Credit Score Simulator
Enter your payment history, balances, account age and recent activity to see an estimated score range and the rough effect of common credit decisions. The math runs in your browser and the tool never sees your credit reports; we record only coarse, anonymous usage such as the estimated score band, never the amounts you enter.
Estimated score range
An educational estimate, not your FICO or VantageScore. Real scores can fall outside this range.
Midpoint about 720. Typical bands: Poor under 580, Fair 580–669, Good 670–739, Very Good 740–799, Exceptional 800+.
What is helping and what is holding you back
Each bar is how close that factor is to ideal. “Costs” is a rough number of points versus a perfect version of that one factor.
- Payment history (35% of the model)100%
Near ideal.
- Amounts owed (utilization) (30% of the model)77%
Costs roughly 50 points versus ideal.
- Length of credit history (15% of the model)69%
Costs roughly 35 points versus ideal.
- Credit mix (10% of the model)81%
Costs roughly 15 points versus ideal.
- New credit (10% of the model)90%
Costs roughly 10 points versus ideal.
Biggest opportunity in this model: amounts owed (utilization).
What if…
Each scenario changes only that one thing in your profile above and re-runs the same model. Effects are shown as a range because the model is approximate, and they are not simply additive.
Pay down $1,000 of card balances
about +33roughly +21 to +45 points
Utilization goes from 30% to 20%. Amounts owed is the second-biggest factor, so this is usually the fastest legitimate lever; the effect appears once the lower balance is reported.
Open a new card with a $5,000 limit
about +9roughly +5 to +13 points
One hard inquiry and a new account (average age drops to 4.8 years) cost points short-term, while the extra limit lowers utilization to 20%. The net result depends on your file.
Add one hard inquiry (e.g. applying and being declined)
about −6roughly −10 to −2 points
A single inquiry usually has a small effect and stops counting toward most scores after about a year.
Miss a payment by 30 days
about −68roughly −92 to −44 points
Payment history is the largest factor. A 30-day late payment is reported to the bureaus and can stay on your report for up to seven years, although its impact fades over time.
Close a card with a $3,000 limit
about −33roughly −45 to −21 points
You lose that limit immediately, so utilization rises to 43%. The card's history normally stays on your report for years, so the age effect is delayed and is not counted here.
Get a $2,000 credit limit increase
about +15roughly +10 to +20 points
More limit with the same balance lowers utilization to 25%. If the issuer runs a hard inquiry for the increase, subtract a little for that.
Wait 12 months with no new activity and on-time payments
about +19roughly +12 to +26 points
Your average account age rises to about 7.0 years and recent inquiries and new accounts fall out of the 12-month window. Time is the one lever that costs nothing.
This tool is an educational estimator built from publicly described scoring factors. It does not use your credit reports, is not FICO or VantageScore, and cannot predict your actual score or any lender's decision. For your real scores, check your card issuers, your bank, or the free reports and scores offered by the credit bureaus. Not financial advice.
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How this works
The simulator is a simple, transparent model, not a copy of any bureau's formula. It scores five factors from 0 to 100%, blends them using the category weights FICO has publicly described, and converts the blend to a 300–850 range with a fixed calibration table. Nothing is fitted to real bureau data, which is why it reports ranges.
| Factor | Weight | How it is scored here |
|---|---|---|
| Payment history | 35% | Starts perfect and loses points for each payment 30+ days late. A later-reported, more severe, or more recent late costs more; old lates fade over about seven years. |
| Amounts owed (utilization) | 30% | Total card balances divided by total limits. Flat and best at or under about 9%, then falling through roughly 30%, 50% and 75%; over 100% is worst. |
| Length of credit history | 15% | Average age of your accounts. Rises steadily from under a year to about 20 years, where it levels off. |
| Credit mix | 10% | Rewards having several cards (up to four) and at least one installment loan, up to six accounts in total. |
| New credit | 10% | Each hard inquiry and each account opened in the last 12 months lowers this factor. It recovers as they age past the window. |
What it leaves out
- Collections, charge-offs, bankruptcies and public records.
- Utilization on each individual card (only your overall utilization is used).
- Which scoring model and version a lender actually uses.
- The fact that, in practice, the same mistake usually costs more points on a higher score.
- Anything specific to your credit reports. Errors or accounts you do not recognize will not show up here.
See our methodology page for how we handle data and editorial standards across the site.
Frequently asked questions
Is this my real credit score?
No. It is an educational estimator. It does not use your credit reports and it is not FICO or VantageScore, so it cannot tell you your actual score. For real scores, check your card issuers, your bank, or the free reports and scores the credit bureaus offer.
Why does it show a range instead of one number?
Because the model is a simplified heuristic. Real scoring models use details this tool does not have, so a single exact number would imply precision that does not exist. The range gets wider when your file is thin or includes late payments.
Which factors matter most for a credit score?
FICO publishes approximate category weights: payment history about 35%, amounts owed about 30%, length of credit history about 15%, credit mix about 10% and new credit about 10%. The exact effect varies from person to person, and VantageScore weights factors differently.
Does checking my own credit hurt my score?
No. Checking your own credit is a soft inquiry and does not affect your scores. Hard inquiries happen when you apply for new credit and can have a small, temporary effect.
How long do late payments stay on my credit report?
A late payment can stay on your credit report for up to seven years. Its effect on your score generally fades as it gets older, which is why the estimator counts a recent late payment as more damaging than an old one.
Will closing a credit card hurt my score?
It can. Closing a card removes its credit limit, which can raise your utilization right away. A closed account in good standing normally stays on your report for years, so the effect on account age is usually delayed. This tool models only the immediate utilization effect.
How accurate is this simulator?
We have not measured its accuracy against real bureau scores, so we do not claim an accuracy figure. It is meant to show the direction and relative size of effects, not to predict a number. Treat every output as a rough estimate.