What Can You Get Approved For With a 602 Credit Score?

With a 602 credit score, you can likely get approved for a secured credit card, an auto loan, a personal loan, or an FHA mortgage with 3.5% down. Some issuers will approve you for an unsecured card too, though not all will. You'll pay more than borrowers with good credit, because your score sets your rate. At 602, you're 59 points from prime auto rates and 68 points from good credit.

Is 602 a poor credit score?

No. FICO's fair range runs from 580 to 669, so 602 sits in the lower half of it. At 670, you'd move into good credit.

A score in this range usually means your credit report shows one or more of these issues:

• A late payment. A payment 30 days or more late stays on your report for seven years. Its effect on your score shrinks as it ages, especially when newer on-time payments build behind it.
• High card balances. Using a large share of your available credit lowers your score. Unlike a late payment, this changes as soon as your balances come down.
• A short or thin credit history. A thin credit file, meaning a report with only a few accounts or accounts that haven't been open long, gives scoring models less to go on.

Many lenders will work with a 602 score. What changes is the terms, including higher rates, lower limits, and, in some states, higher car insurance premiums than borrowers with good credit get.

Read more >> What Can You Get Approved For With a 620 Credit Score?

What can you get approved for with a 602 credit score?

At 602, approval opens up across financial products, but prices can still run high.

Credit cards

Unsecured cards designed for fair credit are realistic at 602, though some issuers will want a higher score. Expect a modest limit and a higher APR than cards for good credit. Before applying, check whether the issuer offers prequalification, which uses a soft credit check that doesn't harm your credit. A full application adds a hard inquiry.

If you're turned down, a secured credit card is a reliable option. With these cards, you put down a refundable deposit that usually becomes your credit limit. A $500 deposit gets you a $500 limit, for example. You generally get the deposit back if you close the account in good standing or are graduated to an unsecured card with steady on-time payments.

Personal loans

A personal loan is realistic at 602, but expect a smaller amount and a higher rate than a borrower with good credit would get. Start with a credit union if you belong to one or can join. Federal credit unions can't charge more than 18% on most loans. Some also offer payday alternative loans (PALs) of up to $2,000, repaid over one to 12 months, with application fees capped at $20 and rates capped at 28%.

Online lenders and banks that work with fair credit are another option. Compare offers using prequalification, so only the lender you choose runs a hard credit check. Any of these is cheaper than a payday loan, where a typical $15 fee per $100 borrowed works out to an APR of almost 400%.

Auto loans

Approval for a car loan with a 602 credit score is often easier than approval for a personal loan with the same score. That's because your car is the collateral: If you stop paying, the lender can take it back and sell it. That lowers the lender's risk, but it also means falling behind puts your car at risk.

A 602 score falls in Experian's near prime tier (601 to 660), but only by 1 point. Your credit score plays a major role in the interest rate you're offered on a car loan. Near prime borrowers average 9.71% on new cars and 13.93% on used cars. On a $20,000, 60-month new car loan at average rates, a near prime borrower would pay about $3,000 more in interest than a super prime borrower, and about $2,000 more than a prime borrower. Experian sorts these tiers by VantageScore 4.0, so your FICO score may place you a little differently.

Use an auto loan calculator to check payment amounts before you sign.

Mortgages

With a 602 credit score, a mortgage is within reach, but the type you choose makes a big difference in cost:

• FHA loans. Borrowers with scores of 580 or higher can qualify with 3.5% down. On a $250,000 home, that's $8,750 up front. Each lender can set higher minimums.
• Conventional loans. Fannie Mae no longer sets a minimum score for loans run through its automated system, but lenders still set their own, and some may look for more than 602. Fannie Mae also charges lenders an upfront fee on the loans it buys, based on your score and down payment. At 20% down, the fee for scores of 639 and below is 2.75% of the loan amount, compared with 0.375% at 780 or higher. On a $200,000 loan, that's $5,500 versus $750, paid through a higher rate or more cash at closing. At 640, the fee drops to 2.25%, about $1,000 less on the same loan.
• USDA loans. These are for homes in eligible rural and suburban areas with income limits. USDA doesn't set a minimum score, but lenders typically look for 620 to 640. At 602, you're below the range most lenders look for.

A lender can show you an FHA and a conventional quote side by side. Our mortgage calculator can help you compare the monthly payments.

What interest rates can you expect with a 602 credit score?

Expect rates above what borrowers with good credit get. The Federal Reserve's averages across all borrowers were 22.15% for card accounts charging interest and 11.86% for 24-month bank personal loans. With a 602 score, your offers are likely to come in above them.

The rate applies to the whole balance, so a few percentage points add up. If you can wait to borrow, 59 points would move you into the prime tier for auto loans, and 68 would get you to good credit.

5 ways to raise a 602 credit score

1. Check your credit reports for errors. You can get all three for free every week at AnnualCreditReport.com. If something is wrong, like an account that isn't yours or a late payment you made on time, dispute it with the bureau. Disputing is free.
2. Bring any past-due accounts current, if you can. If you're juggling more than one, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) can connect you to free or low-cost counseling at 800-388-2227.
3. Pay every bill on time. Payment history is the biggest factor in your score, making up 35% of a FICO Score. At 602, one new late payment can also cost you your place in Experian's near prime tier.
4. Pay down card balances. Using less of your available credit can raise your score as soon as your issuer reports the lower balance. That boost lasts only while the balances stay low.
5. Apply only when you need to. Each application can add a hard inquiry, which takes a few points off for about a year. Prequalify first where you can, since it uses a soft check.

If your report is thin on accounts, adding one helps. A Kikoff Credit Account reports your payments to all three bureaus.

Read more >> How to Build Credit

Bottom line

At 602, you can get approved for most products, including an FHA mortgage with 3.5% down. What your score decides now is the price. You're 59 points from Experian's prime auto tier and 68 points from good credit in FICO's ranges. On-time payments and lower balances are the steadiest way to close that gap.

Kikoff brings credit building, bill and rent reporting, AI-powered disputes, credit monitoring, and debt negotiation into one place. Sign up with no credit check. Plans start at $5 a month.