An 800 credit score is firmly in the excellent range of scores. Lenders use your credit score to decide if you qualify for financial products like credit cards and loans and to set your interest rate.
Only 24% of Americans had a score of 800 and above as of April 2023, according to credit scoring company FICO.
Here’s how your 800 credit score can affect your financial life.
You can get the best rates on credit cards and loans
With an 800 credit score, you can breathe easy — you will typically qualify for most financial products and get among the very best rates.
That may not be the case if you are relatively new to credit, however, because lenders look for more than a high score. The length of time you've had credit and how much debt you carry relative to your income also is considered.
You already practice excellent credit habits, but the following tips will help you preserve your score. And they'll be of interest if you like the challenge of going for 850, the top score on non-specialty credit scores.
Set up automatic payments. A single late payment can shave as much as 100 points off your credit score. If you don't have automatic payments, consider setting them up to avoid the risk of missing a payment and tanking your score.
Watch credit utilization. It's better for your score to use less of your credit limits. You can make multiple payments throughout a single billing cycle to keep utilization consistently low.
FICO says scores of 580 to 669 are considered "fair" and 740 to 799 are considered "very good." Anything at 800 or above is considered "exceptional." NerdWallet's credit score bands, used for general guidance, are pictured above.
Your 800 FICO® Score falls in the range of scores, from 800 to 850, that is categorized as Exceptional. Your FICO® Score is well above the average credit score, and you are likely to receive easy approvals when applying for new credit. 21% of all consumers have FICO® Scores in the Exceptional range.
This is because only 1% of these individuals will become delinquent on their loans in the future. While credit scores of 800 or above are labeled “exceptional,” a score of 750 will likely get you some of the best rates available for auto loans and mortgages.
Twenty-three percent of Americans have a credit score between 800 and 850, considered "exceptional" by FICO. A credit score at the top of that range -- 850 -- is considered a perfect score. Twenty-four percent have a FICO® Score between 750 and 799, making the "very good" bracket.
A 750 FICO® Score is above the average credit score. Borrowers with scores in the Very Good range typically qualify for lenders' better interest rates and product offers. 25% of all consumers have FICO® Scores in the Very Good range.
While older models of credit scores used to go as high as 900, you can no longer achieve a 900 credit score. The highest score you can receive today is 850. Anything above 800 is considered an excellent credit score.
It's recommended you have a credit score of 620 or higher when you apply for a conventional loan. If your score is below 620, lenders either won't be able to approve your loan or may be required to offer you a higher interest rate, which can result in higher monthly mortgage payments.
Here's the average credit score by generation as of March 2024, per VantageScore CreditGauge data shared with CNBC Make It: Gen Z (18 to 27): 665. Millennials (28 to 43): 687. Gen X (44 to 59): 710.
As someone with a 650 credit score, you are firmly in the “fair” territory of credit. You can usually qualify for financial products like a mortgage or car loan, but you will likely pay higher interest rates than someone with a better credit score. The "good" credit range starts at 690.
The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024. Credit scores, which are like a grade for your borrowing history, fall in the range of 300 to 850.
A perfect FICO credit score is 850, but experts tell CNBC Select you don't need to hit that target to qualify for the best credit cards, loans or interest rates.
Consumers with 800+ credit scores have an average of 8.3 open accounts. High credit score consumers have an average of 8.3 open accounts — similar to the 7.9 we found in 2021. By generation, Gen Xers now have the most active accounts, with an average of 8.6 open accounts.
A score of 850 can only be achieved with 10+ years of credit, excellent on-time payment history, low credit utilization, and no recent hard inquiries, which is a tall ask.
However, with a 735 credit score, you should qualify for rates on-par with national averages. Also, even though your score qualifies you for a mortgage, it's important to know that the lower your score is, the stronger the rest of your qualifications are generally expected to be.
It's exceedingly rare for anyone to have a credit score over 900, as most credit scoring models have a maximum limit of 850, and even achieving that score is uncommon.
According to a report from Experian®, the average FICO credit score in America was 714 in 2022. So 600 falls below that national average. On the VantageScore range, the company says 600 scores are considered poor.
You don't need a score as high as 800 to buy a home (though it certainly helps). Some types of loans have no minimum credit score requirements, and FHA loans can be had with a score as low as 500 for qualified borrowers.
As of the third quarter of 2023, 1.54% of U.S. consumers had a FICO Score of 850, according to Experian data. Some notable traits of consumers with a perfect credit score include an above average number of credit cards, lower credit utilization rate and lower than average total debt.
Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
