Key Takeaways
- Length of credit history makes up roughly 15% of a typical FICO credit score.
- Both your oldest account age and the average age of all accounts are factored in.
- Closing old accounts can lower your average account age and hurt your score.
- Opening several new accounts at once reduces your average account age significantly.
- Patience is the only guaranteed way to build a longer credit history.
Age of Credit History
Age of credit history refers to how long you've been using credit accounts. Credit scoring models consider both the age of your oldest account and the average age of all your accounts. A longer credit history generally signals to lenders that you have more experience managing debt responsibly.
In FICO scoring, length of credit history accounts for approximately 15% of your total score and includes the age of your oldest account, your newest account, and the average age across all accounts.
How Credit Scoring Models Calculate Account Age
When a lender pulls your credit report, the scoring model doesn't just look at your oldest card — it evaluates several time-based signals at once. Specifically, it considers:
- Age of your oldest account: How long you've had any credit account at all.
- Age of your newest account: When your most recent account was opened.
- Average age of all accounts: The mean account age across every open and recently closed account on your report.
Each of these sub-factors contributes to the length-of-history component, which represents approximately 15% of a standard FICO score. To understand how this fits into the broader picture, see what your credit score actually measures.
15%
Credit score weight for length of history
According to FICO's published scoring factor breakdown, length of credit history accounts for 15% of a standard FICO score.
10 years
How long positive closed accounts stay on your report
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes that most positive account information, including closed accounts, remains on a credit report for up to 10 years.
7+ years
Credit history length associated with stronger scores
Borrowers with longer credit histories — generally seven or more years — tend to see this factor contribute positively to their overall scores, according to general credit industry guidance.
Why Old Accounts Are Worth Protecting
Your oldest credit account is an anchor. It sets the outer boundary of your credit timeline and signals to scoring models — and to lenders — that you have a sustained track record with credit. When that account disappears, either because you close it or because it eventually ages off your report, your apparent credit history can shorten overnight.
This matters most when you're applying for major credit products like mortgages or auto loans, where lenders scrutinize your full credit profile. A shorter average account age can push your score down even if you've never missed a payment.
Keep Old Cards Active With Small Charges
You don't need to carry a balance or use an old card regularly to keep it open. Putting a single small recurring charge on it — like a monthly subscription — and paying it off in full each month can prevent the issuer from closing the account due to inactivity, while preserving your credit age anchor.
For a complete overview of how credit history interacts with every other score factor, explore the full credit score picture from first card to mortgage.
Common Mistakes That Shorten Your Credit History
Several common behaviors can inadvertently compress your credit timeline:
- Closing your oldest card: Even if you no longer use it, closing your oldest credit card removes an anchor account and can drop both your oldest account age and your average age simultaneously.
- Opening multiple new accounts quickly: Each new account is brand-new by definition. Several new accounts opened in the same year can dramatically lower your average account age. This compounds with the hard inquiry impact described in how utilization and other factors quietly move your score.
- Letting a card go inactive until the issuer closes it: Some issuers close inactive accounts, which removes them from your active account roster and shortens your history just as surely as if you'd closed it yourself.
Authorized User Accounts and Credit Age
Being added as an authorized user on another person's long-standing credit account may allow that account's history to appear on your credit report, depending on the card issuer's reporting practices. This can be a legitimate way to benefit from an established account's age — but results vary, and you should confirm the issuer reports authorized user activity before relying on this strategy.
If you're starting from scratch, the principles in building credit with no credit history explain how to lay a foundation designed to age well over time.
Practical Steps to Preserve and Grow Account Age
Because time is the only true solution to a short credit history, the most effective strategy is protecting what you already have:
- Keep old accounts open and lightly active. A small recurring charge — even a monthly streaming subscription — can keep a card active without accumulating debt.
- Be selective about new credit applications. Before applying for any new account, consider how it will affect your average age, not just your available credit.
- Monitor closed accounts. Positive closed accounts remain on your report for up to 10 years. Be aware of when significant older accounts will eventually disappear and plan accordingly.
This article provides general financial education and is not personalized financial or credit advice. For guidance specific to your situation, consult a qualified financial professional.