Lack of recently reported accounts

VantageScore code numbers

Code numbers can differ by bureau and score version. The wording of the statement is what to match.

What puts this reason on your score

VantageScore's explanation says that because none of your accounts has recent activity reported by a lender, your file doesn't have enough current information. Paid-off loans and closed cards still show history, but they don't show how you're handling credit now.

It turns up on files that went quiet: someone who paid everything off and stopped using credit, or a person returning after years abroad whose accounts closed long ago. VantageScore built 4.0 in part to score dormant files like these.

What to check on your credit report

• Which accounts are open, and when each last reported
• Cards you still hold but haven't used in a year or more, since issuers can close inactive cards
• Open accounts that don't report to every bureau

What you can do about it

• Use one open card for a small purchase each month and pay it in full.
• If you have no open accounts, open one and keep it active.
• Check that your active accounts report to all three bureaus.

How soon a change can show

The code eases once an account reports fresh activity, which usually happens at the lender's next monthly report after you use it.

If you are applying for a mortgage

Lenders want to see current accounts paid on time. If your file has gone quiet, restart one or two accounts several months before you apply.

Guides that go deeper

• How to keep an unused credit card from being closedIssuers can close an unused card with no warning, and the lost limit pushes utilization up. Cheap, low-effort ways to keep a sock-drawer card active.
• Thin file or credit invisible? How to tell, and the fix for eachCredit invisible means no file at all. A thin or stale file exists but can't be scored. The CFPB's corrected numbers show which group is bigger.
• How long it takes to get a credit score after your first accountFICO needs an account 6 months old that reported in the last 6 months. VantageScore can score sooner. The month-by-month calendar, and what speeds it up.
• What your credit score reason codes are telling youReason codes list what held your score back the most, in order. What the common ones mean, which you can act on, and which to leave alone.