Key takeaway: FICO® Score 9 shares many similarities to FICO® Score 8, but it treats aspects like medical debt, paid collections and rental history differently.
FICO® Score 9 is a commonly used credit score that looks at certain credit aspects — like medical debt, rent payments and paid collections — differently than FICO® Score 8.
FICO® Score 9 was officially launched to lenders in 2014 and has become another widely used credit scoring model alongside those like FICO® Score 8 and VantageScore 3.0.
You can use Credit Karma to check your VantageScore® 3.0 credit score from TransUnion and Equifax, two of the three major credit bureaus, for free.
While FICO® Score 9 is calculated similarly to FICO® Score 8, there are some key differences between them. For example, medical debt, paid collections and rental history are all treated differently under FICO® Score 9.
- How is FICO® Score 9 calculated?
- FICO® Score 8 vs. FICO® Score 9
- Which credit score version do lenders use?
- Why are my credit scores different?
- What’s next?
- FAQs about FICO® Score 9
How is FICO® Score 9 calculated?
Like its predecessor FICO® Score 8 and its successor FICO® Score 10, FICO® Score 9 is a base FICO score that runs on a scale of 300 to 850. All base FICO scoring models take the same general scoring factors into consideration when calculating credit scores.
Here’s a breakdown of those credit factors and their percentage of your total credit score calculation:
- Payment history (35%): Payment history refers to your track record of paying your bills on time. It’s the most important factor of your FICO credit scores.
- Amounts owed (30%): This category includes your credit utilization, which is the amount of revolving credit you’re using compared to your overall available credit limit. FICO® Score 8 is known to be sensitive to high credit utilization.
- Length of credit history (15%): This factor considers the ages of your oldest and newest accounts, along with the average age of all of your accounts. In general, the longer your credit history, the better it is for your scores.
- Credit mix (10%): Your credit mix shows the different types of credit accounts you have, such as a credit card and an auto loan. It’s not necessary to have one of each type to successfully build credit, but lenders typically like to see you can handle different accounts.
- New credit (10%): The new credit category accounts for any time you apply for or open a credit account. This is typically tracked in part by the hard inquiries placed on your credit report by lenders looking at your applications. Opening too many accounts in a short time period will typically have a negative effect on your FICO scores.
FICO® Score 8 vs. FICO® Score 9
FICO® Score 8 and 9 are both base FICO scores with a lot of overlap. However, they differ when it comes to medical debt, paid collections and rental history. Here’s how:
- Medical debt: For FICO® Score 9, medical debt has less of a negative impact than other types of unpaid debt, especially if it has been sent to collections. FICO® Score 8 treats medical debt like any other unpaid debt.
- Paid collections: Accounts sent to third-party collections that have been paid off are essentially ignored by the FICO® Score 9 scoring model, but they can still have a negative impact in the FICO® Score 8 model.
- Rental history: Rental history can be factored into your FICO® Score 9 credit scores if your landlord reports to at least one of the major credit bureaus. Rental history is not factored into your FICO® Score 8 credit scores.
FICO® Score 9 compared to other credit scores
Here’s an overview of FICO® Score 9 compared to other widely used FICO and VantageScore scoring models in addition to FICO® Score 8:
| Credit factor | VantageScore® 3.0 | VantageScore® 4.0 | FICO® Score 8 | FICO® Score 9 | FICO® Score 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utilization rate | Very important | Very important | Very important | Very important | Very important |
| Historical utilization rate and payment info (trended data) | No impact | May affect your score | No impact | No impact | May affect your score (if using FICO Score 10T) |
| Collection accounts | Ignores paid collection accounts Treats unpaid medical collection accounts like other unpaid collection accounts. | Ignores paid collection accounts Ignores unpaid medical collection accounts that are less than six months old Considers unpaid medical collection accounts of over $500 as having less of an impact than other types of collection accounts | Ignores small-dollar “nuisance” accounts that had an original balance of less than $100 Treats medical collection accounts, including those with a zero balance, like other collection accounts | Ignores paid collection accounts Ignores small-dollar “nuisance” accounts that had an original balance of less than $100 Considers unpaid medical collections of over $500 as having less of an impact than other types of collection accounts | Ignores paid collections accounts Ignores small-dollar “nuisance” accounts that had an original balance of less than $100 Considers unpaid medical collections of over $500 as having less of an impact than other types of collection accounts |
| A tax lien or judgment | No impact | No impact | No impact | No impact | No impact |
Which credit score version do lenders use?
FICO® Score 8 is still FICO’s most widely used credit score, but many lenders also use FICO® Score 9.
There are dozens of credit scores in circulation, and lenders get to decide which ones they use and why.
Some types of credit scoring models work better for certain industries, like FICO® Auto Scores, which were designed for the car loan industry. Meanwhile, others may work better for scoring individuals with thin credit files. For example, VantageScore credit scores only need one month of credit history on one credit account to generate a score for someone.
The only way to know for sure which credit score version your lender uses for a credit product application is to ask them.
Why are my credit scores different?
Your credit scores differ from each other for three main reasons:
- Your credit scores have different scoring models: Each credit score type is generated by a unique mathematical formula called a scoring model. The slight differences between these models will mean that your scores look different, even if you’re just comparing a FICO® Score 8 to a FICO® Score 9.
- Lenders don’t always report to the same credit bureaus. Many lenders report to all three major credit bureaus, but some report to just one or two. Some don’t even report to any. This means some credit bureaus may be missing your information, resulting in different scores.
- Lenders don’t always report your information to each bureau at the same time. Just because a lender reports your information to each credit bureau doesn’t mean it does so at the same time. Lenders typically report account information in monthly batches, but those batches can go out to each bureau at a different time. So, your credit scores may look different between bureaus if your reports haven’t all been updated yet.
How to find your FICO® Score 9 credit scores
Many banks, credit card issuers and third-party services provide free credit scores through their mobile apps or online accounts, but they typically show only FICO® Score 8 or VantageScore® 3.0. Some exceptions include:
- Wells Fargo, which provides free access to your FICO® Score 9 if you’re an eligible account holder.
- First National Bank of Omaha, which provides eligible account holders with free access to FICO® Bankcard Score 9, an industry-specific model that’s based off FICO® Score 9 but tailored to credit cards.
If you can’t get your FICO® Score 9 for free from your bank or credit card issuer, you can also purchase it directly from myFICO.
What’s next?
The FICO® Score 9 credit score is just one of dozens of potential credit scores lenders may use to help them assess your credit profile. Those credit scores can also fluctuate often, sometimes even daily, depending on when your credit reports have been updated.
That’s why it’s important to monitor both your credit scores and your credit reports, especially if you think you’ll be applying for new credit soon.
Credit Karma provides free credit reports, as well as free VantageScore® 3.0 credit scores, from TransUnion and Equifax. By looking through your credit reports routinely, you can make sure your information is accurate.
If you also sign up for credit monitoring services, then Credit Karma will alert you to unusual activity on your reports, such as new hard inquiries that could be a sign of identity theft.
FAQs about FICO® Score 9
You can check your credit scores for free through certain banks, credit card issuers and credit unions. Many of them have credit tools built into their online accounts or mobile banking apps. You can also get free credit scores through certified credit counselors and third-party services like Credit Karma.
Credit Karma provides free VantageScore® 3.0 credit scores and free credit reports through TransUnion and Equifax.
The first step in building credit is to open a credit account, usually something like a secured credit card or a credit-builder loan. If you get a credit card, start by making minor purchases that already fit within your budget. Then, pay them off on time and in full every month.
This way, you can start building a positive payment history, which is an important factor to your credit scores, without losing money on interest.
You can get free credit reports by visiting the government-authorized website annualcreditreport.com. You’re entitled by law to a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus —TransUnion, Equifax and Experian — every 12 months. The credit bureaus also allow consumers to view copies of their credit reports weekly from that website.
If you’re a Credit Karma member, you can also request free copies of your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports through your account.