How late payments, collections, utilization, and inquiries show up on a credit report can move your FICO and VantageScore in slightly different ways, even though both models look at the same basic data. A blog on this topic should explain the shared foundations first, then highlight where the models diverge so readers know what really matters for each.

Intro: Same data, different math

Both FICO and VantageScore pull information from your credit reports and turn it into a three‑digit number lenders use to judge risk. They look at similar ingredients—payment history, amounts owed/utilization, length and mix of credit, and recent credit behavior—but weigh them a bit differently.

FICO’s classic model emphasizes payment history (about 35%) and amounts owed/credit utilization (about 30%), with the rest spread across length of history, new credit, and mix.
Recent VantageScore versions (3.0 and 4.0) lean even more heavily on payment history (around 40–41%) and give more structured tiers of influence to age/mix of credit, utilization, balances, recent credit, and available credit.

For readers, the key idea is that the same late payment or new inquiry may not produce exactly the same score movement in each model, even though both see the same event.

Late payments: the biggest shared threat

Payment history is the single most important factor in both FICO and VantageScore, so late payments and delinquencies can be devastating in any model. Both systems track whether you pay on time, how late you are (30, 60, 90 days), and whether accounts have gone into default, charge‑off, collection, or bankruptcy.

In FICO, missed payments on revolving accounts (like credit cards) and installment loans (like auto or student loans) hurt most when they are recent and severe; a fresh 90‑day late can drop scores far more than an older 30‑day late.
VantageScore 3.0 and 4.0 also treat payment history as “extremely influential,” and similarly punish recent serious delinquencies, but they may react more visibly to patterns—like multiple accounts falling behind around the same time.

When writing, stress that on‑time payments are the single most powerful habit for both models, and that rebuilding after a major late or default means stacking a long streak of perfect payments.

Collections: paid vs. unpaid and medical nuance

Collections are one of the most confusing areas for consumers because FICO and VantageScore versions do not all treat them the same way. A collection shows that a creditor gave up on regular billing and turned the account over to a collector, which both models see as a strong negative signal.

Some newer FICO versions (like FICO 9) reduce the impact of paid collections and treat medical collections more leniently than other types, though many lenders still use older FICO versions where any collection can be heavily damaging.
VantageScore 3.0 and 4.0 go further by ignoring all paid collections and excluding medical collections (paid and unpaid) from score calculations entirely, which means paying off a collection can help your VantageScore more visibly than certain FICO variants.

Highlight for readers that:

A collection can crush both scores when it first appears.
Paying it can improve matters, but the benefit may show up more quickly or clearly in VantageScore, depending on the exact FICO model a lender uses.

Utilization: how much you use vs. what you owe

Credit utilization—the share of your revolving credit limits you are using—is a core piece of the “amounts owed” category, and it plays a starring role in both scoring systems. Even if you pay on time, maxed‑out cards tell models you may be stretched thin and more likely to miss payments.

FICO treats “amounts owed” (which strongly features utilization) as about 30% of the score, focusing mainly on your most recently reported balances versus limits.
VantageScore 3.0 and 4.0 call utilization “highly influential,” around 20% of the total, and separate it from other balance‑related factors like total balances and available credit.

A key modern twist is VantageScore 4.0’s use of “trended data” from the past up to two years, looking not just at your current utilization, but whether you routinely revolve balances or pay them down over time. For blog readers, this means:

Paying your cards down before the statement date can quickly help both FICO and VantageScore because lower reported balances mean lower utilization.
Consistently reducing debt month after month can matter even more for VantageScore 4.0, which can reward positive trends instead of just a one‑time snapshot.

Inquiries and new credit: how “shopping around” is treated

Every time you formally apply for credit, a hard inquiry appears on your credit report, and both FICO and VantageScore treat that as a sign of potential new risk. A few recent inquiries are normal, but a cluster of them can signal financial stress or aggressive borrowing.

FICO groups rate‑shopping inquiries for certain loan types—mortgages, auto loans, and student loans—into a single event when they occur within about a 45‑day window, minimizing the impact on your score.
VantageScore also “dedupes” inquiries, but it typically uses a shorter 14‑day window and may apply this treatment more broadly to different types of credit, such as personal loans and credit cards, depending on the version.

In a blog, you can guide readers with clear practices:

Space out discretionary applications for credit cards and personal loans so you do not stack many inquiries in a short period.
When rate‑shopping for major loans, submit applications in a tight window to take advantage of inquiry deduplication in both models.

Pulling it together: practical takeaways for both scores

Although the formulas differ, the habits that protect both FICO and VantageScore are remarkably similar. Emphasize that chasing tiny differences between models matters less than building strong underlying report data.

Core habits to spotlight in your blog:

Pay every bill on time, every time; avoid letting accounts slip into collections, and act quickly if you fall behind.
Keep revolving utilization low—many experts suggest staying well below 30% of your total limits, and lower is often better if you can do it safely.
Limit new applications, especially if you are planning a major loan, and cluster rate‑shopping inquiries into a short window.
Maintain older accounts in good standing to preserve a deeper credit history that supports both scoring systems.

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