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Keeping on top of your FICO® Score amid Coronavirus

FICO® Score checklist for Coronavirus.

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Prepare & Recover

Disease outbreaks like the ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic can impact all aspects of life. While there is a lot of good information on how to prepare to protect your health and safety, you also need to consider your FICO® Score and your financial health.

The presence of coronavirus in your community will not affect your FICO® Score directly, because data such as ZIP code or county is not considered by the model in calculating your score.

Instead, FICO® Scores are impacted negatively by consumer behaviors, such as missing payments, charging credit cards up to or over the credit limits, or opening several new credit accounts over a short period of time. These are all things that could possibly happen to a consumer’s credit profile during an outbreak if they are not prepared.

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Most banks have special procedures in place to work with you through this difficult time to help you maintain your good credit status. But there are also steps you can take now to be prepared:

  Understand what credit information you may need during the outbreak.

  Plan in advance to automate critical deposits and payments such as your mortgage.

  Notify lenders about your circumstances and ask if you qualify for forbearance.

This FICO® Score Checklist for Coronavirus can help you be prepared in case the outbreak disrupts your life and finances.

To learn more, visit the myFICO blog:

Overview of Coronavirus Financial Relief Programs
Deferring Loan Payments During Coronavirus
The Coronavirus Aid Package and Protecting Your Credit
Keeping Watch Over Your Identity During the Pandemic