People often wonder what my credit scores are, expecting them to be in the 800s.
Hardly. I use my credit way too much for that. 
Here are my credit scores from when I recently pulled them…
Equifax 764
Experian 793
TransUnion 793
Now these are pretty good scores. They definitely are high enough to get me whatever financing I look for. But here’s the interesting thing.
According to the credit bureaus… I only have grade “C” credit. Well, not all three bureaus. Equifax calls my score “excellent”
According to Experian I’m a Risk Grade C, Prime. My Credit rating ranks higher than 59.85% of US Consumers. Transunion says basically the same thing.
I don’t have a single derrogatory account on any of my credit reports. No judgments, liens, BKs, lates… nothing.
So I investigate further… why do they consider me a higher risk? Any why doesn’t the banker seem to feel the same way?
Well the number one reason in my credit report is that “the amount paid on your open real estate accounts is too low.” Okay, duh…I just bought a house. With a 30 year mortgage, there isn’t much of a dent you can put in the balance in 6 months.
Reason #2, “the amount paid on your installment accounts is too low”. Okay another duh… I just bought a car.
Reason #3 “The available credit on a revolving account is too low”. This makes sense too. I have a HELOC on a peice of real estate that I have maxed out because the interest rate is so low.
So, my final conclusion is that there’s nothing I can do to improve my credit scores right now. These are the scores you get when you use your credit actively.
After all, a good score without the borrowing power behind it is like a good SAT score when you have no intention to go to college. It’s just a bragging right.
I’m still baffled about why our banker recently practically did handsprings over our application if the scores are “C” grade credit… but I do have a guess. I suspect even “C” credit is exceptional for a business owner!
Despite this, lenders fall all over themselves when I apply for new credit. I get the best rates, I get the fastest yes.
4 Responses to “Donna Fox’s Credit Scores”
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Question: So if one regularly makes 3x the monthly payment due on each account, the FICO score will go up?
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Hi Terry,
I’m not sure where you got that from this particular article
However, yes, paying three times the monthly payment will make your credit score go up.
Whether it’s because it changes your debt useage ratio or some other reason, we don’t know.
[Reply]
So how do you find out the grade?
[Reply]
Dear Donna!May english not so good and I don’t confident
that I can all right understand,but I say only-”carry trade”
Sincerely.Sergey
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