What is a "thin" credit file?

A credit report is considered “thin” when there is not enough credit history to generate a credit score.

Why It Matters

Credit scoring models require sufficient payment history on accounts in your credit file to calculate a score. Without enough reported activity, a score cannot be produced.

How Much History Is Needed?

Requirements can vary depending on the scoring model, but in general:

• At least one active account is needed
• A 3–6 month payment history is typically required

Some modern scoring models, such as VantageScore 3.0 (used by Credit Sesame), may be able to generate a score with as little as 3 months of payment history.