What actually moves your credit score (and what doesn't)
Payment history is 35% of your FICO. Income isn't a direct factor at all.
Last reviewed: · Reviewed by the Money Scale editorial team
35% / 30%
Payment history / utilization
Together they explain 65% of your FICO score.
Full FICO weighting
- •35% Payment history
- •30% Credit utilization
- •15% Length of credit history
- •10% New credit / hard inquiries
- •10% Credit mix
The fastest single move: pay every bill ON TIME, every time. Set autopay for at least the minimum on everything. One 30-day-late payment can drop your score 80–100 points.
If you have a $10K credit limit, keep your statement balance under $3,000 (30%). For top-tier scores, aim for under 10%. You can pay down the card BEFORE the statement closes to lower reported utilization.
Don't close old cards if you don't have to — length of credit history matters. Income, employer, and savings balance are NOT in your FICO at all.
Takeaway
Autopay the minimum on every account, then attack the highest-APR balance. Check your free reports yearly at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Which factor is NOT in your FICO score?