Free companion site
Credit Score & Credit Report Project
The online videos, tools, and links that support your packet are organized to follow the project. Work through the sections your teacher assigns, or use the menu to jump directly to a resource.
4 activity videos + review videoInteractive credit reportUtilization calculatorCost of credit calculatorFree to use
Get the full classroom-ready project
Credit Score & Credit Report Project
This site is the free companion to the complete printable and digital project for middle school, high school, and adult education.
- A complete, original credit report to read line by line
- Utilization, the cost of bad credit, and building credit from zero
- Guided Practice version, teacher guide, quiz, and rubric
- Editable PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Easel
Opens in a new tab · Mister G's Teacher Shop
★ReferencePacket: Cost of Credit at a Glance
Cost of Credit at a Glance
This is the same rate sheet that's in your packet. Five people take out the same loan; the only difference is their credit score.
Poor300 – 579
Fair580 – 669
Good670 – 739
Very Good740 – 799
Exceptional800 – 850
FICO® Score ranges. Most scores lenders use run from 300 to 850.
New car loan: borrow $25,000 for 5 years
| Credit score | APR | Monthly payment | Total interest | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 – 850 Exceptional | 4.50% | $466.08 | $2,964.80 | $27,964.80 |
| 740 – 799 Very Good | 5.50% | $477.53 | $3,651.80 | $28,651.80 |
| 670 – 739 Good | 7.00% | $495.03 | $4,701.80 | $29,701.80 |
| 580 – 669 Fair | 11.50% | $549.82 | $7,989.20 | $32,989.20 |
| 300 – 579 Poor | 16.00% | $607.95 | $11,477.00 | $36,477.00 |
Home mortgage: borrow $300,000 for 30 years
| Credit score | APR | Monthly payment | Total interest | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 – 850 Exceptional | 6.00% | $1,798.65 | $347,514.00 | $647,514.00 |
| 740 – 799 Very Good | 6.25% | $1,847.15 | $364,974.00 | $664,974.00 |
| 670 – 739 Good | 6.75% | $1,945.79 | $400,484.40 | $700,484.40 |
| 580 – 669 Fair | 7.50% | $2,097.64 | $455,150.40 | $755,150.40 |
| 300 – 579 Poor | 8.50% | $2,306.74 | $530,426.40 | $830,426.40 |
Illustrative sample rates for this project. Actual rates and approval standards change over time and also depend on the lender, loan type, income, down payment, and other factors. Scores below 580 can make mortgage approval much harder and can sharply limit a borrower's options.
Section 1
What Is a Credit Score?
01WatchPacket: Credit Score Basics
Credit Score Basics
Meet Leslie and Andy: same age, same job, same salary, and very different credit. This short video shows why lenders created the credit score and what it decides.
YouTube
Understanding Your Credit Score
What the number is, who uses it, and why Leslie gets a better rate than Andy.
Fact-check as you watch. This video was made several years ago, and a few of its numbers are off. Your packet has questions that help you catch them, so write down exactly what the video says.
Section 2
Your Credit Report
02WatchPacket: Credit Report vs. Credit Score
Credit Report vs. Credit Score
People use these terms as if they mean the same thing, but they don't. The report is the record: every account, every payment, every late one. The score is a single number calculated from that record.
YouTube
Credit Report vs. Credit Score
The record versus the number, who keeps your report, and why you should check it.
Update since the video was made: you can now get your credit reports free every week, not just once a year, at AnnualCreditReport.com.
03ExplorePacket: Reading a Credit Report
Explore a Credit Report
This is Nia Brooks's practice credit report. It uses the same seven types of sections as Elena's report in your packet, but all names and numbers are different. Practice here first, then return to Elena's report to complete the packet questions.
On a phone, swipe the report tables sideways to see every column.
Tap any highlighted part of the report to see what it means. Try the section bars, the numbers, the payment grids, and the inquiries.
CLEARPATH CREDIT BUREAU
Consumer Credit Report · Sample for classroom use
Consumer Credit Report · Sample for classroom use
Prepared for: NIA R BROOKS
Report date: 10/01/2026
Report date: 10/01/2026
| Name(s) reported | NIA R BROOKS · NIA BROOKS |
|---|---|
| Social Security no. | XXX-XX-2290 Year of birth: 1999 |
| Addresses | 1408 Elm St., Apt. 2, Toledo, OH 43604 (current) 77 Harbor View Rd., Sandusky, OH 44870 (previous) |
| Employer | Lakeshore Logistics, Dispatcher |
| Open accounts | 4 | Credit card balances | $1,800 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed accounts | 0 | Credit card limits | $4,500 |
| Accounts ever late | 1 | Loan balances | $27,386 |
| Collections | 0 | Hard inquiries, last 2 years | 2 |
A RIVERBEND CREDIT UNION Visa credit cardRevolving
| Date opened | 06/2017 | Credit limit | $4,000 | Minimum payment | $54 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Responsibility | Individual | Balance | $1,800 | Status | Open · Current · Late once |
Payment history, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
30
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
B SPARK RETAIL Store credit cardRevolving
| Date opened | 01/2023 | Credit limit | $500 | Minimum payment | $0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Responsibility | Individual | Balance | $0 | Status | Open · Current · Never late |
Payment history, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
C MAPLE AUTO FINANCE Auto loanInstallment
| Date opened | 03/2025 | Original amount | $22,000 | Monthly payment | $436 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loan term | 60 months | Balance | $16,186 | Status | Open · Current · Never late |
Payment history, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
D EDUSERVE LOAN SERVICING Federal student loanInstallment
| Date opened | 08/2017 | Original amount | $18,000 | Monthly payment | $190 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loan term | 10 years | Balance | $11,200 | Status | Open · Current · Never late |
Payment history, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
None reported.
| Hard inquiries (lenders can see these) | ||
|---|---|---|
| LAKEVIEW AUTO CREDIT | 03/10/2025 | Application for an auto loan |
| MAPLE AUTO FINANCE | 03/12/2025 | Application for an auto loan |
| Soft inquiries (only you can see these) | ||
| NORTHGATE BANK | 07/14/2026 | Pre-approved credit card offer |
| RIVERBEND CREDIT UNION | 08/30/2026 | Review of your existing account |
| NIA BROOKS | 10/01/2026 | Your own request for this report |
None reported.
Free reports every week at AnnualCreditReport.com. You can dispute anything that is wrong, for free.
Section 3
What Moves the Score
04WatchPacket: What Makes Up a Credit Score
What Makes Up a Credit Score
A score isn't a mystery. FICO commonly groups score information into five categories. The familiar percentages are approximate educational weights, and their importance can vary from one credit profile to another.
YouTube
What Makes Up a Credit Score
The five factors and how much each one counts.
Watch for the approximate percentages. On the next video page you'll match the five FICO categories to the commonly taught 35% / 30% / 15% / 10% / 10% breakdown. Those percentages are a useful guide, not a fixed formula for every person.
05WatchPacket: Improving Your Credit Score
Improving Your Credit Score
A low score isn't permanent. This video covers habits that generally support stronger credit: paying on time, keeping card balances low, maintaining older accounts when it makes sense, and applying for new credit only when you need it.
YouTube
Improving Your Credit Score
The habits that raise a score, one factor at a time.
Related terms, but not exact synonyms. Credit utilization is an important part of the broader Amounts Owed category. Recent inquiries are one part of New Credit, which also considers newly opened accounts and how recently accounts were opened. Credit Mix is also commonly described as types of credit used.
06CalculatePacket: Utilization Deep Dive
Utilization Calculator
Credit utilization is your credit card balances divided by your credit limits. It is an important part of the FICO Amounts Owed category. Scoring models can look at each card and at all of your cards together. Change a balance, add a card, or close one, and watch what happens.
Those are numbers from your packet. Work that one out on paper first, then come back and try your own numbers.
Overall utilization (open cards)
–
The labels above are classroom guidelines, not official FICO score bands. In general, lower revolving utilization is better for scoring.
Try this: pay off one card, then check "Close this card." You owe less, but your utilization can go up, because that card's limit disappears from the total. Lower utilization generally helps, but there is no single "magic" percentage that guarantees a particular score.
07Try itPacket: My FICO® Scores
FICO® Score Estimator
Answer about ten questions about how someone uses credit, and the estimator shows the score range those habits would likely produce. Use Tom's, Sara's, and Billy's answers from your packet.
myFICO® Score Estimator
Run it once for each person in your chart. For the optional Best & Worst Scores page, change one answer at a time and watch the range move.
Open the FICO® Score Estimator ↗Opens in a new tab · myFICO · Free, no account needed
Answer as the person in your packet, not as yourself. This is a commercial credit company's website. It never needs your name, Social Security number, or any account information, so don't enter any, and skip any offers to sign up.
Section 4
Your Credit Future
08ProtectPacket: Protect Your Credit
Protect Your Credit
These are the official, free places to check your credit and protect it. Bookmark them for when you're an adult.
Free credit reports
Your reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, free every week. The only site authorized by federal law.
AnnualCreditReport.com ↗Official · Free
Report identity theft
The Federal Trade Commission's site. Get an official report and a step-by-step recovery plan.
IdentityTheft.gov ↗Federal Trade Commission · Free
Freezes and fraud alerts
The FTC explains how a credit freeze and a fraud alert work, and when to use each.
Read the FTC guide ↗Federal Trade Commission · Free
Sites that ask for a credit card number to show you your report are selling something else. Your reports, freezes, and fraud alerts are always free.
09CalculatePacket: Impact of Your Credit Score
Cost of Credit Calculator
Two people borrow the same amount for the same car or house. The only difference is their credit score. Choose a loan and two score ranges to see the gap. It uses the same sample rates as your packet.
That's a loan from your packet. Use Cost of Credit at a Glance and work it out on paper first, then try a different amount here.
This tool uses the packet's illustrative APRs to show how borrowing cost changes. Actual lenders use additional information and may offer different rates or approval standards.
10OptionalPacket: Impact of Your Credit Score: optional extension
Today's Real Rates
The rates in your packet are illustrative samples. Real rates change frequently. Use the myFICO Loan Savings Calculator below to record the current rates it displays for each score range.
myFICO® Loan Savings Calculator
Enter a $25,000 new auto loan for 60 months, then read across the score ranges. Find the range that each person's score falls in.
Open the calculator ↗Opens in a new tab · myFICO · Free, no account needed
Backup calculator
If the myFICO calculator won't load, use this car loan calculator: enter the loan, try different interest rates, and watch the total cost change.
Open the NerdWallet calculator ↗Opens in a new tab · NerdWallet
Use only the numbers from your packet. Both are commercial websites that advertise real loans. Don't enter any personal information.
Extras
Review and Keep Going
11ReviewBefore the Credit Score Quiz
1-Minute Review Video
Vimeo · Mister G
Credit Scores & Reports Explained in 1 Minute
The whole topic, start to finish, in about sixty seconds. A good review before the quiz.
➜Keep going
Where Credit Shows Up Next
Credit Card Project
Read a statement, compare cards, and see how interest grows when you carry a balance.
Credit Card Project ↗Mister G
Buy a Car Project
Shop for a car and a loan, and see how your score changes the payment.
Buy a Car Project ↗Mister G
Buy a House Project
Mortgages, down payments, and why a credit score matters most on the biggest loan of all.
Buy a House Project ↗Mister G
Checking Account Project
Debit cards don't build credit, but a checking account is where your payments come from.
Checking Account Project ↗Mister G
Nia Brooks, Elena Torres, and every report, person, and company on this page are fictional. Sample rates are for classroom use only.