Your credit score will list up to four reasons why your score is not currently higher. These reasons can be very useful in helping you determine how you might improve your score over time, and whether your credit report might contain errors.

 

If you already have a high score (for example, in the mid-700s or higher) some of the stated reasons for credit concerns may not be very helpful, as they may reference the factors that have the least impact on your score, such as: length of credit history, new credit and types of credit in use.

Here are the nine most common explanations:

1. Serious delinquency - You have one or more accounts with late payments
   
   
2. Serious delinquency, and public record of collection filed - you have one or more accounts that have gone to a collection agency
   
   
3. Time since delinquency is too recent or unknown - You have one or more accounts that are recently past due
   
   
4. Level of delinquency on accounts - Your accounts are 60 to 90 days or more past due
   
   
5. Number of accounts with delinquency - You have numerous past due accounts
   
   
6. Amount owed on accounts - You have too much debt
   
   
7. Proportion of balances to credit limits on revolving accounts is too high - the balance on your credit cards is too high
   
   
8. Length of time accounts have been established - your credit history is not long enough to show responsible credit management
   
   
9. Too many accounts with balances - concern over your debt load