FAQs about your FICO® Score and Experian® Credit Report | Amex US (2024)

Contents

About American Express® MyCredit Guide

About FICO® Score

About Identity Monitoring

About the Data Displayed

About Enrolling, Logging in, and Managing My account

FAQs about your FICO® Score and Experian® Credit Report | Amex US (1)

FICO® Score and Experian credit report

American Express Card Member
For easy access, sign in or enroll through your online account.

Not a Card Member?
Enroll below to create your
MyCredit Guide account.

Already Enrolled? Log In Here

Credit score calculated based on the FICO® Score 8 model and is provided for educational purposes. American Express and other lenders may use a different FICO® Score version than FICO® Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether, and other information to make credit decisions.

FICO is a registered trade mark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the U.S. and other countries

About American Express® MyCredit Guide

MyCredit Guide provides your FICO® Score based on Experian® credit report data. FICO® Scores are updated weekly refreshed upon login. Experian credit reports are updated monthly, or any time a financial institution reports a change to your profile. MyCredit Guide also includes a range of information and tools to help you understand your credit score better and plan for the future. Some of the features include:

  • Factors that are impacting your score
  • Up to 12 months of score history
  • Your detailed credit report provided by Experian
  • Alerts about critical changes to your Experian credit report information to help you identify potential fraud
  • FICO® Score Simulator which can help you assess the possible impact of financial choices before you make them
  • Credit education articles

FICO® Scores take into consideration five main categories of information to determine your score*:

  • Payment history (35%)
  • How much you owe (30%)
  • Length of credit history (15%)
  • New credit (10%)
  • Types of credit (10%)
    *percentages are estimates

The FICO® Score Simulator is an interactive tool that shows you how certain actions you might take, like applying for a new credit card or loan, making a late bill payment, or closing out one (or all) of your credit cards, could positively or negatively affect your FICO® Score.

NOTE: Results of the FICO® Score Simulator are estimated and don’t necessarily show the exact results a given behavior will have on your score.

The FICO® Score Simulator starts with the information in your current Experian credit report and estimates how changes to the information could affect your score. Please keep in mind, the FICO® Score Simulator is an educational tool and the outcomes are estimated and not predictions.
NOTE: Accounts not reported to Experian or subsequently deleted from your credit report will not be reflected in your score.

The FICO® Score Planner (FSP) is a feature created to enhance the FICO® Score experience. FSP allows the individual to set a target FICO® Score and associated time horizon to reach that target FICO® Score. These criteria along with the individual’s credit report data elements will be analyzed to provide potential actions the customer could take to reach that target score.

Yes, you will be able to make adjustments to your target goals by selecting the "Edit Goal" option.

You can view your Experian credit report through MyCredit Guide. If you want to see your credit report from other credit reporting agencies, you may request a free copy of your credit report at annualcreditreport.com. You're entitled to receive one free credit report each year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies – Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

You will be automatically enrolled in all available email communications, including for marketing purposes, with your MyCredit Guide enrollment. Your email communication preferences can be adjusted by visiting your “My Account” page in MyCredit Guide.

American Express will review your recent credit history and/or other information to determine your eligibility for pre-qualified American Express Card offers. Pre-qualification does not impact your credit score.

About FICO® Score

MyCredit Guide is a free tool, available whether you have an American Express account or not. Just enroll in MyCredit Guide and you can check your FICO® Score and Experian® credit report online for free.

FICO® Scores range from 300 to 850 and are categorized as follows:

  • Exceptional: 800 to 850
  • Very good: 740 to 799
  • Good: 670 to 739
  • Fair: 580 to 669
  • Poor: 300 to 579

Everyone’s credit profile is unique. Your financial behaviors and choices may affect your score differently than it would others. Still, there are a few basic things that everyone can do to help maintain a good credit score:

  • Consistently pay the amount due on all your bills, on time
  • Regularly monitor your credit report and address any inaccuracies in it
  • Don’t accumulate too much debt
  • Don't apply for new credit too frequently

Your FICO® Score is visible only to you.

About Identity Monitoring

Identity (ID) Monitoring keeps an eye on your personal information across a range of internet sites. MyCredit Guide will monitor for compromise or exposure of your personal information including Social Security Number and email address. If we detect that your information has been exposed or compromised, MyCredit Guide will provide alerts to inform you of the specific accounts exposed, description, and recommendations for actions you can take to help secure your data and identity.

It means that our Identity Monitoring service has found your personal information on one or more of the internet sites being scanned. MyCredit Guide recommends that you consider taking action such as contacting your financial institutions, changing passwords, and reviewing your credit report to ensure that there is no unusual activity. Identity Monitoring Alerts are provided through your existing MyCredit Guide account.

Our Identity Monitoring service scans internet sites on the Surface Web, Deep Web and Dark Web for elements of your identity. The Surface Web is made up of the websites indexed by typical search engines. The Deep Web consists of the part of the internet that isn’t indexed by typical search engines, and the Dark Web consists of websites where IP addresses are encrypted or hidden.

First, check to see if the alert contains a specific recommended action. Additionally, you can help protect yourself from fraud by:

  • Placing a fraud alert on your credit file by contacting the national credit reporting bureaus.
  • Frequently changing your passwords and using unique passwords. Even though only one account may be referenced in the alert, you might want to consider changing your passwords for other accounts as well – especially if you used the same password for other accounts.
  • Checking your credit card and bank statements for unauthorized charges.

About the Data Displayed

The data on your MyCredit Guide is based on your Experian® credit report. Your FICO® Score is calculated based on information in that credit report.

The information on your Experian credit report comes from multiple sources. Your credit report contains personal information, credit account history, credit inquiries, and public records. This information is reported by your lenders and creditors to the credit bureaus. Much of it is used to calculate your FICO® Score to inform future lenders about your creditworthiness.

Your credit bureau information is continuously updated. If your FICO® Score shows a change, it could be due to a number of reasons. For example, if you acquired new credit, paid down existing debt, or made a late payment, you may see an effect on your credit score.

If you cannot see your FICO® Score, it may be because there is not enough information in your credit report to calculate a credit score.

This is typical if you have recently enrolled. The FICO® Score history chart will build each month, starting with your first visit to MyCredit Guide.

Your FICO® Score through MyCredit Guide is calculated using credit bureau information from Experian. The score can vary depending on the credit bureau that calculated the score since each credit bureau may have different information about you. It can also vary due to the timing of the calculation, given that your credit report is updated frequently.

MyCredit Guide is a summary of your credit data from Experian. If your information does not look right, we recommend that you review your Experian credit report provided in MyCredit Guide. You can also call Experian from 9:00AM to 10:00PM ET, Monday through Friday at 833-421-3385.

American Express may use the information you provide when you enroll to market American Express products and services to you. For information about your options, and how American Express protects your privacy, please read our Privacy Statement.

About Enrolling, Logging in, and Managing My account

Identity verification is a fraud protection tool that is intended to help protect your security and privacy. Identity verification asks questions that can only be answered by the person connected to that credit report – without this step, an unauthorized party could obtain your credit report information.

Identity verification uses specific information contained in your credit report and from other sources. It’s possible that your information that has been updated has not yet been reported to the credit reporting agency or provider of other data. Also, sometimes the process may ask for information about accounts that you may have closed within the past three years and that you may no longer remember.

To get help, you can call Experian customer service from 9:00AM to 10:00PM ET, Monday through Friday at 833-421-3385.

A customer service team member will attempt to confirm your identity by asking you questions about your credit history. Once your identity has been confirmed, the representative will make your MyCredit Guide available for you to view online.

To reset your password, please visit the MyCredit Guide login page, click on the "Forgot Password" link, and follow the directions provided.

Yes, you can cancel your MyCredit Guide account. To do so, after you have logged in, click the link to “My Account” at the top menu, then select “Cancel MyCredit Guide Account.”

FAQs about your FICO® Score and Experian® Credit Report | Amex US (2024)

FAQs

Is your Experian score your FICO score? ›

Experian and FICO aren't the same thing. Experian is a credit reporting agency that also offers consumer credit monitoring products. FICO is a scoring model. A service called myFICO offers similar consumer credit monitoring products to Experian.

Which credit score is more important FICO or Experian? ›

FICO scores are generally known to be the most widely used by lenders.

What is your FICO credit score Why do you need to know about this? ›

A FICO Score is a three-digit number based on the information in your credit reports. It helps lenders determine how likely you are to repay a loan. This, in turn, affects how much you can borrow, how many months you have to repay, and how much it will cost (the interest rate).

How accurate is Experian FICO score? ›

Is Experian the Most Accurate Credit Score? Credit scores from the three main bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) are considered accurate. The accuracy of the scores depends on the accuracy of the information provided to them by lenders and creditors.

Which FICO score is most accurate? ›

Simply put, there is no “more accurate” score when it comes down to receiving your score from the major credit bureaus.

Is my FICO a real score? ›

You can be confident you're seeing a score many lenders actually use. Because FICO Scores are the most widely used scores, it is very likely the lender will check your FICO Scores when you apply for credit.

Does your income directly affect your FICO Score? ›

While income doesn't have a direct impact on your credit score, it can have an indirect impact since you need to have sufficient income to pay your bills. And if you don't make enough money to cover your bills, you can rack up debt or miss payments, which can negatively impact your credit score.

What are the three main requirements for having a credit FICO Score? ›

There are multiple FICO credit scoring models, each of which uses slightly different criteria. FICO scores are based on the information collected on individual consumers by the three major credit bureaus, including their payment history, credit utilization, and the age of their accounts.

Is FICO Score and credit score the same? ›

Is "credit score" the same as "FICO® score"? Basically, "credit score" and "FICO score" are all referring to the same thing. A FICO score is a type of credit scoring model. While different reporting agencies may weigh factors slightly differently, they are all essentially measuring the same thing.

Why is my Experian score so much higher than FICO? ›

When the scores are significantly different across bureaus, it is likely the underlying data in the credit bureaus is different and thus driving that observed score difference.

Should I trust my FICO score? ›

The company created the FICO credit score and says that 90% of lenders use its scoring models to assess the creditworthiness of applicants. So it's useful to have insight into your FICO scores when you're planning on borrowing money or seeking more credit.

Why is my Experian FICO score so low? ›

There are lots of reasons why your credit score could have gone down, including a recent late or missed payment, an application for new credit or a change to your credit limit or usage. The most important information to understand about credit is the factors that go into your scores.

Does Experian boost FICO score? ›

Experian Boost®ø is a free feature that can help you improve your FICO® Score instantly by factoring recurring eligible household payments into your Experian credit report. Learn how Experian Boost works, what bill payments are eligible and how to sign up.

Is your Equifax score your FICO score? ›

Since the information on your credit reports at each bureau can differ, your Equifax credit score and FICO score can differ depending on which credit report is used to calculate the score. The Equifax credit score model uses a numerical range between 280 and 850, and FICO score models use a range between 300 and 850.

Which lenders use Experian only? ›

Although there isn't a bank that exclusively uses Experian, some banks that typically use Experian data more commonly include American Express, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo.

Is Experian a good credit score checker? ›

Experian has the UK's leading free credit score – so you know you'll be in safe hands seeing where you stand when it comes to getting credit.

References

Top Articles
Easy Caramel Apple Pie | The BEST Easy Apple Pie Recipe
Fancy A Pie in The Heat? Best Taste Combos For Serving Pie In Summer - F and B Recipes
Northern Counties Soccer Association Nj
It’s Time to Answer Your Questions About Super Bowl LVII (Published 2023)
Tesla Supercharger La Crosse Photos
Ymca Sammamish Class Schedule
Hotels Near 500 W Sunshine St Springfield Mo 65807
How Far Is Chattanooga From Here
Goteach11
Newgate Honda
Beau John Maloney Houston Tx
Bowie Tx Craigslist
Rachel Griffin Bikini
Craigslistjaxfl
Craigslist Sparta Nj
Rural King Credit Card Minimum Credit Score
Morristown Daily Record Obituary
Universal Stone Llc - Slab Warehouse & Fabrication
Jeff Nippard Push Pull Program Pdf
Paris Immobilier - craigslist
FAQ's - KidCheck
Royalfh Obituaries Home
Craigslist Fort Smith Ar Personals
Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor
Ordensfrau: Der Tod ist die Geburt in ein Leben bei Gott
Babydepot Registry
Funky Town Gore Cartel Video
ATM, 3813 N Woodlawn Blvd, Wichita, KS 67220, US - MapQuest
Fairwinds Shred Fest 2023
O'reilly's Wrens Georgia
Culver's Hartland Flavor Of The Day
Roto-Rooter Plumbing and Drain Service hiring General Manager in Cincinnati Metropolitan Area | LinkedIn
New York Rangers Hfboards
Elizaveta Viktorovna Bout
Hebrew Bible: Torah, Prophets and Writings | My Jewish Learning
Sabrina Scharf Net Worth
Craigslist Boats Dallas
Fool's Paradise Showtimes Near Roxy Stadium 14
Celsius Claims Agent
Oakley Rae (Social Media Star) – Bio, Net Worth, Career, Age, Height, And More
How to Connect Jabra Earbuds to an iPhone | Decortweaks
Sinai Sdn 2023
Ratchet And Clank Tools Of Destruction Rpcs3 Freeze
Lebron James Name Soundalikes
Here’s What Goes on at a Gentlemen’s Club – Crafternoon Cabaret Club
Ewwwww Gif
Sitka Alaska Craigslist
Prologistix Ein Number
Bomgas Cams
Karen Kripas Obituary
Worlds Hardest Game Tyrone
Unity Webgl Extreme Race
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Amb. Frankie Simonis

Last Updated:

Views: 6125

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (56 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Amb. Frankie Simonis

Birthday: 1998-02-19

Address: 64841 Delmar Isle, North Wiley, OR 74073

Phone: +17844167847676

Job: Forward IT Agent

Hobby: LARPing, Kitesurfing, Sewing, Digital arts, Sand art, Gardening, Dance

Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.