Time since delinquency is too recent or unknown

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 is about recency. A single 30-day late from four months ago can put it at the top of the list. The words 'or unknown' point to a delinquency the model can't date, so if you see this code and have no recent lates, look hard at the dates on your negative items.

FICO's payment history category weighs how much time has passed since delinquencies, collections or bankruptcies appeared. The effect is strongest right after a late and weakens with each clean month, which makes this code different from the severity and count codes that stick around longer.

What to check on your credit report

• Find your most recent late payment on each report and note the month.
• Compare the date of first delinquency on any collection or charge-off with your own records.
• Make sure a late that a creditor agreed to correct isn't still showing on one bureau.

What you can do about it

• Keep every account current from here on. A new late resets the count.
• Set autopay for at least the minimum on every account.
• Dispute a late or a delinquency date that's wrong, with proof.

The free drop off calculator can help with this step.

How soon a change can show

The code eases a little with each month that passes without a new late. An accurate late can stay up to seven years, but its weight fades well before it leaves the report.

If you are applying for a mortgage

A late in the months right before you apply weighs most on the score, and the underwriter sees the same date you do. Staying current on every account from now until closing matters more than any other single step.

Guides that go deeper

• How to recover from a late paymentA late payment fades, and what you do in the first months shapes how fast. A week-by-week, year-by-year recovery plan based on how FICO Scores work.
• How long late payments stay on your credit report, with the date mathLate payments can be reported for up to 7 years, and paying the account doesn't shorten that. Which date starts the clock, and how to find yours.
• When autopay fails and a payment is missedAutopay fails more often than people think: closed accounts, replaced cards, servicer transfers. How each failure plays out and when it reaches your report.
• 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.