Credit Fixes Contrary to FICO’s Thinking

Should we have to deal with a corrupted measuring tool by learning how to “trick it” or should we try to fix the broken machine?

In “Knowing the Score on Credit Can Help” (Personal Finance, May 25), Kathy M. Kristof makes a good effort in trying to help citizens cope when dealing with FICO scores. We’re told not to pay off small old accounts with balances, don’t cancel an old unused credit card, and many more practices that a conscientious person with a good credit rating would normally do.

Why shouldn’t we do this? Because the people behind FICO misinterpret these and other actions as signs of a bad credit risk and our score goes down.

Over and over again we are told how to act contrary to what is correct so the FICO people will get a more honest and accurate accounting of our true credit profile.

What results are credit applicants being penalized while a small tutored minority try to improve their scores to better represent their bona fide credit worth.

After all these years why aren’t credit approving companies forced to fix their broken and flawed evaluation tools instead of trying to teach the public how to “fool” the credit machine so they are fairly judged?

Robert Greene

Woodland Hills