Five Factors that Decide Your Credit Score

Scores range between 200 and 800. Scores above 620 are considered desirable for obtaining a mortgage. These factors will affect your score:

1. Your Payment History - Whether you paid credit card obligations on time.
2. How Much You Owe - Owing a great deal of money on numerous accounts can indicate that you are over extended.
3. The Length of Your Credit History - In general the longer the better.
4. How Much New Credit You Have - New credit, either installment payments or new credit cards, are considered more risky, even if you pay promptly.
5. The Types of Credit You Use - Generally, it's desirable to have more than one type of credit-installment loans, credit cards, and a mortgage, for example.

For more on evaluating and understanding your credit score, go to MyFico.com.