Only 1.54% of Americans had a perfect FICO® Score of 850 as of mid-2023, according to Experian. These lucky few have access to the best rewards cards, the lowest mortgage rates, and more. Even better, ...

Only one in four Americans has a credit score above 800, which is considered exceptional, according to industry data.

Under the widely used FICO® Score system, the highest credit score you can earn is an 850. According to Motley Fool Money research and Experian data, just 1.76% of Americans have managed to hit that ...

I wasn't chasing the elusive 850 credit score, but this one easy change got me there anyway. Here's what I did. Tiffany Wendeln Connors was a senior editor for CNET Money with a focus on credit cards.

Perfect credit, or even really good credit, opens doors for American consumers. Better interest rates on loans. Better odds of renting an apartment or landing a job. Lower insurance premiums. But how ...

Your credit scores can wax and wane a bit like the moon, changing frequently as your credit accounts and balances change. However, big changes to your credit scores could be an indication that ...

With the right strategy, you can boost your credit score so it’s nearly perfect. Strong credit gives you more borrowing options. It also makes borrowing money less expensive. Are you ahead, or behind ...

Paying bills on time is most important. Using credit cards helps, but carrying a balance does not. The age of your credit accounts matters, too, and there are easy ways to improve it. Only 1.54% of ...

I'm not a perfectionist, so achieving an 850 credit score was never a goal of mine. However, as a CNET Money editor, I know that having a higher score can help in a lot of ways, including getting ...