FICO Score Formula – Factors that won’t hurt your score

FICO score formula considers a wide range of information that’s on your credit report. There are, however certain types of factors that are ignored by the FICO system and can’t hurt your score.

1. Some factors are prohibited by the US law from being factored into the FICO score or any other credit risk rating for that matter.
2. Some of the factors mentioned below may be excluded from the FICO score formula, but potential lender may still use them or any other information that’s on your credit file to determine your credit standing.
3. Although some of the factors listed below are ignored by the FICO score, but may be factored into other credit scores.

The following factors are ignored by the FICO score formula:

• Your race, color, religion, national origin, sex and marital status.
  US law prohibits any credit scoring system from considering these factors.
• Your age
  Other credit scores systems may consider your age, but FICO score doesn’t.
• Any receipt of public assistance
  US law prohibits any credit scoring system from considering this, as well as receipt of any consumer right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.
• Your salary, occupation, title, employer, date employed or employment history
  The FICO score system ignores these factors, but they are included in your credit report and potential lender may take them into account.
• Where you live
• Any interest rate being charged on a particular credit card or other account
• Any items reported as child/family support obligations or rental agreements
  The FICO score ignores these factors, but they are included in your credit report and potential lender may take them into account.
• Certain types of inquiries (requests for your credit report)
  In general, any “Soft Inquiry” such as requests that you have made to check your credit report, “promotional inquiries”  made by lenders for solicitation purposes, “administrative inquiries” by lenders to review your account with them or even requests made by potential employers – all of these are ignored by the FICO score. Only “Hard Inquiries” are factored into the FICO score.
• Any information not found on your credit report
  FICO score is derived only from information that’s on your personal consumer file (a.k.a. credit report) and that must be disclosed to you upon request.
• Any information that is not proven to be predictive of future credit performance
• Whether or not you are participating in a credit counseling of any kind