Credit 101
Building credit or improving your credit score can be confusing if you don’t understand which factors impact your credit history. As part of the Credit Strong platform we provide your FICO 8 score.
It’s important to understand how FICO score is different from other providers and what causes it to change over time. Keep reading to get an overview and see how Credit Strong can help you improve your credit score.

Credit Strong provides the FICO score to Credit Strong account holders and updates your FICO score monthly free of charge when you have an open Credit Strong account. We also provide the top two factors that are currently impacting your FICO credit score. Unlike the Vantage 3.0 credit score, which is provided by several free credit monitoring websites, FICO is the Score Lenders Use®. 90% of top lenders use FICO scores when making lending decisions.
How FICO Scores Work
Your FICO® Score is calculated by a computer algorithm that evaluates many sources and types of information on your credit report when you apply for credit. READ MORE
Payment History
Payment History is a record of every payment or non-payment for past extensions of credits you received. READ MORE
The Amount You Owe
Amounts Owed reflects how much you owe each creditor individually and in total. It includes your utilization rate for revolving lines of credit (e.g. credit cards). READ MORE
Length of Credit History
Length of Credit History is the length and age of each trade line on your credit report individually and in aggregate. READ MORE
New Credit
New Credit is the new account opening activity and any recent ‘hard’ credit inquiries from lenders on your credit report. READ MORE
Credit Mix
Credit Mix is the types of credit used. Examples may be revolving credit cards or revolving lines of credit, or installment credit like a fixed loan amount. READ MORE

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Credit Strong is NOT a credit repair service and does not remove negative credit history from your credit profile. Disclaimer: Credit profile improvement is not guaranteed. Changes in your credit score reflect individually specific financial behavior and history. Failure to make minimum required loan payments on-time may result in your loan payment(s) being reported as delinquent to credit bureaus which may negatively impact your credit profile.
Testimonial Disclaimer: Individual results may vary. Unique experiences and past performance for individuals do not guarantee future results for other individuals. Testimonials may not be representative of all individuals and certain individuals may have inferior results than indicated in testimonials.
Credit Strong® is a registered trademark of Austin Capital Bank SSB. FICO® is a registered Trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation. Austin Capital Bank SSB. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. © 2019 Austin Capital Bank SSB. All Rights Reserved.