Why Credit Age Matters: Building Long Credit History

Key Takeaways

Credit age is about 15% of your FICO score
Both oldest account and average age matter
Closing old accounts eventually hurts your age
New accounts lower your average age
Authorized user status can add instant history

What Is Credit Age?

Credit age refers to how long you've had credit accounts. Credit scoring models look at several age-related factors to assess your experience managing credit over time.

What Scoring Models Consider

Age of oldest account: Your longest-open account
Age of newest account: Most recently opened
Average age of all accounts: Total age ÷ number of accounts
Time since accounts used: Recent activity

Credit Age Factors

Score weight: ~15% of FICO
Excellent history: 7+ years average
Good history: 3-6 years average
Thin file: Under 2 years

How Credit Age Affects Your Score

Why Lenders Care

Longer history = more data to evaluate
Shows sustained responsible behavior
Indicates stability
Predicts future behavior better

Average Age Calculation

Your average account age is the sum of all account ages divided by the number of accounts.

Card 1: 10 years old
Card 2: 5 years old
Loan: 3 years old
Average: (10+5+3) ÷ 3 = 6 years

Impact of New Accounts

Opening a new account immediately lowers your average age:

Before: 3 accounts, 6-year average
Open new card: 4 accounts
After: (10+5+3+0) ÷ 4 = 4.5-year average

Balance Credit Age with Credit Mix

While new accounts lower your average age, having a healthy credit mix is also important. Don't avoid all new credit just to protect your age—the score impact balances out.

Building Credit History

Keep Old Accounts Open

Don't close oldest cards even if unused
Use occasionally to keep active
Set up small recurring charge on old cards
Consider product changes instead of closing

Become an Authorized User

Added to family member's old account
Their account history appears on your report
Can instantly add years of history
Doesn't require new account (no age impact)

Be Strategic About New Credit

Space out applications
Only open accounts you need
Consider the long-term age impact
New accounts' age impact lessens over time

Common Mistakes That Hurt Credit Age

Closing Old Cards

Often done to "simplify" finances
Removes that account's age contribution (eventually)
Also hurts utilization (less available credit)
Better to keep open with zero balance

Opening Many Accounts Quickly

Dramatically lowers average age
Each new account starts at zero
Also creates multiple hard inquiries
Space out applications over time

Not Using Old Accounts

Issuers may close inactive accounts
Use each card at least once a year
Set up small recurring charge
Keep accounts active to retain them

Don't Close Your Oldest Card

Your oldest credit card has special value. Even if it has a small limit or you don't use it, that account's age helps your score. Consider product changing instead of closing.

Check Your Credit History Age

Review your credit report to see your account ages and average credit history length.

Check Your Report Learn how it works

Frequently Asked Questions

Length of credit history is about 15% of your FICO score. While not the largest factor, it's significant. Older average account age generally means higher scores, showing a longer track record of management.

7+ years is considered excellent. 3-6 years is good. Under 2 years is considered thin. The longer the better, but even young credit can have good scores with positive payment history.

Eventually yes. Closed accounts stay on your report for 10 years, contributing to credit age during that time. After they fall off, your average age drops. Keep old accounts open if possible.

You start building from your first account. After 6 months, you typically have a credit score. Good history takes 2-3 years to establish. Excellent history takes 7+ years of responsible use.

Usually yes. When added as an authorized user, that account's entire history typically appears on your report, including its age. This can instantly add years of credit history.