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Imagine you have four credit cards, each with a $5,000 limit, for a total of $20,000. You have a balance of $2,000 on Credit Card A from vacation travel, $1,000 on Credit Card B from buying new car tires, $2,000 on Credit Card C from last holiday season, and $1,000 on Credit Card D from regular monthly bills. Altogether, you owe $6,000. If we calculate that as a percentage, we have your credit card utilization rate: 30%.

In this guide, we’ll focus on credit utilization, determine how much of your credit you should use, and show how credit card utilization affects your credit score and overall financial standing.

What Is a Credit Utilization Ratio?

Your credit utilization ratio is a fancy way of referring to how much of your credit you’re using. Lenders and credit reporting agencies use it as an indicator of how well someone is managing their finances.

A low credit utilization ratio says you live within your means, use credit cards responsibly, and therefore probably manage the rest of your finances well. A high credit utilization hints that your expenses are outpacing your income, a sign that you’re misusing credit cards, and possibly mismanaging the rest of your finances.

The reality of the situation may be different. Perhaps you have temporary cash flow problems due to a job loss. Or you happen to have a pileup of pricey expenses within a short time, such as medical bills, car repairs, and a destination wedding. It happens. That’s why credit utilization is just one factor that goes into calculating your credit score.

Recommended: Types of Personal Loans

How Do You Calculate Your Credit Card Utilization Rate?

In the example above, we saw that if you have $20,000 of credit available to you, and you owe $6,000, your credit utilization rate is 30%. How did we get there? To find out your credit card utilization rate, simply divide your total credit card balances by your total credit line, like this:

Total Balance / Total Credit Line = Utilization Rate

With the numbers from our example, it looks like this:

6,000 / 20,000 = .3 or 30%

Simple, right? You’ve got this.

Recommended: Getting Your Personal Loan Approved

What Counts as “Good” Credit Card Utilization?

As it turns out, just because you’ve been approved for a $10,000 credit card doesn’t mean it makes financial sense to charge $10,000 worth of rosé and seltzer — even if you know you can pay it off over a couple of months. In fact, you might be shocked to learn how little of your available credit you’re supposed to use.

The general rule is that you should not exceed a 30% credit card utilization rate. That means that in our example, you would not want to use more than $6,000 of your available $20,000 credit. Even though 30% might seem like a small percentage, keeping below that threshold can ensure that your credit score isn’t being dinged for over-utilization.

How Can You Lower Your Credit Card Utilization Ratio?

You can lower your credit utilization ratio by paying down your credit card balances. Ideally, you should pay off your credit card balances in full every billing cycle to avoid paying interest. When that’s not possible, pay off as much of the bill as you can.

Whatever you do, don’t make a habit of paying only the credit card minimum payment suggested on your bill.

When trying to pay down your credit cards, focus on the one with the highest interest rate. That way, you’ll save the most money on interest. Or you can pay off your cards with a personal loan. In fact, debt consolidation is one of those most common uses for personal loans.

Another way to lower your utilization rate is to increase your available credit. Ask your bank to raise your credit card limit. If they agree, your utilization will quickly drop. Also, keep open any cards you don’t use rather than closing the accounts. They’re serving a valuable purpose by contributing to your credit limit, even if you’ve cut up the actual cards.

As you can tell, credit utilization is a nuanced topic. Learn all the ins and outs in our Guide to Lowering Your Credit Card Utilization.

How Does Credit Card Utilization Affect Your Credit Score?

Credit card utilization plays a big role in how companies compute your credit score. In fact, about 30% of your credit score is determined by your credit card utilization rate. That means a high credit card utilization rate can adversely affect your credit score. For a deep dive into the topic, check out How Does Credit Utilization Affect Your Credit Score?

How Do You Monitor Your Credit Card Utilization?

Your credit utilization might seem difficult to keep track of. But we live in the 21st century, so it’s actually quite easy to set up account reminders to alert you when you are approaching that 30% credit card utilization mark.

In addition to watching your utilization rate, make your best effort to pay your credit card bills on-time each month. Checking your credit score regularly will also help you keep your financial health in check. Although you don’t want to check your score too often, it’s good to keep tabs to make sure the data being reported is accurate.

The Takeaway

Your credit card utilization ratio is the sum of all your credit card balances divided by the sum of your credit limits. Credit reporting agencies recommend keeping your ratio at 30% or below. Higher ratios can hurt your credit, since credit utilization accounts for 30% of your credit score. To lower your utilization rate, simply pay down your credit card balances. And think twice before closing a credit card you no longer use. You might also consider consolidating your credit card debt with a personal loan; a personal loan calculator can show you how much you could save on interest.

Have high credit card utilization across multiple cards? Consolidating credit card debt with a low interest personal loan will reduce your utilization rate, which can positively affect your credit score. With SoFi Personal Loans, you can borrow $5K to $100K, with low fixed rates and no fees required.

Compared with high-interest credit cards, a SoFi personal loan is simply better debt.

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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It’s common knowledge that a person’s credit score can have a significant impact on their ability to get the best deals on loans and credit cards. And that can potentially save borrowers many thousands of dollars over a lifetime. But exactly what the credit rating scale involves is a mystery to many people. That’s a problem for potential applicants who’d like to boost their score before shopping around for a loan.

We’ll offer insights into how credit scores are calculated, what credit range might qualify as “good” versus “exceptional,” and what you can do to qualify for the best interest rates.

The Three Major Credit Bureaus

Credit bureaus are independent agencies that collect and maintain consumer credit information and then resell it to businesses in the form of a credit report. The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows the government to oversee and regulate the industry.

There are three major credit bureaus that 90% of lenders pull scores from:

•   Equifax, whose scores range from 280 to 850

•   Experian, whose scores range from 300 to 850

•   TransUnion, whose scores range from 300 to 850

What Actually Factors into Your Credit Score?

The FICO® Score uses a scoring model that sources data from credit bureaus to calculate your score. Elements used in the FICO scoring model (as of this writing, that’s FICO Score 8) include:

•   Payment history: 35%

•   Credit utilization (amount owed): 30%

•   Length of credit history: 15%

•   Credit mix: 10%

•   New credit: 10%

Wondering what those terms mean? Let’s break it down:

Payment History

Payment history looks at whether you pay your bills in a timely manner. Do you have a history of paying bills a couple weeks late, or are you the type who always paid your cable bill even before it was due? That’s the kind of thing that will come into play here.

Credit Utilization

“Amount owed” is pretty self-explanatory — it’s how much total debt you’re currently carrying. Your “credit utilization ratio” may not be quite so clear. That’s the amount of credit you actually use compared to the amount of credit available to you. Lenders generally like to see a credit utilization ratio of 30% or lower.

Recommended: Credit Card Utilization: Everything You Need To Know

Length of Credit History

This factor looks at the age of your oldest and newest accounts and the average age of all your accounts. To lenders, longer is better.

Credit Mix

Credit mix considers the variety of your debt — is it primarily credit card debt? Do you carry student loan debt or have a mortgage? A desirable mix is a combination of revolving debt (lines of credit, credit cards) and installment debt (loans with fixed repayment terms like student loans and car loans).

New Credit

New credit looks at what accounts have recently been opened in your name, or if you’ve taken out any new debts.

How’s Your Credit?

Where your credit score falls on the scoring table determines how “good” your credit is. Here’s a breakdown of the credit rating scale according to FICO standards.

•   Exceptional: 800-850

•   Very Good: 740-799

•   Good: 670-739

•   Fair: 580-669

•   Very Poor: 300-579

Ready for a plot twist? FICO can tweak their algorithm depending on the type of loan you’re applying for. If you’re looking to get an auto loan, your industry-specific FICO Score may emphasize your payment history with auto loans and deemphasize your credit card history. In effect, each consumer has multiple credit scores.

You may also hear the phrase “educational credit score.” This can refer to the proprietary scoring models used by TransUnion and Equifax. The term means that these scores may not be used by lenders, but they help educate consumers about their credit scores.

Trying to Improve Your Credit Score With Credit Card Debt

You’ll notice that a lot of information around improving your credit scores focuses on debt reduction. After all, 30% of your FICO Score is based upon outstanding debt. By paying that down on time, you may be able to boost your credit score. One potential action item for those trying to strengthen their credit history is to work on paying down credit card debt.

Credit card debt may be the highest-interest debt you’re carrying. After all, the average credit card interest rate is currently around 15%, compared to federal student loans, currently at 4.99%, and the average mortgage, hovering around 5.8%. That means if you have credit card debt, it could be your fastest growing debt. By getting rid of it, you may be able to significantly reduce your outstanding debt.

One way to get out of credit card debt is to consolidate it into a lower-interest option. With a balance transfer credit card, you can move your high-interest debt to a 0% interest card. The catch is that the 0% interest is temporary, and after a given amount of time (typically six to 21 months), the interest rate shoots up.

One other tip for potentially boosting your credit score: Thoroughly review your credit report for errors. Mistakes happen, and some of them can bring down your score. You can file a dispute online to correct or remove the information.

Recommended: Using a Personal Loan to Pay Off a Credit Card

The Takeaway

Credit scores, calculated based on information in your credit report, influence the interest rates you qualify for on loans and credit cards. The higher your score, the less you’ll pay in interest. The factors that determine your score include your history of on-time payments, your total debt compared to the amount of credit available to you, the types of debt you have, and the age of your accounts. One of the best ways to boost your credit score is to pay down credit card debt.

A common way to consolidate high-interest credit card debt is with a low-interest personal loan. While your credit score is likely to be reviewed by lenders when you apply for a personal loan, there are other financial factors they consider, such as your current employment situation and income. If you think a personal loan might be right for your financial situation, SoFi offers personal loans with no fees required — and no headaches.

SoFi’s Personal Loan was named NerdWallet’s 2022 winner for Best Online Personal Loan.

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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One of the best things to do for your anxiety and your credit score is to pay off credit card debt. People who commit to a payoff strategy (like Snowball or Avalanche) will make quick progress while building their credit history. People in financial crisis may benefit from negotiating with creditors to freeze their account or lower their interest rate, though their credit rating may suffer. Simplifying payments with a debt consolidation loan is also an increasingly popular tactic.

We’ve compiled several strategies that can help you consolidate credit card debt without hurting your credit score. Find the one that best suits your circumstances.

What Not to Do: Ignoring Credit Card Debt

When it comes to credit card debt, the consequences of avoidance and procrastination are steep. If you miss payments, your creditor will likely reach out and notify you of your delinquency.

Miss enough payments and your account might be closed. Your credit card issuer will report your missed payments to credit reporting agencies, which can negatively impact your score. Remain delinquent long enough and your account might be sent to collections (either in-house or third-party). Needless to say, this is not good for your credit score and history.

What You Should Consider: Paying off Credit Card Debt Using a Planned Approach

We mentioned anxiety earlier. Well, trying to pay down a large credit card balance without a debt payoff strategy is a recipe for more anxiety. Sure, making a plan may require taking a close look at your bad habits, which is stressful. But trust us when we say, a good plan is the best way to set yourself up for smooth sailing. Two common approaches to getting out of credit card debt without ruining your credit rating are the Snowball and the Avalanche.

With the Snowball method, you work to pay off your debts from smallest balance to largest, regardless of the interest rate. As you pay off each card, you roll that monthly payment over to the next smallest balance. Meanwhile, it’s important to make minimum payments on your other cards. (Take a deep dive into the Snowball method here.)

The Avalanche method advises focusing on the debt with the highest interest rate. Let’s say you have two credit cards, one with an interest rate of 8% and the other of 15%. Start with the balance accruing 15% interest. When you pay off that card, turn your attention to the debt with the next highest interest rate. And of course, be mindful that you’re making credit card minimum payments on all your debts.

Both strategies serve to build a positive credit history as you get out of debt. Not only will they not ruin your credit, you may even end up with a higher FICO Score.

Negotiating and Settling Credit Card Debt

If you have been struggling to make payments on your credit cards, there is a good chance your credit score has dropped. Before the debt is sent to collections, you may be able to negotiate with the credit card company.

Like any business, the primary goal of a credit card company is to make a profit. When it becomes apparent that a cardholder is unable to pay their bills, companies are sometimes willing to find an arrangement that will enable the customer to make payments based on their situation. Three possible options are a debt settlement, a hardship repayment plan, and temporary forbearance.

In a debt settlement, the credit card company agrees to reduce the balance owed in exchange for a lump sum payment. If your balance is $15,000, the company may agree to a payment of $8,000 and “forgive” the rest. There are two disadvantages with this scenario: The card holder has to come up with $8,000, and their credit score can be negatively affected.

With hardship repayment, the company freezes the current debt and works with you to create a repayment plan based on your current income and circumstances. The company may lower your interest rate and waive fees during the repayment period. You may qualify for a hardship program if your debt is the result of unemployment, serious illness, family emergency, or a natural disaster. In hardship cases, your credit rating is usually not affected, though your participation in the program may be reported to the credit bureaus.

Finally, in a temporary forbearance, the credit card company freezes any combination of the current debt and interest rate, and eliminates late fees and penalties for an agreed upon period of time. This is usually reserved for card holders who are currently in financial crisis. One drawback is that your debt isn’t resolved but merely put on hold while you sort out your finances.

You should know that most forgiven debt is considered income by the IRS. So if you had $15,000 in debt but settled for $8,000, the IRS may consider that extra $7,000 to be taxable income.

Recommended: What Is Credit Card Debt Forgiveness?

What Is the Statute of Limitations on Credit Card Debt?

The statute of limitations governs how long a creditor can sue you for nonpayment of a debt. The statute of limitations on credit card debt varies from state to state, but is typically between three and 10 years.

You can find out yours by requesting a debt verification or validation letter from your creditor. The statute of limitations clock starts from the last moment the debt was active. When you contact your creditor, don’t agree to any payment plan until you confirm the statute of limitations on your debt. Otherwise, you may inadvertently restart the clock.

Even if your debt is past the statute of limitations, it may still be within the credit reporting time limit. This is the amount of time delinquent account information can appear on your credit report. In most cases, the credit reporting time limit for negative information is seven years.

If your debt is sold to a third-party collections agency, try to negotiate a payoff amount to close the collections attempt. Debt collectors buy debt from the company you owed for a fraction of the original unpaid balance. Because of this, collectors might take less than what you owe if you have strong negotiation skills.

Say Goodbye to Credit Card Debt with a Personal Loan

Personal loans are a type of unsecured loan. There are a number of uses of personal loans, but paying off credit card debt is one of the most common. Loan amounts vary by lender from $1,000 to $100,000, and are paid out as soon as the loan is approved. The borrower then pays back the loan — with interest — in monthly installments.

Many unsecured personal loans come with a fixed interest rate. An applicant’s interest rate is determined by several factors, including credit score, income, and debt-to-income ratio, among other factors. Typically, the higher an applicant’s credit score, the better their interest rate will be, as the lender may view them as a less risky borrower.

When using a personal loan for credit card debt, the loan proceeds are used to pay off the cards’ outstanding balances, consolidating the debts into one loan. This is why it’s also sometimes referred to as a debt consolidation loan. Ideally, the new loan will have a much lower interest rate than the credit cards. By consolidating credit card debt into a personal loan, a borrower’s monthly payments can be more manageable and cost considerably less in interest.

In the long run, the borrower’s credit history and rating is strengthened by paying off the personal loan.

The Takeaway

To pay down a large credit card balance, it’s essential to have a strategy. Two of the most popular are the Snowball and the Avalanche. The Snowball entails working to pay off the lowest balance card first, while making minimum payments on the others. The Avalanche advises paying off the highest-interest card first, while making minimum payments on the others. Neither method will hurt your credit rating, and may help it. It’s also fairly common to take out a debt consolidation loan to pay off cards.

If you are considering consolidating your credit card with a personal loan, check out SoFi. SoFi Personal Loans offer low fixed rates and no fees required. And if you lose your job, SoFi will temporarily pause your payments and even provide career coaching. SoFi’s Personal Loan was even named NerdWallet’s 2022 winner for Best Online Personal Loan.

If you’re ready to get your credit card debt under control, see how a SoFi personal loan can help.

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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The main difference between a soft vs. hard credit check is that each hard check knocks a few points off your credit score, whereas soft checks don’t affect your score. Both hard and soft checks pull the same financial data but for different purposes. Hard checks are typically done when you apply for a loan or credit card; soft checks are conducted for most other purposes, such as pre-screening for credit card offers.

It’s important for consumers to understand this difference because too many hard checks — also known as hard pulls and hard inquiries — can significantly lower your credit score. This in turn can hurt your chances of getting the best offers on credit cards and loans. Keep reading to learn more about credit checks and how to prevent unnecessary hard checks of your credit file.

What Is a Soft Credit Inquiry?

As noted above, a soft credit check pulls most of your financial data:

•   The number and type of all your credit accounts

•   Credit card balances

•   Loan balances

•   Payment history for revolving credit (credit cards and home equity lines of credit)

•   Payment history for installment loans (auto loans, mortgages, student loans, and personal loans)

•   Accounts gone to collections

•   Tax liens and other public records

Soft inquiries are not used during loan or credit card applications. Instead, they’re used for most other purposes that require a background check, and do not require the consumer’s permission or involvement. Reasons for a soft check can include:

•   Employment pre-screening

•   Rental applications

•   Insurance evaluations

•   Pre-screening for financial offers by mail

•   Loan prequalification

•   Checking your own credit file

•   When you’re shopping personal loan interest rates or credit cards

Soft credit checks do not affect your credit score, no matter how often they take place. Some soft checks appear on your credit report, but not all — you may never find out they took place.

When they are listed, you might see language like “inquiries that do not affect your credit rating,” along with the name of the requester and the date of the inquiry. Only the consumer can see soft inquiries on their report; creditors cannot.

What Is a Hard Credit Inquiry?

A hard credit inquiry typically takes place when you apply for a credit card, mortgage, or car loan, and give permission for the lender or creditor to pull your credit file.

Each hard pull may lower your credit score — but only by less than five points, according to FICO® Score. All hard inquiries appear on your credit report. While they stay there for about two years, they stop affecting your credit score after 12 months.

Not all loans require a hard credit inquiry — but consider that a red flag. Some small local merchants offer short-term loans, high-interest unsecured personal loans. Borrowers must show proof of income via a recent paycheck, but no credit check is required. The risks of these “payday loans” are so great that many states have outlawed them.

Recommended: How to Get Approved for a Personal Loan

Avoiding Hard Credit Inquiries

Consumers should carefully consider if they really need new credit before applying for an account that requires a hard credit check.

For example, department stores and some chains like to entice you to apply for their store credit card by offering a generous discount on your purchase as you’re checking out. In that situation, ask yourself if it’s worth a credit score hit (albeit a small one).

Another way to minimize hard inquiries is to ask which type of credit check a company intends to run. If, for example, a cable company usually requires a hard credit inquiry to open an account, you might ask if a hard pull can be avoided. Other situations where there may be some flexibility include:

•   Rental applications

•   Leasing a car

•   New utility accounts

•   Requesting a higher credit limit on an existing account

•   Opening a money market account

Disputing Inaccurate Hard Inquiries

A good financial rule of thumb is to review your credit reports every year to check for common credit report errors and signs of identity theft. The Fair Credit Reporting Act guarantees consumers the right to access their credit reports each year for free. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com to order reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

To check for inaccurate hard inquiries, look for a section on your credit report with any of these labels:

•   Credit inquiries

•   Hard inquiries

•   Regular inquiries

•   Requests viewed by others

You can dispute hard inquiries and remove them from your credit reports under certain circumstances: if you didn’t apply for a new credit account, you didn’t give permission for the inquiry, or the inquiry was added by mistake.

That said, under federal law, certain organizations with a “specific, legitimate purpose” can access your credit file without written permission. They include:

•   Government agencies, usually in the context of licensing or benefits applications

•   Collection agencies

•   Insurance companies, when certain restrictions are met

•   Entities that have a court order, as in child support hearings

Even so, if you didn’t give permission for a hard credit pull, it’s worth filing a dispute to request that the credit check be removed from your report.

Consumers may dispute hard inquiries online through AnnualCreditReport.com, or by writing to the individual credit reporting agencies.

Recommended: Fixed vs Variable Rate Interest Loans

Hard Credit Checks and Your Credit Scores

As mentioned earlier, hard inquiries appear on your credit report, and each hard pull may lower your credit score by five points or less. Here we’ll go into a bit more detail.

Why Hard Inquiries Matter

Multiple hard inquiries within a short time frame can do significant damage to your credit score. For instance, a 20-point hit from four or five hard inquiries could be enough to move you from the Good credit range down to the merely Fair. Someone in a Fair credit range can pay substantially more over a lifetime in interest and fees than someone with a Good score or higher.

How Many Points Will a Hard Inquiry Cost You?

As noted above, each hard pull will lower your credit score by less than five points. One or two hard inquiries per year may not matter, especially if you’re not planning on applying for a loan.

However, consumers should keep in mind that the impact on their credit score remains for 12 months. The real concern is when you’re shopping around for the best interest rate on a loan, and too many hard inquiries over a short period combine to pull down your score in a significant way.

How Long Do Inquiries Stay On Your Credit?

Hard inquiries stay on your credit report for two years. But their impact on your credit score lasts only 12 months.

Soft inquiries may remain on your credit report for one or two years, but only the consumer can see them.

The Takeaway

Soft credit inquiries do not affect a credit score, while hard credit inquiries usually cost you less than five points. In both cases, businesses pull information from your credit reports. Checking your own credit report counts as a soft pull, as do most other situations where the consumer hasn’t given written permission. Hard pulls are typically done only when you’re applying for a loan or new credit account.

If you’re thinking of opening a new credit card or raising your credit limit on an existing account, consider a personal loan instead. With a SoFi Personal Loan, you can borrow between $5,000 and $100,000 for home improvements, credit card consolidation, medical costs, and more. And you can check your rate in 60 seconds without affecting your credit score.

SoFi’s Personal Loan was named NerdWallet’s 2022 winner for Best Personal
Loan for Good and Excellent Credit and Best Online Personal Loan overall.

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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One of the factors lenders look at during loan processing is the applicant’s credit score. It’s a good idea to review your own credit reports before applying for a loan to see if there are any errors that can be corrected and possibly increase your credit score, if needed.

If your credit score is not as high as you’d like it to be, it may seem counterintuitive to consider taking on debt to increase it, but it’s a method that has some merit. Making timely payments on a personal loan may have a positive effect on a person’s credit score. Let’s take a look at what factors go into calculating a credit score and how taking out a personal loan can affect it.

Does a Personal Loan Help to Build Credit?

If a borrower makes on-time, regular payments on a personal loan — or any loan, for that matter — that information will typically be reflected on their credit history and can be one way to build credit. It’s a good idea to ask the lender if they report payment history to the three major credit bureaus, Experian®, Equifax®, and TransUnion®. If the lender doesn’t report the information, it won’t affect the borrower’s credit positively or negatively.

Recommended: How to Build Credit Over Time

When Does a Personal Loan Help You Build Credit?

Someone who doesn’t have much of credit history or wants to improve their credit score because they understand the importance of good credit might wonder “Will a personal loan build credit?” It certainly can be one method to do so, but only if handled responsibly. A personal loan to build credit can be an effective tool if the payments are made regularly and on time.

The terms “credit” and “credit score,” while closely related, are not the same. Generally, when the term “credit” is used, it’s referring to a credit report, which is a summary of a person’s financial history. The information contained in a credit report is what affects your credit score. So, while the two are different, they’re used together in lending and other credit matters.

To see where improvement can be made in how you handle your finances, you can review your credit report for individual elements that figure into the calculation of your credit score. Credit score updates can happen every 30 to 45 days, depending on when lenders report payment information to the credit bureaus, and small fluctuations are normal.

Your Payment History

The way you handle debt is the most important factor in determining your credit score. It accounts for 35% of a person’s FICO® Score. How you’ve repaid — or not repaid — debt in the past is considered a good indicator of how likely you are to repay future debt and is something lenders look at closely.

Missing payments or making late payments on a personal loan might hurt your credit score.

Your Credit Utilization Ratio

Second only to payment history, having a large debt-to-credit ratio, also called your credit utilization ratio, can be a damaging factor to your credit score. It accounts for 30% of the total FICO Score and takes into account both revolving (e.g., credit cards) and installment debt (e.g., personal loans).

This ratio is calculated by dividing how much do you currently owe by the total credit available to you. Credit cards offer a good example: if you have a monthly limit of $10,000, and typically carry a balance of $9,000 on your card each billing period, your utilization ratio would be 90%.

The Age of Your Credit History

Since the age of your credit history is a factor in your credit score, the ideal situation is to start building credit early. That’s not always feasible, though. If you don’t have much of a credit history yet, a personal loan to build credit can be useful.

As long as the loan’s payment history is positive, the longer a loan is listed on your credit report, the more likely it is to have a positive effect on your credit score.

Adding Different Types of Credit

An additional factor that can impact your credit score is the mix of different types of credit you might have, such as credit cards, student loans, and mortgage loans. In general, your credit score will benefit from a healthy mix of different kinds of debt on your credit report.

Having both revolving debt, like credit cards or lines of credit, as well as installment debt, such as a personal loan, can have a positive effect on your credit score if you’re making regular, on-time payments on the debts.

If you currently only have credit cards, adding a personal loan to your credit mix can go a long way in establishing multiple types of credit and potentially boosting your credit score.

Recommended: Personal Lines of Credit vs Credit Cards

When Doesn’t a Personal Loan Help You Build Credit?

We’ve covered some of the ways a personal loan can help build credit, but there are situations in which a personal loan might have a negative effect on your credit.

Late Payments

Making late payments on any type of debt, including a personal loan intended to build credit, will likely have the opposite effect. Lenders place a great deal of importance on a person’s payment history. If a lender sees a lot of late payments or missed payments on your credit report, they are probably more likely to see you as a credit risk.

Short Term Loan

Short-term loans can be predatory loans. They are meant to help someone make ends meet until their next paycheck, but it can be next to impossible to actually pay off because of the extraordinarily high-interest rates typically charged on them.

Lenders of these types of loans may not report payments to the credit bureaus, essentially negating any effect your responsible repayment might have. If you’re thinking of taking on debt to boost your credit score, a short-term loan is probably not the best option.

The Takeaway

Personal loans have many direct benefits – access to cash, predictable payments, consolidating high-interest debts – but their secondary impact on your credit score can be meaningful for your borrowing future. Making your personal loan payments on time may help you improve your credit score and your future borrowing options.

SoFi Personal Loans are unsecured loans that offer competitive, fixed rates and no-fee options. With a variety of terms to fit different budgets, there may be an option that works for your unique financial situation.

Check your rate on a personal loan from SoFi

FAQ

Do personal loans raise credit scores?

If repaid on time with regular payments, a personal loan is one financial tool that might have a positive effect on a person’s credit score. There are a variety of factors that go into the calculation of a credit score, though, and it’s wise to pay attention to all of them.

How long does it take to build credit with a personal loan?

Building credit means building a history, which doesn’t happen overnight. It might take about six months to see results from diligently making on-time personal loan payments.

Is taking out a personal loan bad for credit?

Taking on new debt can have a temporary negative effect on your credit score. But over time, while making regular, on-time payments, a personal loan has the potential to help your overall creditworthiness.

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

Checking Your Rates: To check the rates and terms you may qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull and may affect your credit.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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