A score under 500 is considered below average, and you may find it harder to obtain credit. Another reason you may have a low credit score is that you don't have a credit history.
What is bad credit in Australia? Both Experian and Equifax (popular credit bureaus) state that a credit rating of 500 or lower is bad credit, meaning you have a bad credit history (with poor FICO scores). Specifically, bad credit for Experian is less than 579 and less than 549 for Equifax.
Poor: 300-579. Fair: 580-669. Good: 670-739. Very Good: 740-799.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 500 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score. Many lenders choose not to do business with borrowers whose scores fall in the Very Poor range, on grounds they have unfavorable credit.
New bands: Poor (0-438), Fair (439-530), Good (531-670), Very Good (671-810), Excellent (811-1000).
Fair credit score (500-649): Late or irregular credit card bill payments and EMI payments can get you stuck in a fair credit score range. While you are still considered a risk by lenders, you are still more likely to get approved for some credit applications.
The average credit score among Australians is 846 according to credit reporting company Equifax. That means on average Australians have a 'very good' credit score. Women (858) have a higher average credit score than men (836), while the average credit score is higher for older Australians.
Different credit scoring agencies calculate your credit score slightly differently. If your credit report shows scores out of 1,200 then as a rule of thumb a score above 853 is excellent while above 661 is good. If your credit report shows scores out of 1,000, above 690 is excellent and above 540 is good.
Highlights: Most negative information generally stays on credit reports for 7 years. Bankruptcy stays on your Equifax credit report for 7 to 10 years, depending on the bankruptcy type. Closed accounts paid as agreed stay on your Equifax credit report for up to 10 years.
Can debt collectors remove negative information from my reports? Unfortunately, negative information that is accurate cannot be removed and will generally remain on your credit reports for around seven years.
Although it's typical for your credit score to fluctuate by a few points from one month to the next, significant credit score improvements take time. If you are hoping to boost your credit score by 200 points in 30 days, be aware that it is impossible to promise a certain increase over a predetermined period of time.
Cut your credit card debt, and you can expect to see your credit score rise in 30 to 60 days. While there's no absolute rule about this, it's generally better to keep your credit card usage within 30% of your credit limit.
510-621: Firmly in the average range, people with this score often have to provide additional requirements to be approved. Even with some bad marks in your credit score, your lenders will still look at other credit criteria to determine if home loan approval is possible.
As it's the largest of the credit reporting organisations, most Australian banks use Equifax credit scores in their assessments of credit worthiness. However, they can also use information from the other credit reporting organisations, as well as their own internal risk assessment measures.
The credit-building journey is different for each person, but prudent money management can get you from a 500 credit score to 700 within 6-18 months. It can take multiple years to go from a 500 credit score to an excellent score, but most loans become available before you reach a 700 credit score.
Average Recovery Time
The good news is that when your score is low, each positive change you make is likely to have a significant impact. For instance, going from a poor credit score of around 500 to a fair credit score (in the 580-669 range) takes around 12 to 18 months of responsible credit use.
Your credit score improvement is completely dependent on your financial activities. If you keep repaying your debt on time, maintain a credit utilisation ratio of 30%, check your credit report regularly, and avoid making multiple loan application within a brief period of time, your credit score will improve fast.