Number of established accounts

FICO 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

This code appears on Equifax and TransUnion FICO Scores. In FICO's list, Experian's entry is marked for industry scores only. It's common on thin files, such as one card and one student loan, or a file rebuilding after old accounts dropped off.

More aged accounts give the model more evidence to work with. FICO doesn't publish what counts as established, so think of it as accounts with a solid run of reporting behind them, measured in years rather than months.

What to check on your credit report

• Count accounts that have been open and reporting for years, not months.
• Check that old accounts in good standing still show on each report.
• See whether the accounts you hold report to Equifax and TransUnion.

What you can do about it

• Add accounts gradually and keep them open.
• Ask a family member with a long-held, well-paid card about adding you as an authorized user, if the issuer reports authorized users.
• Use credit-building products that report to all three bureaus.

The free ready by can help with this step.

How soon a change can show

Slow. A new account needs time to count as established, so this code eases over months and years.

If you are applying for a mortgage

When this code ranks high, extra months of history help more than any quick move. Plan your timeline backward from the date you want to buy.

Guides that go deeper

• 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.
• Becoming an authorized user to build creditBeing added to someone else's card can put years of history on your report. How FICO treats it, which card to pick, and the math on their balance.
• How credit builder loans work and who they helpA credit builder loan holds the money until you've paid it off. What gets reported, what it costs, and what a CFPB study found about who benefits.
• 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.