• Payment History (35%): The first thing a lender wants to know is whether past credit accounts have been paid on time.
• Amounts Owed (30%): Part of the science of scoring is determining how much is too much for a given credit profile.
• Length of Credit History (15%): In general, a longer credit history will increase the score. However, even people who have not been using credit long may get high scores, depending on how the rest of the credit report looks.
• New Credit (10%): Research shows that opening several credit accounts in a short period of time does represent greater risk - especially for people who do not have a long-established credit history. This also extends to requests for credit, as indicated by certain "inquiries" to the credit reporting agencies, resulting from requests for new credit. An inquiry is a request by a lender to get a copy of a credit report.
• Type of Credit (10%): The score will consider the mix of credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, finance company accounts, and mortgage loans.

Does Everyone Have a Credit Score?
No. In order for a credit score to be calculated on a credit report, the report must contain at least one account that has been open for six months or greater. In addition, the report must contain at least one account that has been updated in the past six months. This ensures that there is enough information in a report on which to base a score.

What Can I Do To Improve My Credit Score?

• Pay your bills consistently and on time.
• Check your credit report annually and remove any errors.
• Keep your debt reasonable.
• Maintain only a reasonable amount of unused credit.
• Avoid too many inquiries.
• Wells Fargo's Online Credit Resource Center
• Empower yourself - learn more about credit and how you can use it.

Whether you're planning a big purchase or just managing your daily finances, it's crucial that you know what's on your credit report, what your credit score is, and the difference between the two. Wells Fargo's Credit Resource Center can provide the answers you need. For more information, visit www.wellsfargo.com/credit_center.