Why Is My FICO 9 (Fair Isaac) Credit Score Lower?

FICO 9 Score may differ from older FICO versions because it excludes paid medical collections, discounts unpaid medical debt older than two years, and incorporates trended utilization data, which can lower the impact of a temporary spike on a single card. The model still weighs payment history at about 35 %, amounts owed at 30 %, length of credit history at 15 %, new credit at 10 % (inquiries stay on the report for 12 months), and credit mix at 10 %, but the revised treatment of medical items typically boosts scores for borrowers with recent health expenses.

Other scores - such as FICO 8, FICO 5, or VantageScore 3.0 - generally count all collections, even if paid, and do not use trended utilization, so a paid medical collection can still drag the score down. Because many lenders still rely on those older versions, a borrower may see a lower number on a loan application even though the FICO 9 Score looks healthier. To verify which model your creditor uses, see the next section 'find which FICO version your lender uses.'

Your lender's FICO version decides whether the dip you see stems from the FICO 9 Score or an older model.

1. Read the loan or card paperwork - the terms often list 'FICO® Score 9' or 'FICO® Score 8' next to the interest rate clause. See Understanding FICO Score Versions for typical language.
2. Ask the lender directly - call customer service or email the underwriting department and request the exact FICO version used for your account.
3. Check online pre‑qualification tools - many banks display the version (e.g., 'Your estimate uses the FICO 9 Score') when you receive a rate quote.
4. Review your credit report - the 'model identifier' column on Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion may show 'FICO 9' associated with the lender's inquiry.
5. Contact the reporting bureau - if the report is unclear, tell the bureau which lender you're dealing with; they can confirm which FICO version they supplied.

Knowing the version lets you move on to spotting high credit utilization on key cards, the next step in diagnosing a lower FICO 9 Score.

High utilization on any revolving account can shave points off your FICO 9 Score, so start by spotting the cards where balances exceed roughly 30% of the limit.

• Pull your most recent credit report and sort the 'Revolving Accounts' section by balance‑to‑limit ratio.
• Log into each issuer's online portal; many show a 'Utilization' gauge beside the balance.
• Flag cards with balances over 30% of the credit limit; the higher the ratio, the larger the typical impact on the FICO 9 Score.
• Prioritize cards with the highest limits first, because a $1,000 balance on a $5,000 limit hurts less than the same balance on a $1,000 limit.
• If a card consistently sits near its limit, consider a payment before the statement closes to lower the reported utilization.
• Use a credit‑monitoring app that highlights 'high‑utilization' alerts, saving you manual cross‑checks.
• Remember that FICO 9 treats revolving utilization as one of the top three scoring factors (around 30% weight), so reducing it on key cards often yields the quickest score lift.

FICO 9 Score treats medical collections differently from non‑medical ones, so a medical debt often harms your score less and later than a regular collection.

Medical collections stay out of the payment‑history 35% bucket for the first 180 days and may be removed if you settle them during that window. After 180 days, they enter the same bucket as non‑medical collections and affect the score similarly. Non‑medical collections appear in payment history immediately and reduce the score as soon as they are reported.

For example, a $500 medical collection reported today will likely be ignored for the next six months; if you pay it off within that period, the FICO 9 Score may never register it. If you wait longer than 180 days, the collection drops into payment history and lowers the score. By contrast, a $500 non‑medical collection posted today will count toward payment history right away, causing an instant dip in the FICO 9 Score.

(Recall the earlier comparison of FICO versions in 'check if FICO 9 differs from other scores'). Next, verify whether recent hard inquiries are further dragging your score down.

Hard inquiries and credit pulls can shave points from your FICO 9 Score, especially if they stack up within the past 12 months. Check them now to see whether unexpected pulls are dragging your score lower.

• Pull each bureau's report, locate the inquiry section, and note dates and whether the pull is hard or soft.
• Count hard inquiries; each may lower the FICO 9 Score by up to 5 points, and multiple pulls within 12 months typically impact the score more.
• Identify the requesting creditor; unauthorized or mistaken pulls can be disputed and removed.
• Expect a temporary dip after a loan or credit‑card application; the effect usually fades after 12 months.
• Space out credit applications - waiting at least six months between hard pulls can reduce cumulative impact.
• Remove duplicate inquiries caused by the same lender appearing on multiple bureaus by filing a dispute; they often count as a single pull.
• Track future pulls with a free credit‑monitoring tool and review the inquiry details on consumer finance bureau guide to hard inquiries.

Opening new accounts lowers the average account age, a factor that typically impacts about 10 % of the FICO 9 Score. The newer the line, the further the weighted average shifts toward the present, so a recent credit card or loan can drag the overall age down even if you have decades‑old accounts.

Because the average account age feeds into the length‑of‑credit‑history component, a single recent account may knock a few points off your score until the account ages past the first two years. For example, adding a 0‑balance credit card when your oldest line is 15 years old reduces the average from 12.5 years to roughly 10 years, which can shave 5‑10 points off the FICO 9 Score.

To limit this effect, avoid opening multiple lines within a 12‑month window and consider postponing nonessential accounts until your existing credit matures. See how average account age influences credit scores for more detail. Next, we'll examine how closed accounts can further shrink your credit‑history length.

Closed accounts shrink your credit history length, which may lower your FICO 9 Score. The score weights credit history length about 15%, so removing a long‑standing account reduces the average age of all revolving and installment accounts.

FICO 9 typically keeps positive closed accounts on the bureau file for up to ten years and negative ones for seven years. When a decades‑old credit card closes, its contribution to the 'age of accounts' disappears, pulling the overall average down and nudging the score lower.

The quickest fix is to leave older accounts open if they have no annual fee and stay in good standing. If an account must close, ask the lender to report it as 'inactive' rather than 'closed'; some bureaus retain the record longer. After handling closed accounts, move on to the next step: how long closed accounts stay on your report, then check for reporting errors or identity theft.

Finding and correcting reporting mistakes - or stopping identity theft - can restore points that the FICO 9 Score lost due to inaccurate data.

• Request free 12‑month reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (free credit reports from the CFPB).
• Scan each file for wrong balances, misspelled names, or accounts you never opened.
• If you spot an error, file an online dispute with the bureau that supplied the faulty entry; include any supporting documents.
• Watch the bureau's 30‑day response window; they must investigate and update the record if the claim is valid.
• Look for unfamiliar credit cards, loans, or inquiries - these may signal identity theft.
• Place a fraud alert on your reports; it forces lenders to verify your identity before extending credit.
• Consider a credit freeze if you suspect widespread theft; it blocks new accounts until you lift the freeze.
• After corrections, monitor your FICO 9 Score; improvements typically appear within 30‑45 days.

Correcting errors removes the negative marks that hurt the payment‑history (35 %) and new‑account (10 %) pillars of the FICO 9 Score, and it prepares you for the next step: checking timing differences across the three bureaus.

Timing differences across Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax may cause your FICO 9 Score to shift even when the same accounts appear on all reports. Each bureau updates at its own pace, so a payment that clears today could still show as past‑due on one file for up to 30 days.

When you compare the three reports, watch for:

• Payment‑status lag (one bureau reports a recently posted payment later than the others);
• Collection‑entry timing (a medical collection may appear on two bureaus while the third waits for the creditor to file);
• Hard‑inquiry posting (new inquiries usually affect scores for 12 months, but the date posted can vary by bureau);
• Account‑closure reporting (a closed account may remain open on one file until the next monthly cycle).

Because these asynchronous updates can mask real improvements, the next section will explore how nontraditional debts like BNPL or rent payments may further influence your FICO 9 Score.

Outside the United States, credit reporting rests with local bureaus - often subsidiaries of the 3 bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). In Canada, Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada operate independently of their U.S. counterparts; the United Kingdom relies on Experian UK, Equifax UK, and TransUnion (formerly Callcredit); Australia uses Equifax, Experian and illion (formerly Credit Bureau Australia).

Each market maintains its own scoring models, data‑sharing rules, and consumer‑rights legislation. Experian UK overview illustrates how a global name adapts to local data sources and score calculations.

Because every country enforces distinct credit laws, you must handle non‑U.S. bureaus separately. A freeze on the 3 bureaus does not stop a Canadian or UK pull, and dispute procedures follow local statutes rather than the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Consequently, monitor each jurisdiction's portal, file disputes through its specific process, and treat international credit histories as independent from your U.S. reports.

Raise your FICO 9 Score quickly by tackling the five biggest levers.

1. Slash utilization on key revolving cards - bring balances below 30 % of limits, ideally under 10 %. Utilization occupies about 30 % of the score, so lower balances can lift the score within weeks.
2. Dispute inaccurate or outdated negatives - file disputes with each bureau; correcting errors instantly improves the 35 % payment‑history factor.
3. Let hard inquiries age out - inquiries remain for 12 months and affect the 10 % new‑credit portion; remove unauthorized pulls or simply wait for them to drop.
4. Add positive tradelines that FICO 9 accepts - report rent, utilities, or become an authorized user to boost the 10 % mix‑of‑credit factor. Example: Rent‑payment reporting adds positive history.
5. Keep older accounts open - closing them reduces the 15 % length‑of‑credit average; even a dormant card helps preserve a longer history.