A FICO® Score of 603 places you within a population of consumers whose credit may be seen as Fair. Your 603 FICO® Score is lower than the average U.S. credit score. Statistically speaking, 28% of consumers with credit scores in the Fair range are likely to become seriously delinquent in the future.
In order to get approved with a 603 credit score, expect to have strong “compensating factors”, such as conservative use of credit, 2 months mortgage payments in cash reserves (savings), a low debt-to-income ratio, and/or long job history.
You should be able to get approved for a credit card with a 603 credit score—you'll just probably be given an interest rate around 20 percent. If you can't seem to get approved for a traditional unsecured credit card, you can opt for a secured credit card instead.
FICO says scores between 580 and 669 are considered "fair" and those between 740 and 799 are considered "very good." Anything above 800 is considered "exceptional." According to FICO, the average credit score in 2021 was 716, which falls in the good range.
Poor Credit Scores From VantageScore
The company says a credit score is poor if it's between 500 and 600, while a score from 300 to 499 is called very poor. “In general, people with higher scores can get more credit at better rates,” VantageScore says.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 580 to 669, considered Fair. A 600 FICO® Score is below the average credit score. Some lenders see consumers with scores in the Fair range as having unfavorable credit, and may decline their credit applications.
The average consumer saw their FICO Score 8 increase by 12 points using Experian Boost, according to Experian. When it comes to getting your rent reported, some RentReporters customers have seen their credit scores improve by 35 to 50 points in as few as 10 days, according to the company.
FICO credit scores, the industry standard for sizing up credit risk, range from 300 to a perfect 850—with 670 to 739 labeled “good,” 740-799 “very good” and 800 to 850 “exceptional.” A 700 score places you right in the middle of the good range, but still slightly below the average credit score of 711.
There is no set credit score you need to get an auto loan. If you have a credit score above 660, you will likely qualify for an auto loan at a rate below 10% APR. If you have bad credit or no credit, you could still qualify for a car loan, but you should expect to pay more.
You will likely need a credit score of at least 580 for a $3,000 personal loan. Most lenders that offer personal loans of $3,000 or more require bad credit or better for approval, along with enough income to afford the monthly payments.
You will likely need a credit score of 640 or higher to get approved for a $10,000 personal loan. Most lenders that offer personal loans of $10,000 or more require fair credit or better for approval, along with enough income to afford the monthly payments.
It usually takes about three months to bounce back after a credit card has been maxed out or you close an unused credit card account. If you make a single mortgage payment 30 to 90 days late, your score can start to recover after about 9 months.
It's Best to Pay Your Credit Card Balance in Full Each Month
Leaving a balance will not help your credit scores—it will just cost you money in the form of interest. Carrying a high balance on your credit cards has a negative impact on scores because it increases your credit utilization ratio.
The credit scores and reports you see on Credit Karma should accurately reflect your credit information as reported by those bureaus. This means a couple of things: The scores we provide are actual credit scores pulled from two of the major consumer credit bureaus, not just estimates of your credit rating.
Credit scores can drop due to a variety of reasons, including late or missed payments, changes to your credit utilization rate, a change in your credit mix, closing older accounts (which may shorten your length of credit history overall), or applying for new credit accounts.
FHA loans are intended for people with lower credit; they allow a minimum credit score between 500 and 580. If your FICO score is below 580, you'll need a 10% down payment. If it's above 580, you only need to put 3.5% down.
In common credit scoring models, 300 is typically the lowest possible score. However, scores that low are extremely rare. There are two major credit scoring models: FICO and VantageScore.
How Long Does It Take to Fix Credit? The good news is that when your score is low, each positive change you make is likely to have a significant impact. For instance, going from a poor credit score of around 500 to a fair credit score (in the 580-669 range) takes around 12 to 18 months of responsible credit use.
Most conventional loans require a credit score of at least 620 to buy a house. But, you'll find that there are several other loan types that have much lower requirements. A lot of first-time home buyers worry that their credit scores are too low to buy a home.