Credit Score, Increased Since Investigation, Re-pull?

So, I had my credit score pulled just before my investigation interview. Since then my score has went up significantly. When they pulled it my score was around 640. Now, it has been mid 700s for a few months. Can I have them redo my credit pull to use that score?

This post is for Amber, EdFarm, or Marko. The issue was my credit usage percentage was too high, because I did not have much credit out in my name. I was allotted much more than $1,000. So, my amount of credit used was paid down and the amount of credit available was increased tenfold. Now, my percentage usage is around 10% and my score is projected to keep being strong.

1 Like

The score doesnt matter at all. Its everything else on the report that is looked at.

3 Likes

@velcroTech is absolutely right. There was even a recent blog post on this site about this topic: https://www.clearancejobsblog.com/truths-and-myths-on-credit-reports-for-background-investigations/

Score doesn’t matter. The full report is used to find employers, other used names, addresses, delinquency, etc. The score is better if you are not delinquent, but the score itself doesn’t matter. Improvements due to credit line increases (usage ratio reduction) doesn’t reflect anything that matters to adjudicators.

The only score that counts is the NBIB rating score, 0 to 9. 0 being the best.

Background: my file says OPM rating. It goes from 1-9. Looks like an aggregate of entire credit history.

The actual OPM scoring is an aggregate. The 1-9 are ratings where lower is better.

Got it. And the score appears to be based on accounts that are paid as agreed and those that have ever been late (30 days or greater). Not the amount of debt or type.

For the most part. You can use the required reporting from the SF 86 to figure out most of the scoring criteria.

Can you elaborate on this? What constitutes a 0 or a 9?

You don’t get to see it unless you do a FOIA request to get your file.

question all:

how do I know that the Credit report already went through for my case? I mean: that report was already pulled?? i already had my interview - but no one mentioned anything about the Credit Score…

many thanks.

The credit score doesnt matter.

You will see an inquiry from OPM or DOD on your credit report. It will be a soft pull with no impact to score

They are more interested in on time payment history and debt to income ratio then one number that can change based on which of the 3 agencies made it. The other stuff is common across all 3 so it doesn’t matter where they pull from, though they probably pull all 3.

Payment history yes - there is nothing on SF86 for debt to income ratio and I have never seen anyone request a monthly statement based on expenses and income. Some places you work don’t reveal your past salary so there is no way for them to know your income unless they ask which it isn’t a requirement to disclose

Maybe in the case of a SOR but that’s not for initial approval. Make your payments on time. In terms of living outside your means, what would your references say? If there is nothing to reveal then you don’t have to worry

Though on the credit report is the credit utilization, aka how much credit you have and credit being used, that is probably a metric they use.

It’s a useless metric. You can max out card on a benefits card for airline points, government takes a snap, now you are at 100%. Pay it off next month. Or have ten cards doing the same thing. As long as you are paying it doesn’t matter.

Some positions require a financial disclosure statement as well as a form listing all of your debts.

Yup, you can max out all your cards and if you are paying the Bill’s, it’s a minor thing that may enter into “whole person” calculations…maybe, but if you miss payments, have delinquencies, then there are issues.

Does your NBIB rating score determines how in depth a security clearance investigator investigates a Security clearance application financial history activities?