How Often Does Your Credit Score Update?

Let’s start with what a credit score is and why it’s such an important part of your financial health. Your credit score is a three-digit number that shows lenders how responsible you are when you borrow money. Since a higher credit score could lead to loans and credit cards with low interest rates and more favorable terms, it’s a good idea to monitor your score often. So, how often do credit scores update? Let’s dive deeper into how and when credit scores change and what you can do to improve yours.

Why do credit scores change?

Credit scores are tied to credit reports, which change regularly to reflect your credit behaviors. As lenders, creditors, and other sources report new information to the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion), you can expect your credit scores to go up and down. Here are the top things that can lead to a higher or lower credit score:

• Credit card activity
• Late payments
• New credit inquiries
• Credit utilization
• Credit report errors
• Derogatory marks

It’s important to note that you will likely see differences in your credit score depending on where you access it. This is because there are multiple credit score models, such as FICO® Score and VantageScore®.² While both models range from 300 to 850 and prioritize factors like payment history and credit utilization, these factors are weighted differently.

When do credit scores update?

Three different credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Transunion) collect and maintain your credit information. Each credit bureau may have variations in its credit reporting timelines. On average, credit scores are updated at least once a month. However, your score may change more often if you’ve taken out different lines of credit. Let’s say you have a mortgage, car loan, personal loan, and credit card; the credit bureaus would receive more updates than if you only had one loan. And as a result, your credit score may change more frequently.³

It’s also important to note that each credit bureau may get info about your credit activity at different times throughout the month. So, your credit score might change depending on when you check it and which credit bureau your credit score service partners with. For example, this means that Experian may have information that TransUnion hasn’t received yet.

How long does it take for a credit score to update after repaying debt?

Every time you pay off debt, you may be tempted to rush and check your credit score to see if it has improved. Before you can see a positive change in your score, however, the lender will need to inform the credit reporting agencies of your new balance. Once there’s a new balance on your credit reports, you may notice a higher credit score.

Remember that if you have multiple credit accounts, your information will be added and changed regularly. For your credit score to improve and stay in good shape, all your accounts must be healthy. If you repay one account but miss many payments on another account, you may counteract your hard work.⁴

How to check your credit score for free

You can check your credit score for free by visiting a credit scoring website that offers free credit score access, such as Credit Karma, or through your bank, credit union, lender or credit card issuer. If you’re a OneMain customer, you can get free access to your VantageScore® credit score, which is updated monthly.

Additionally, AnnualCreditReport.com allows you to request a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once every 12 months. While this report does not include your credit score, it provides detailed information that influences your score. The credit bureaus are required to provide this as a fraud detection tool to help spot any identity theft or unauthorized accounts being open by fraudsters.

How to improve your credit score

Here are some tips that can help you boost your credit score so you might qualify for loans and credit cards with terms that fit your budget.⁵

• Pay your bills on time: Make every effort to pay your bills, including your mortgage, car loans, credit cards, and student loans on time, every time. You might want to enroll in autopay or set up calendar reminders to help you do so.

• Lower your credit utilization: Credit utilization shows how much of your available credit you actually use. To calculate your credit utilization ratio, add up all your balances, divide them by your total credit limits, and multiply by 100. Do your best to keep it below 30%.

• Dispute credit errors: Review your credit report regularly and if you find any errors, dispute them with the appropriate bureau.

• Limit new credit inquiries: When you open new credit accounts and lenders perform hard inquiries, your credit score will temporarily go down by about five points for a year or so. Consider only opening new accounts if you absolutely have to.

Keep tabs on your credit scores

Your credit scores play an important role in your finances and future goals. By understanding how often they are updated and checking them regularly, you can help avoid unwanted financial surprises—which could open the doors to loans and credit cards with better terms and lower rates further down the road.

Sources:

1,2,3 Constantly Checking Your Credit Score? Here's How Often It Updates. CNBC
4 How Often Do Credit Scores and Reports Update? TransUnion
5 Understand, Get, and Improve Your Credit Score USA.gov