Even if you’re not used to credit scores, you might be shocked to see a three-digit number when you check them for the first time. Thatâs because your credit score doesnât start at zero.
Find out where your credit score comes from and why it’s important to be responsible with credit from the start by reading on.
Turning 18 is an exciting milestone. You’re finally an adult and have more freedom and responsibility. As part of your new duties, you need to start and improve your credit.
But if you’ve never had a credit card or taken out a loan before you’re probably wondering – what’s my credit score if I just turned 18?
The truth is, when you turn 18, you likely don’t have an established credit score yet. Here’s a detailed look at why that is, how credit scores work, how to check your score, and tips to start building credit history as a young adult
Why You Don’t Have a Credit Score at 18
When you turn 18, it’s not like a credit score magically appears. Your credit score is calculated based on your credit history – specifically factors like payment history, amounts owed, credit age, new credit, and credit mix.
If you haven’t begun establishing credit yet by getting a credit card, taking out a loan, or being added as an authorized user, you simply won’t have a credit history for the credit bureaus to evaluate. No credit history means no credit score.
You don’t have bad credit when you turn 18, but you also don’t have good credit either. Your credit score just doesn’t exist yet. But don’t worry—now is the best time to start building credit so you can get a good score.
How Credit Scores Are Calculated
To understand why you start without a credit score, it helps to understand what goes into calculating your score.
The two most commonly used credit scoring models are the FICO® Score and VantageScore®. Both scores range from 300 to 850.
Here is how the FICO® Score factors break down:
- Payment History (35%) – Whether you pay your bills on time. The most important factor.
- Amounts Owed (30%) – Your credit utilization ratio (how much credit you’re using vs. your limits). Keep this low.
- Length of Credit History (15%) – How long you’ve had credit accounts open. Longer is better.
- New Credit (10%) – New credit applications and inquiries. Too many dings your score.
- Credit Mix (10%) – Variety of credit accounts (credit cards, loans, etc). Mix is good.
As you can see, all of these things need established credit accounts that have been reported to the credit bureaus. There is no credit history, so there is no information to use to make a score.
Checking Your Credit Score
Since you likely don’t have a credit score when you turn 18, checking your score won’t reveal much. But you should still check your credit reports from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
Checking your reports allows you to:
- Confirm no fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name.
- See if you’re an authorized user on someone else’s account.
- Verify you truly don’t have any credit history reported yet.
AnnualCreditReport.com lets you get your free credit report every year from all three credit bureaus. com. You can also get your credit score and report from many banks for free. Signing up for a credit monitoring service is another option.
While you may not have a score to check now, monitoring your reports is still useful. It lets you detect any suspicious activity and establishes a habit of regularly reviewing your credit.
Building Credit History from Scratch
Now for the fun part – establishing credit so you can start to generate a score! Here are some smart strategies:
- Become an authorized user on someone else’s credit card. This lets you benefit from their credit history.
- Open a secured credit card. This requires a refundable security deposit that becomes your limit. Use it responsibly.
- Open a student credit card. Student cards tend to have lower limits but can help build history.
- Get a credit-builder loan. These require you to make payments into a savings account, then pay off the “loan.”
- Make on-time payments. Whether it’s a phone bill, utility bill, or loan, on-time payments help.
- Keep balances low. Don’t max out cards. Ideal credit utilization is below 30%.
- Check your credit reports. Monitor your progress regularly.
- Be patient. It takes 6+ months to establish enough history to generate a score.
The key is using credit wisely. Make payments on time, avoid running up high balances, and let your history grow. Before you know it, you’ll have an established credit score!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my credit score start at zero when I turn 18?
No, your credit score doesn’t start at zero. You actually start with no credit score at all since you don’t have a credit history yet.
Can I have a credit score before 18?
It’s possible if you’re an authorized user on someone else’s credit card account. Their history would then contribute to calculating your score.
What’s a good credit score for an 18 year old?
When you’re just starting out, aim for a score of at least 670, which is considered “good credit.” With responsible credit usage, your score will improve over time.
Where can I check my credit score for free?
Many banks and credit card companies offer free credit score access. You can also use free services like Credit Karma. AnnualCreditReport.com provides free credit reports.
How long does it take to build credit history?
It typically takes at least 6 months of credit usage to begin generating a credit score. The longer you build credit, the higher your score will be.
The Bottom Line
You likely don’t have a credit score when you turn 18 since you don’t have a credit history yet. But now is the perfect time to start building credit strategically so you can establish and grow your score. With patience and responsible habits, you’ll be on your way to a strong credit profile.
How is your starting credit score calculated?
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), here are some factors that have a direct impact on your credit scores:
- History of payments: Your payment history shows how often you’ve paid on time.
- Debt: This is the total amount of money you owe on all of your accounts and have yet to pay.
- Credit utilization is the ratio that shows how much of your available credit you’re using compared to how much you have available. Credit utilization is usually expressed as a percentage.
- Credit mix: The number and types of loans you have, like installment loans and credit cards that let you borrow money over and over again, are called your credit mix.
- Credit age shows how long your accounts have been open.
- New credit applications: This shows how many times you’ve recently tried to get new credit. The effect of a single application might be minor. But a lot of new applications, since each one causes a hard credit check, could make lenders think less of you.
How these things affect your scores depends on the credit-scoring model, which is a math formula that the company using your score figures out. A model might use information from a combination of different credit reports or from just one report. Then, each credit-scoring model might assign different levels of importance to that information.
FICO and VantageScore are the two credit-scoring companies that provide some of the most commonly used credit scores. Scores from both companies range from 300 to 850.
How to monitor your credit score
By going to AnnualCreditReport.com, you can get free copies of your credit report from all three of the major credit bureaus: Equifax®, Experian®, and TransUnion®. com.