Is 600 a Good Credit Score?

Legal Expert
Sarah Edwards, BS

Sarah Edwards is a professional researcher and writer specializing in legal content. An Emerson College alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the prestigious Boston institution.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: A credit score of 600 is only considered fair. Thankfully, you can take some basic steps to improve your score. And if you’re struggling with unpaid debt, SoloSuit can help you settle your debts so you can start rebuilding your credit.

Checking your credit score regularly is one of the best financial habits you can practice. How should you feel when you find out your credit score is 600? And what can you do to raise it?

Understand your credit score

The FICO score is the most common metric for measuring consumer credit. Scores range from 300 to 850, with higher numbers indicating stronger overall creditworthiness.

How your credit score is calculated

The exact formula for calculating your FICO score is a closely guarded industry secret. And there is more than just one formula — the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports that since 2011, more than 60 different credit scoring models have been in use.

However, your score is generally determined by a common set of factors, each of which is weighted differently in the final tabulation:

Payment History: 35% of your score.
Credit Utilization Ratio: 30% of your score.
Length of Credit History: 15% of your score.
Credit Mix: 10% of your score.
New Credit: 10% of your score.

As you can see, your payment history makes the biggest impact. Next is your credit utilization ratio, which is how much of your credit limit you’re using at any given time. If you use more than 30% of your available credit, you could be hurting your credit score.

Is 600 a good credit score?

Is 600 a good credit score? Unfortunately, a credit score of 600 is considered “fair.” Scores can be broken down as follows:

800-850: Exceptional.
740-740: Very good.
670-739: Good.
580-669: Fair.
300-579: Poor.

You’d need to improve your score by at least 70 points to move from fair credit to good credit. The good news is that this is quite doable.

Simple ways to improve your credit score

A credit score of 600 is only considered fair credit. But you can boost your credit score quickly by taking a few steps.

Check your credit score for errors

The fastest way to improve your credit score is to report any errors that may be artificially lowering your score. Check your credit report each year, and report any errors to the credit bureau that supplied it. Removing the error can take some time, so it’s important to address mistakes as soon as possible.

Use a Debt Validation Letter to verify the legitimacy of your debt.

Keep your credit balance low

Borrowing more than 30% of your available credit can hurt your score. Work to keep your credit balance below this level. It’s a great idea to contact your credit card provider and request a higher credit limit. If the company agrees, you’ll find it easier to keep your credit utilization ratio below the 30% threshold.

Make regular, on-time payments

Always pay your bills on time. You might consider setting up automatic payments through your bank. It may take time before steady payments boost your credit, but this remains the greatest factor in determining your overall score.

Pay off collections accounts

Unpaid debts can negatively impact your credit. That’s especially true if your debt goes into collections. Settling your debt will hurt your credit score a bit, but it will also put you on track to rebuilding your credit. It will also ensure that you won’t be sued for any unpaid debt, which could create more problems.

Learn how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit with this short video.

How to boost your credit score: An example

Building credit takes time, but the most important steps to take to boost your credit are:

Pay your bills on time.
Pay off your down balance on your credit cards.
Avoid applying for new lines of credit.
Keep a low credit card utilization rate.
Keep your old credit card accounts open.
Check your credit reports periodically for fraud.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with debt, you may consider debt settlement to get yourself back on track to building your credit score again.

Let’s look at an example.

Example: Lee hasn’t always had the best track record when it comes to managing debt. In fact, her maxed-out credit card has brought her credit score down to 600. But Lee used SoloSettle to handle her outstanding debt, creating a payment plan that allows her to get out from under this obligation and start rebuilding her credit. Now, Lee makes regular payments to eliminate her credit card debt and pays her other bills on time. In time, Lee can expect to see her score rise. If she stays on course, she’ll be able to qualify for a mortgage.

Settle your debt quickly with the help of SoloSettle.

Respond quickly to lawsuits

These tips can help you raise your credit score. But if you’ve been sued over unpaid debt, you need something more. SoloSuit can help you draft a legal Answer and even send it to your creditor and the court. Act fast. You may have as little as 15 days to file an Answer and start your defense.

What is SoloSuit?

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You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit. (We can help you in all 50 states.)

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