Credit Score

What your FICO and VantageScore numbers really mean, what moves them, and how to fix a score that is holding you back.

What credit score do you need for a mortgage? There is no universal minimum credit score for a mortgage. Score bands change your pricing more than your approval, and the gains concentrate in the middle of the range. Teja Pagidimarri · August 5, 2026 · 5 min read

How long negative items stay on your credit report Most negative credit information can be reported for seven years and bankruptcies for ten, per the CFPB. Here is when the clock starts and why the effect fades earlier. Teja Pagidimarri · August 4, 2026 · 5 min read

Hard vs soft credit inquiries, and the rate-shopping window Hard inquiries stay two years but affect FICO Scores for one. Rate shopping inside a 14 to 45 day window counts as a single inquiry. Here is how to use that. Teja Pagidimarri · August 4, 2026 · 5 min read

What actually moves your FICO score, ranked by weight FICO publishes the weight of each scoring factor: payment history 35%, amounts owed 30%, and three smaller ones. Here is what each covers and where your effort actually pays. Teja Pagidimarri · August 4, 2026 · 6 min read

How to get your free credit reports, the official way AnnualCreditReport.com is the only federally authorized source for free credit reports from all three bureaus. Here is what you get and exactly what to check. Teja Pagidimarri · August 4, 2026 · 6 min read

The 30% credit utilization rule is not a real threshold There is no scoring cliff at 30% utilization. Lower is better throughout, and when your balance is reported matters more than the percentage you target. Teja Pagidimarri · August 4, 2026 · 6 min read