How often is my credit score updated?

If you’ve been taking steps recently to improve your credit score, good for you! You may be wondering how often your credit score updates. How soon can you expect to see the results of your hard work?

Before your credit score can reflect these positive changes, your creditors have to report your credit activity to the credit bureaus. Most creditors send information to the credit bureaus once every 30 to 45 days.

This means that, once you factor in the time it takes for the bureau to incorporate the new information, it can take up to 60 to 90 days before you start to see changes from recent activity. But don’t be discouraged; as long you continue to make payments on time and handle your debt responsibly, your credit score should improve soon. Read on to learn more about how credit score updating works.

Here’s what we’re going to cover:

• How often is your credit score updated?
• How often do credit bureaus update their reports?
• How fast does your credit score change?
• What is rapid rescoring?
• Tips for raising your credit score
• How to view your credit score
• Oportun: Affordable financing, no credit history required

How often is your credit score updated?

Many people think their credit score is a fixed number. But your credit score is actually recalculated regularly.

Your credit score is based on the information in your credit reports at the time of calculation. This means that as the information in your credit report changes, your credit score may change as well. Positive changes to your credit activity must be listed in your credit reports before they can help your credit score.

How often do credit bureaus update their reports?

The three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, all create credit reports based on the information they receive from your creditors. Your credit report from each of these credit bureaus may look a little different, because each bureau may receive slightly different information.

Some creditors report your credit activity to only one or two of the credit bureaus, rather than all three. Others report your credit activity to all three credit bureaus, but may report at different times during the month. And some alternative lenders may not report to any bureaus! This means your credit reports may get updated at different times or not at all.

If you want to know when the most recent information was updated in your report, look for the “Date Updated” line in each credit report.

How fast does your credit score change?

How soon will your credit score change depends on several factors.

Number of open accounts

If you have several open credit accounts, your credit score may change multiple times during the month as the credit bureaus receive new information. It may even change daily.

If you have only one credit account, your credit score may be updated less frequently.

Length of credit history

How quickly improved credit habits affect your score is impacted by the amount of information in your credit report.

Your credit score takes into account your total credit activity over the past seven years. If you have a long history of poor credit, it may take more time for your credit score to improve. If you’ve only been using credit for a short time, your credit score may get updated faster.

Types of changes

Big changes in credit activity usually bring faster results. If you pay down a large credit card balance, for example, it can dramatically lower your credit utilization ratio and quickly impact your credit score.

Another major change is the disappearance of a derogatory mark from your credit report. You can get derogatory marks from late payments, bankruptcies, foreclosures, and repossessions.

These negative marks bring down your credit score, but usually disappear from your credit reports after seven years (bankruptcies can stay on for up to 10 years). Once this period is up, you should see an improvement in your credit score.

Smaller changes in credit habits can also increase your credit score, but more slowly.

What is rapid rescoring?

If you plan to apply for a mortgage soon, your mortgage lender may request that new payment information be added to your credit reports. This is called rapid rescoring and is a method of getting faster credit score results.

Unfortunately, you can’t request rapid rescoring for yourself. Your mortgage lender must make the request—and you may have to pay a fee for it. But if you’ve recently made big changes to your credit activity and you’re eager to qualify for a mortgage, it’s worth considering.

Tips for raising your credit score

Depending on what your credit score is to start with, it can take anywhere from months to years to raise it as high as you would like. Don’t be discouraged; building a positive credit history now can benefit you for years to come.

What’s the best way to raise your credit score? Here are some general guidelines that may help:

• Make all your debt payments in full by the due date
• Maintain a credit utilization ratio of 30 percent or less
• Consider keeping older credit accounts open to show an established history
• Apply for new credit only when you really need it
• Use a mix of credit cards and loans

All these factors go into your credit score, so by paying attention to them you may gradually improve it.

How to view your credit score

As you continue to work on raising your credit score, you’ll probably want to check your progress from time to time.

You can request a free copy of your credit reports once a year at AnnualCreditReport.com. Your credit reports do not usually contain your credit score, but your creditor may allow you to view your credit score for free. Check your credit card, loan, or even bank statement to see if this service is available to you.

It’s also possible to view your credit score directly through the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). You may have to pay a fee or sign up for an account to access this service.

Oportun: Affordable lending options designed with you in mind

Now that you understand how often your credit score updates, you can learn about how Oportun may be able to help you if you’re looking for affordable credit options. Visit our homepage to learn about:

1. Personal loans
2. Credit cards
3. Secured personal loans
4. And more!

Sources

Experian. Why does my credit score change so often?

Experian. What “derogatory” means in a credit report

Bankrate. When does debt fall off your credit report?

Experian. What Is a rapid rescore? Is it something I should consider?

TransUnion. How long does it take for a credit report to update?

CNBC. Here’s how long it takes to improve your credit score

The information in this site, including any third-party content and opinions, is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any Oportun product or service to your unique circumstances. Contact your independent financial advisor for advice on your personal situation.


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