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Here’s the truth: A perfect 850 credit score doesn’t get you much that an “excellent” credit score doesn’t already. Either one can get you access to the best credit cards, loan offers, and more.
But if you’re looking to take your score from good to great, it doesn’t hurt to learn from those with the absolute highest scores out there. Plus, why not strive for perfection?
Here are three things people with a perfect 850 credit score never do.
1. Miss a payment
Payment history makes up 35% of your FICO® Score. That means even one reported missed payment can mean a serious hit to your score.
It’s no wonder basically everyone with a perfect 850 makes payments on time, every time. That doesn’t just mean credit cards, either. FICO also factors in things like your mortgage and utility bills.
One thing working in your favor: Most lenders don’t report a late payment to the credit bureaus until it’s 30 days past due. If you only pay a few days late, it may never show up on your credit report.
Still, that’s a dangerous game to play. Consider the following to make sure you’re always paying on time:
- Set up payment reminders and calendar alerts for your next due date.
- Use autopay to make sure you don’t miss a payment. With most issuers, you can set up autopay to cover your current balance, a minimum payment, or some other amount.
- Move your payment dates so they’re aligned across every card and issuer. That way you can turn, say, the 22nd of every month into credit card payment day.
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2. Close a credit card
Another factor in your FICO® Score: “Length of credit history,” which makes up 15% of your score. That includes things like:
- Average age of your accounts
- Age of your oldest and newest account
- How long it’s been since you used certain accounts
People with perfect scores often have cards they’ve used, or at least kept open, for decades. And it’s not because they’re overly sentimental — they know it’s helping keep their score high.
Keeping super-old cards in your rotation isn’t a must for a high credit score. But if you’re aiming for perfection, it’s worth thinking about.
3. Own just 1 or 2 cards
If you only have one or two credit cards, it’s going to be hard to snag a perfect FICO® Score for a few different reasons.
First, more cards make it easier to keep your “credit utilization” low. For example, having a $1,500 balance with $50,000 in total credit looks better than carrying that same balance on a single card with a $5,000 limit. Credit utilization is an important part of “amounts owed,” which accounts for 30% of your FICO® Score.
Multiple accounts can also improve your “credit mix.” Lenders like to see that you can manage several lines of credit at once. Again, that’s not limited to just credit cards — if you’re responsibly handling a mortgage or loan, that can boost your score, too.
That said, people with perfect scores don’t open cards or take out a loan just to up their numbers. They open new accounts slowly, keep old ones active, and avoid carrying balances.
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