How Often Do Credit Scores Update?
Generally, your credit scores and credit reports update once a month, though it can depend on when creditors choose to report information. Since your credit score is based on the activity on your credit report, the two are interconnected and change frequently.
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How often do credit scores update?
Credit scores typically update once a month. Your credit score is calculated based on the activity in your credit report, which is reported to the credit bureaus by lenders and other creditors.
The most common credit-scoring models are FICO Scores and VantageScores. FICO Scores are used most frequently, though VantageScore is also important to track because it is used by over 2,600 financial institutions.
The score you receive will depend on a few factors:
- Which credit-scoring model is used: While FICO and VantageScore consider similar factors, each element’s impact to your score is weighed differently.
- Which credit bureau is used: Many creditors don’t report to all three credit bureaus, so information can vary from report to report.
- The type of credit: While the credit score range for both FICO Score and VantageScore is 300 to 850, other scoring models use different figures. For instance, the FICO Auto Score range goes from 250 to 900, commonly used among auto lenders.
How often do credit reports update?
Typically, credit reports update once a month, though it may be more like 45 days depending on when creditors provide information.
Lenders that report to the major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — generally report activities once a month. This is happening throughout the month, however, so your credit score is continually changing.
However, lenders don’t have to report your activity to all three credit bureaus, or even at all. So, a credit event that shows up on one credit report may not show up on another. As a result, your credit score can vary based on the credit report analyzed.
Where to find your credit scores for free
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have the right to view your credit score. You can receive your free credit score from LendingTree by signing up for a free account. Here are a few other places where you can find your free scores:
FICO Score
- American Express credit card customers
- Bank of America credit card customers
- Citibank credit card customers
- Credit Close-Up for Wells Fargo customers
- Discover credit card customers
- Experian
VantageScore
- American Express MyCredit Guide
- Chase Credit Journey (open to everyone)
- CreditWise from CapitalOne (open to everyone)
Where to find your credit reports for free
Along with your credit score, you also have the right to access your credit reports. The best way to view your reports from all three bureaus is through AnnualCreditReport.com. Additionally, you can find your credit reports at no cost to you, here:
- Equifax
- Experian
- CreditWise from Capital One
- TransUnion
Note: Through the end of 2023, your free credit reports are available once a week from AnnualCreditReport.com.What is rapid rescoring?
Similar to hitting “refresh” on a website, rapid rescoring is the process of getting your credit report updated more quickly than normal to potentially give your credit score a boost. This is most commonly associated with mortgage loans.
A mortgage lender may request rapid rescoring to improve your loan eligibility; they may even pay a fee to the credit reporting agency to have the service done.
Rapid rescoring can’t fix negative information on your credit report. It won’t raise your credit score unless there’s positive activity waiting to be reported or an error waiting to be removed.
If you recently disputed and removed a credit report error, a rapid rescore may adjust your score within 48 to 72 hours.
Is rapid rescoring right for you?
If you’re planning to take out a loan but are waiting for an error to be fixed or positive activity to show up on your credit report to increase your eligibility, rapid rescoring may be a good option for you.
However, if you have recently missed a payment or closed out a line of credit, requesting a rapid rescore could end up lowering your credit score. In that case, rapid rescoring may not be the best choice.
If you’re trying to improve your credit, remember that it won’t happen overnight. As always, the best bet is to practice good credit habits — paying on time and keeping your balances low — so you don’t have to worry about your credit when you need it.
Frequently asked questions
If you find an error on your credit report, you can submit a dispute to the reporting credit agency. This process is free and the investigation generally takes anywhere from 30 to 45 days.
Your payment history and the amount of debt you have are the biggest determining factors when it comes to your credit score. Your payment history makes up 35% of your credit score, while amounts owed make up 30%. Therefore, paying your bills on time and cutting down on your debt can have the biggest impact on improving your credit score.
In a given month, your credit score can go up as much as 100 points in 30 days, depending on the strategies you use and what your current credit score is. These strategies can include cutting down on your debt, requesting a credit limit increase, asking for late payment forgiveness and disputing errors on your credit reports.