credit score

credit score, a numerical representation of an individual’s creditworthiness, often calculated by a credit bureau through a statistical analysis of the individual’s credit information on file. It is provided as part of a credit report upon request by interested parties.

A credit score helps to assess a person’s ability to pay bills. People who use credit responsibly and make their payments on time generally receive high credit scores and are known as prime customers in the credit market. These high scores serve as a positive signal to lenders, making it easier for them to extend credit to such individuals. Since people with good credit scores are less likely to default on a loan, lenders usually end up charging them lower interest rates.

Conversely, people who use credit less responsibly—those who tend to miss payments for prolonged periods or who have a history of defaults and bankruptcies in their credit records—usually receive low credit scores. Such customers make up what is called the subprime group in the credit market, and the practice of making loans to people in this group is known as subprime lending.

The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom rely extensively on credit scores produced by major credit bureaus in those countries. Other countries in Europe do not use credit scores but rely on a system giving lenders the ability to report and receive information about borrowers who miss payments.

The most common method used to calculate an individual’s credit score is the FICO method, which was developed in the United States in 1958 by Fair, Isaac and Company (later renamed FICO). The FICO score’s range differs across countries. The standard FICO score in the United States is between 300 and 850, with a median score of about 700. A score below 640 usually puts an individual in the subprime group of customers.