 TITLE: When Is a Credit File Created? CONTENT: What Does Your Credit Score Start At?\n-------------------------------------\nYour credit score doesn't necessarily have a specific starting point. In fact, you may not have a credit score at all.\nCredit scoring companies, such as FICO® and VantageScore®, create mathematical credit scoring models that analyze the information in your consumer credit file to determine your credit scores. When someone requests your credit report, they can also request a credit score based on that same information.\nThe resulting credit score can depend on which credit bureau the credit report is coming from and which credit scoring model is analyzing the report. You may get hundreds of different scores based on the variations.\nYou also might not be scoreable if you've never had your information sent to the credit bureaus, or you don't have any recent activity in your accounts.\n*   For FICO® credit scores, you need to have an account that's at least six months old in your credit file. You also need to have an account that's been updated in the past six months—which could be the same or a different account.\n*   VantageScore credit scores have a lower threshold, and you may be scoreable if you have an account that's fewer than six months old. Or, if you have older accounts and no recent activity.\nYou can get a free FICO® Score☉ based on your information in the Experian credit file. END