r/RealRandomNobody • u/RealRandomNobody • Dec 09 '24
Credit Myth Busters - Credit Myths by /u/BrutalBodyShots
Credit Myth #1 - You only have one credit score.
Credit Myth #2 - Some credit scores are fake or inaccurate.
Credit Myth #3 - Paying down debt slowly over time builds credit.
Credit Myth #4 - Credit scores can change for no reason.
Credit Myth #5 - Credit monitoring services can tell you why your score changed.
Credit Myth #6 - Making multiple payments per month builds credit.
Credit Myth #7 - Number or percentage of on-time payments impacts your score.
Credit Myth #8 - When you close an account you lose its credit history.
Credit Myth #9 - Average Age of Accounts (AAoA) only considers open accounts.
Credit Myth #10 - Closing a credit card hurts your credit.
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Credit Myth #11 - Closing a loan will tank your credit.
Credit Myth #12 - You are approved or denied credit because of your credit score.
Credit Myth #13 - Any credit score above 750 is just bragging rights.
Credit Myth #14 - You shouldn't use more than 30% of your credit limit(s).
Credit Myth #15 - Credit limits are a Fico scoring factor.
Credit Myth #16 - Hard inquiries "age" and become less impactful slowly over time.
Credit Myth #18 - Revolving Utilization makes up 30% of your Fico score.
Credit Myth #19 - Goodwill requests don't work.
Credit Myth #20 - Checking your own credit can hurt your score.
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Credit Myth #21 - Remarks/comments on your credit report can impact a credit score.
Credit Myth #22 - You can have a credit score of 0.
Credit Myth #23 - The best approach to credit repair is "dispute everything!"
Credit Myth #24 - Credit bureaus only provide factual information.
Credit Myth #25 - Fico scores and credit knowledge are directly related.
Credit Myth #26 - Those in the [credit] business only give good advice.
Credit Myth #27 - The amount you spend is a Fico scoring factor.
Credit Myth #28 - Credit scoring simulators are always accurate.
Credit Myth #29 - Approval odds for credit cards online are accurate.
Credit Myth #30 - Income and/or DTI are Fico scoring factors.
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Credit Myth #31 - CreditRepair Companies can do things you can't do yourself.
Credit Myth #32 - Higher utilization always means higher risk.
Credit Myth #33 - A creditor must tell you the reason they denied you credit.
Credit Myth #34 - Removing a negative item from your reports will result in a score gain.
Credit Myth #35 - Your Fico score will drop if you pay off a credit card.
Credit Myth #36 - The more accounts you have, the better your Credit Mix.
Credit Myth #37 - Low utilization improves CLI chances.
Credit Myth #38 - Paying off loans or cards faster builds credit.
Credit Myth #39 - Credit cycling will get you shut down.
Credit Myth #40 - If you open a new card, your score will recover in 3-6 months.
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Credit Myth #41 - If you pay off a collection your score will increase.
Credit Myth #43 - Credit scores are a debt score!
Credit Myth #44 - Personal loans or in-store financing will help / can't hurt your credit.
Credit Myth #45 - There are certain times during the month you shouldn't use your credit card.
Credit Myth #46 - Lenders "see" more with a hard inquiry (HP) than a soft inquiry (SP).
Credit Myth #47 - A hard inquiry is worth a few points.
Credit Myth #48 - Experian, TransUnion and Equifax are credit scores.
Credit Myth #49 - The best way to rebuild credit is to open new accounts.
Credit Myth #50 - "Experian Boost" can help improve your credit.
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Credit Myth #51 - A Credit Lock is better than a Credit Freeze.
Credit Myth #52 - "Pay in full" means to pay your current balance to $0.
Credit Myth #53 - You shouldn't open any accounts in the 12 months leading up to a mortgage.
Credit Myth #54 - Carrying a small balance builds credit.
Credit Myth #55 - A credit account can be closed for no reason.
Credit Myth #56 - VantageScore is a good predictor of a FICO score.
Credit Myth #57 - It's illegal for lender to change a negative reporting.
Credit Myth #58 - Outside lenders have no idea how much you pay toward your accounts monthly.
Credit Myth #59 - You should never close your oldest credit card.
Credit Myth #61 - Age of accounts metrics go by number of calendar days.
Credit Myth #62 - There are days during the month that you shouldn't use a credit card.
Credit Myth #63 - A product change means a new account.
Credit Myth #64 - Credit scores are a scam!
Credit Myth #65 - If your score drops following a loan closure, it'll bounce back quickly.
Credit Myth #66 - FICO scoring is a "black box" and no one really knows how it works.
Credit Myth #67 - There's never any downside to keeping an old unused credit card open.
Credit Myth #68 - The best place to get your credit reports are from the credit bureau's websites.
Credit Myth #69 - Credit "ratings" provided by a CMS matter.
Credit Myth #70 - Authorized user accounts are a great way to build credit.
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Credit Myth #71 - The dollar amount associated with a late payment impacts FICO scoring.
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