Too few accounts with recent payment information

FICO code number

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

On Equifax FICO Scores, code 31 flags a file where few accounts show recent payment activity. In FICO's list, Experian's code 31 for this statement is marked for industry scores only. Paid-off loans, closed cards and idle cards all stop adding current payment data.

Payment history is FICO's largest category at 35% of the score for the general population. A record that lives mostly in the past gives the model less to go on than steady, current monthly payments.

What to check on your credit report

• On your Equifax report, count accounts with a recent reported date and a payment made.
• Check that your active accounts report to Equifax at all.

What you can do about it

• Use a card or two for small regular purchases and pay them on time.
• If your open accounts don't report to Equifax, ask each creditor which bureaus it reports to.

The free middle score can help with this step.

How soon a change can show

Each monthly update with a payment adds recent information. A few cycles of active accounts can change what the model sees.

If you are applying for a mortgage

Since this is an Equifax code, it can pull down one of your three mortgage scores. Check where your Equifax score falls among the three before deciding how much effort it deserves.

Guides that go deeper

• Middle credit score rule: two borrowers, FHA and Fannie MaeLenders pull three scores and use the middle one, or the lower of two. How FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and USDA handle it, including two borrowers.
• Why your three credit scores don't match, and when to worryYour Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion scores come from three separate files updated on different days. What causes the gap, and when it points to an error.
• 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.
• 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.