Updated: December 9, 2025 What Lenders See in Your Credit History
Overview
Credit history is the complete record of how long you’ve been using credit, from your very first credit card or loan till present. This factor typically accounts for around 15% of your total credit score. Lenders value a long history because it provides a reliable picture of your behavior, proving you are a trustworthy borrower.
The length of your credit history is a fundamental factor in your credit score, acting as proof of your long-term financial discipline. Simply put:
The longer you’ve successfully managed credit, the better your score will be.
Key Components of Length of Credit History
Your credit score is influenced by several components related to time:
- Average Age of Accounts: This is the average time all your active credit accounts have been open. Closing an old account or opening many new ones simultaneously will lower this average, which can damage your score.
- Age of Oldest Account: The longer your oldest account has been open, the better. It serves as strong evidence of your endurance and reliability as a borrower.
- Recent Activity: Accounts that have been open for a long time and are still active are the most beneficial.
How to Build and Protect Your History
Since you cannot instantly create a long credit history, the key is to adopt habits now that will maximize this factor over time:
- Start Early: Open your first credit account as soon as you can responsibly manage it. The clock starts ticking the moment you open the account.
- Keep Old Accounts Open: If you have an old credit card with no annual fee, do not close it, even if you don’t use it often. Closing it immediately reduces the average age of your accounts and shortens your history.
- Be Consistent: Make every payment on time. A long history of consistent, timely payments is what truly boosts your score and can help balance out any minor, past mistakes.
- Avoid Too Many New Accounts: Limit new loan or credit card applications to when they are truly necessary. Opening multiple accounts in a short time dilutes your “average age of accounts” and can cause a temporary dip in your score.
Conclusion
By being patient and maintaining positive habits over years, you ensure the length of your credit history becomes a solid pillar supporting an excellent credit score.
