Payment history (pay everything on time, every time)
- •30% — Credit utilization (keep balances under 30% of limits)
- •15% — Length of credit history (don't close old cards)
- •10% — New credit / hard inquiries
- •10% — Credit mix
80–100 pts
Score drop from one 30-day-late
A single 30-day late payment can wreck your score for 2 years. Autopay the minimum on EVERYTHING.
What NOT to do
- •Don't CLOSE your oldest credit card — it shortens your history overnight.
- •Don't MAX out a card 'just for points' — utilization hurts even if you pay in full.
- •Don't CO-SIGN for a friend you wouldn't lend cash to — their late payment is yours.
- •Don't OPEN 5 store cards in one weekend — each is a hard pull.
- •Don't BELIEVE 'credit repair' companies — they charge for things you can do free.
Income, savings, and your job aren't in your FICO. It's almost entirely about whether you pay on time and don't max things out.
Real life: meet Two cards, one never-close rule
After college Casey wanted to close their first credit card (the embarrassing one with a $500 limit). They kept it open with $0 balance. 6 years later it's their oldest tradeline, anchoring their credit history at 760+.
Oldest card kept · 6 years history · 760+ score
Takeaway
Pay everything on time. Keep balances low. Don't close old cards. Check your free reports yearly at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Which of these will likely DROP your FICO score the most?
Takeaway: FICO is mostly about boring on-time habits, not income or job.
Try together: Pull the learner's free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com together. Look for any account they didn't recognize.