Topic

Credit score

Every article and term on this topic, grouped by subtopic. Full glossary.

Fundamentals

How do I build a US credit report from scratch?

How a US credit file comes into existence, who reports what and when, why three bureaus hold three different files, and what an applicant arriving from abroad starts with.

Reviewed 18 September 2026Read

Credit score · Fundamentals10 minutes

What is the difference between FICO and VantageScore?

Why two families of US credit scores exist, why one person holds several different scores at once, and which of those numbers a lender actually looks at when you apply.

Reviewed 28 September 2026Read

Applications

Credit score · Applications10 minutes

What is the difference between a hard pull and a soft pull?

How a hard pull differs from a soft pull, what triggers each one, what each does to a US credit score, and why the order of applications matters most for newcomers from abroad.

Reviewed 13 October 2026Read

Business

Credit score · Business9 minutes

Am I personally liable for a business credit card?

Why a US business card almost always rests on the owner's personal credit, which of the two credit files gets reported when, and what the personal guarantee in the application actually commits you to.

Reviewed 28 September 2026Read

Utilization

Credit score · Utilization10 minutes

How is credit utilization calculated?

How credit utilization is calculated, which balance actually gets reported, and why somebody who pays in full every month can still show a high ratio in the credit file.

Reviewed 28 September 2026Read

Terms on this topic

Credit bureau: A credit bureau is a company that collects reports from lenders, matches them to a person and passes them on as a credit report when a lender asks.
Credit report: A credit report is the collection of reported credit accounts held on a person by a bureau, with limit, balance, payment status and the inquiries other lenders made.
DACH region: The DACH region is the shared German-speaking market of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, named after the country codes D, A and CH.
Hard pull: A hard pull is a check of a credit file made because a lending decision is pending. It is recorded, visible to other lenders and counts towards the score.
Soft pull: A soft pull is a check of a credit file with no lending decision pending. Only the person concerned can see it, and it has no effect on the score.