 TITLE: Does Checking My Credit Lower My Score? CONTENT: What Can Lower Your Credit Score?\n---------------------------------\nWhile checking your own credit score won't change it, there are plenty of other things that can affect your credit score negatively. Here's a quick breakdown of each factor that influences your FICO® Score☉ :\n*   **Payment history**: As long as you make your debt payments on time every month, your payment history, which is the most influential factor in your FICO® Score, will be in good shape. But if one of your payments is 30 days late or more, your credit score can go down. The longer your account is delinquent, the more it can hurt your score. Defaulting on the account can cause severe damage.\n*   **Amounts owed**: Your total debt burden is a factor here, but your credit utilization ratio is more important. Your utilization ratio shows how much of your credit card limits you're using at any given time. If you have a $500 balance on a card with a $1,000 limit, for example, your utilization rate is 50%. A utilization rate above 30% will start to hurt your scores, and the lower your rate, the better. Those with the best credit scores tend to have a utilization rate in the low single digits.\n*   **Length of credit history**: A longer credit history is better for your credit scores. This factor also includes another calculation called the average age of accounts. So even if you've been using credit for, say, 10 years, the average age of your accounts could be much lower, especially if you've recently opened several new accounts. To avoid lowering your average, try to avoid taking on new credit too often.\n*   **Credit mix**: The more types of credit you have—credit cards, personal loans, student loans, auto loans and mortgage loans—the better it can be for your credit. While having just one or two won't necessarily lower your credit score, it could limit your credit potential.\n*   **New credit**: Virtually every time you apply for credit, the lender runs a hard inquiry on your credit report. According to FICO, each new hard inquiry can lower your credit score by as much as five points. If you have multiple hard inquiries in a short period, though, it could have a compounding effect and lower your score even more.\nBecause there are so many variables that go into calculating your credit score, it's impossible to determine exactly how much damage a negative item may cause to your score. But if you notice your credit score drop and are wondering why, look at these areas to find the likely reason. END