What are the 5 factors that affect your credit score?

Okay, so you want to make this feel less like a dry explanation and more like, well, me just venting about my credit score woes? Got it! Here’s my attempt at rewriting it:

“Ugh, my credit score! Seriously, does anyone not stress about it? It’s like this constant little gremlin whispering anxieties in my ear. And you know what gets me? It all boils down to those five things, right? Payment history – gotta pay on time, duh! Then there’s how much debt you’re carrying, which, let’s be real, is a juggling act in itself. How long you’ve had credit history… like, I’m being penalized for not being in debt longer? Make it make sense! The different types of credit you use…is it better to have a mix? I honestly never know! Oh, and any new credit you apply for – apparently, that’s a big deal too.

Honestly, sometimes I feel like one little slip-up, one forgotten payment (because life happens, right?), and BAM! My score is plummeting faster than my motivation to go to the gym on a Monday morning. It’s so frustrating trying to keep all these plates spinning, especially when you’re trying to, you know, live your life. All I want is a decent enough score so I can finally buy a house! Is that too much to ask? I swear, sometimes I feel like they make it deliberately confusing. Remember that time I thought I’d closed a credit card, only to find out months later there were still small charges racking up and dinging my credit? Ugh, don’t even get me started. So yeah, those five factors? They’re not just factors, they’re the bane of my financial existence!”