What's Happening
8 minutes ago

Could Dogecoin Make You a Millionaire in 2025?

foolfool.com
9 minutes ago

This Stock Could More Than Double By 2029, According to Billionaire Bill Ackman

foolfool.com
11 minutes ago

Intel Just Pulled Ahead in This Key Market

foolfool.com
16 minutes ago

Did China's DeepSeek Just Crash and Burn President Trump's $500 Billion AI Stargate Project?

foolfool.com
17 minutes ago

US Stocks Set For A Cautious Start Ahead Of Inflation Data: Expert Says 'Strong Bull Markets Tend To Roar Back To Life After Corrections'

benzingabenzinga.com
21 minutes ago

Got $3,000? 3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term

foolfool.com
26 minutes ago

2 Stocks Down 47% and 82% to Buy Right Now

foolfool.com
28 minutes ago

What's a Fair Price to Buy Johnson & Johnson Stock?

foolfool.com
31 minutes ago

Is Archer Aviation Stock Worth the Hype?

foolfool.com
31 minutes ago

Is Berkshire Hathaway Stock a Buy Now?

foolfool.com
35 minutes ago

'Racism Has No Place in Missouri': State Attorney General Sues Starbucks Over Hiring Policies

benzingabenzinga.com
36 minutes ago

Geopolitics And Resource Nationalism Are Choking The Commodity Supply

benzingabenzinga.com
37 minutes ago

Should You Buy Affirm While It's Below $85?

foolfool.com
46 minutes ago

Should You Buy Bank of America While It's Below $50?

foolfool.com
46 minutes ago

'Investors Seem To Remain Poised For A Good Year In The Markets' Even As Valuation Remains Elevated, Says Fidelity's Macro Chief

benzingabenzinga.com
49 minutes ago

Have $100,000? Here Are 4 Ways to Grow That Money Into $1 Million for Retirement Savings

foolfool.com
49 minutes ago

Have $100,000? Here Are 4 Ways to Grow That Money Into $1 Million for Retirement Savings

retireretire.ly
49 minutes ago

SMCI Stock Jumps Nearly 7% In Wednesday Pre-Market After Company Says It Will Meet SEC Filing Deadline

benzingabenzinga.com
56 minutes ago

TRADEPULSE POWER INFLOW ALERT: BROADCOM (AVGO), RISES 2.1% AFTER ALERT FROM TRADEPULSE

benzingabenzinga.com
56 minutes ago

Is Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock in Trouble?

foolfool.com

Is It Actually Possible to Achieve a Perfect Credit Score?

A woman pumps her fist and smiles.

Image source: Getty Images

Your credit score is a simple way of showing how likely you are to repay money you borrow. If lenders see that you have a high score, they know you’re probably going to repay loans and credit cards on time. Because people with high scores are considered a lower risk, they can qualify for the best credit cards and the lowest loan rates.

FICO® Score is the most widely used type of credit score by lenders, and it ranges from 300 to 850. If you’re wondering whether a perfect 850 credit score is achievable, the answer is yes.

A perfect credit score is hard to get, but not impossible

It’s possible to achieve a perfect credit score. Credit bureau Experian recently reported that 1.54% of consumers have a perfect 850 FICO® Score.

Experian also analyzed the characteristics of people with perfect credit. Here’s what it found:

  • They always pay on time. On average, consumers with perfect credit have zero delinquent accounts on their credit history.
  • They’re older. The amount of time you’ve been using credit is part of your credit score. Among consumers with perfect credit, 92% are Generation X members, baby boomers, or older.
  • They don’t overspend. Consumers as a whole use an average of 29% of their credit limits. Those with perfect credit use just 4%.

These consumers also tend to have more credit cards overall. That makes sense — top credit cards have lots of valuable benefits. When you have a high credit score, why not take advantage? If you’re looking for a card that will reward you for having excellent credit, check out our list of the best cash back cards.

You don’t need perfect credit

For most of our lives, we learn that higher scores are better (unless you’re playing golf). While this is generally true with credit scores, you can reach a point of diminishing returns.

Once you have a 760 FICO® Score, you’ve effectively maxed out the benefits of good credit. That score is high enough to qualify for just about any credit card. It doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get approved, but you’re extremely unlikely to be denied because your credit score was too low.

You’ll also be in the highest credit score tier when you apply for a loan. You’ll be able to qualify for the lowest loan rates.

Once you have a score of at least 760, don’t feel as if you need to keep optimizing to get your score as high as possible. There isn’t any notable advantage to going from a score of 760 to a perfect 850.

How to build credit

A perfect credit score isn’t necessary, but a high credit score is good to have. Even though credit scores seem complicated, building credit is actually fairly straightforward. Here’s all you need to do to build your credit:

  • Get a credit card. You build credit by borrowing money and paying it back on time. The easiest way to do this is by using a credit card.
  • Pay bills on time every month. Your credit card bill is especially important, because it gets reported on your credit file. I’d also recommend paying your credit card in full to avoid interest charges.
  • Avoid overspending. Try to keep your credit card balance under 30% of your credit limit. For example, if your card has a $1,000 limit, keep the balance under $300, because anything higher could hurt your credit.
  • Monitor your credit score. Many credit card issuers offer free credit monitoring services for their cardholders. There are also free online services available to anyone — I use Experian CreditWorks Basic.

When you’re new to credit, the hardest part is often finding a credit card you can qualify for. For help with that, explore our list of starter credit cards. You can get them even if you don’t have any credit history and take your first step toward building excellent credit.

Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR into 2026

This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee!

Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Related Posts

So you have $100,000 and you want to build it into $1 million by retirement. That’s great! Even if you have less — perhaps a

Okay, folks. It’s time to get serious about Social Security. I don’t like to be the person who sounds alarms and causes unnecessary panic. But

Image source: Getty Images The best credit cards have a lot of perks — cash back, travel rewards, purchase protection, and more. But what happens

Social Security benefits for spouses are a common source of confusion. MassMutual reports that 25% of surveyed adults near retirement age were unaware that spouses