PERFECT CREDIT SCORE

A perfect credit score, according to the most widely used FICO® and VantageScore credit scoring models, is 850. While it's achievable, it's relatively rare, with only a small percentage of the population reaching that score.

ACHIEVING THE PERFECT SCORE

To achieve the perfect credit score, you must pay all bills on time, have a mix of loans, such as automobile, mortgage, and credit cards, and have paid off most of these loans, excluding a mortgage.

The percent of the population with the highest credit score of 850 is relatively small but has been increasing. As of April 2023, about 1.7% of the U.S. scorable population had a perfect 850 FICO® Score. That compares to 1.5% in April 2018 and 0.8% in April 2013.

If you happen to have a “high achiever” personality and are focused on improving your good credit score to the "perfect" having an 850 FICO® Score, here are some credit behavioral characteristics we observed on the population with an 850 FICO® Score in April 2019:

• Payment history accounts for 35% of a FICO® Score and, not surprisingly, we see that those with an 850 basically have no reported history of missed payments, collections or derogatory information.

• Many people assume that to get an 850 you should have no credit debt. In fact, and perhaps somewhat surprisingly to some, we see that the 850 profile has and uses credit with an average credit balance of ~$13,000 reported (mortgage balances excluded). Their average revolving credit utilization tends to be relatively low compared to their available credit at 4.1%

• Most have a very established credit history with the average age of their oldest account being 30 years old.

• They are not all immune to seeking and opening new credit. About 10% had one or more inquiries in the past year and about 1/4th had opened one or more new credit accounts in the past year.

As of March 2025, 1.76% of U.S. consumers had a FICO Score of 850, according to Experian data. Some notable traits of consumers with a perfect credit score include an above average number of credit cards, lower credit utilization rate and lower than average total debt.e...

Source: FICO® Score.

OF YOUR FLIGHT 850

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