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Say you’ve got a credit score of 750, and you miss one credit card payment. Will this impact your credit score MORE or LESS if your original score was 650?  Why do you think this is the case?

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Final answer:

Missing a credit card payment can have a more significant impact on a higher credit score (750) than on a lower score (650), as a high score indicates a strong track record that is tarnished by a late payment. Payment history is crucial, and timely payments help maintain or improve a credit score, whereas late payments can negatively affect your creditworthiness.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you have a credit score of 750 and miss one credit card payment, the impact on your credit score may be more severe than if your original score was 650. Lenders and credit scoring models view a high credit score as an indication of a borrower's reliability and timely repayment habits. Therefore, a late payment could significantly tarnish this perception, leading to a larger point drop for someone with a higher score. On the other hand, for someone with a 650 score, late payments might be more expected, so the score could drop less for a single late payment. It is essential to maintain a positive payment history since a borrower who has been late on a number of loan payments seems less likely to repay the loan on time.

Moreover, your credit rating is a measure of creditworthiness, with higher scores generally indicating a better track record of repaying debts. Creditors use a formula to calculate your minimum payment, and consistently meeting or exceeding this payment can maintain or improve your credit score. However, if you carry a credit card balance from month to month and only make the minimum payment, you accrue interest, which lengthens the time it takes to pay off the balance and increases the total amount paid. It is important to make timely payments to minimize interest charges and maintain a favorable credit rating.

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