My score just hit 800 for the first time and I'm not sure it matters

I've been paying my card in full for about three years and my score finally crossed 800 last month. My friend says it's a big deal for getting the best rates, but my other friend says anything over 760 is basically the same. I got a 3.2% car loan last year with a 780, so I don't see what the extra 20 points really do. Has anyone actually gotten a noticeably better deal because they went from the high 700s into the 800s?

3 comments

3 Comments

noah_barnes3mo ago

Congrats on hitting 800, that's solid work. Your friend is right that 760 gets you top tier rates on most things, but crossing 800 can matter for the absolute best offers on private banking stuff or huge loans. It also gives you more buffer if you need to open new credit. I pushed past 800 last year and suddenly got pre-approved for cards with limits double my old ones. It feels like a safety net.

jamiesingh3mo agoMost Upvoted

Exactly, @noah_barnes. It's the difference between good and bulletproof.

sethanderson1mo ago

Drove down to the credit union last week to cosign my nephew's first car loan and the lady at the desk asked me what my score was. Told her it was around 810 and she just nodded and said "okay then" and didn't even bother pulling the full report. It was like the whole conversation stopped right there. But then my wife refinanced her student loans with a 790 and got the exact same 5.8% rate I saw on the paper. So honestly I think it's more about how comfortable you feel walking in the door. A 780 gets you the same numbers but a 800 gets you out of the parking lot five minutes earlier because nobody questions anything.