What a 690 credit score gets you
Mortgage
Options available
FHA, conventional and VA options may be available, subject to program and lender requirements; VA itself has no minimum score. If you are a few months from applying, timing is the real question, because closing at 690 or at 700 puts a fixed-rate loan in different pricing bands for its whole life.
Car loan
Options available
In the 680–699 reference band; actual approval and pricing depend on the lender and your finances. A car loan is a much shorter commitment than a mortgage, so if the car cannot wait, taking the 690 rate now and looking at a refinance after crossing 700 is a reasonable plan.
Credit cards
Possible
Rewards cards aimed at good credit approve here; some premium cards ask for more. The APR offered will reflect a 690, so paying in full each month is what makes any card cheap at this score.
Renting
Options available
A 690 rarely holds up a rental application on its own. There is no official minimum score, so the bar is whatever each landlord sets.
These are broad credit-score categories, not approval odds. Lenders also assess income, debt, credit history and their own requirements.
What 690 costs you in interest
Find 690 on either chart and you will see it shares a bar with 680. That bar is the one to leave. On the car loan, the step down at 700 is one of the steeper ones in the Good range. On the mortgage it is one of only two real steps between 680 and 740; the other is 740 itself.
$350,000 mortgage, 30-year fixed
At 690: 7.75%, $2,507 a month, $552,679 in interest over the loan.
| Score band | Rate | Monthly | Total interest | vs. best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 780–850 | 7.29% | $2,397 | $512,963 | – |
| 760–779 | 7.39% | $2,421 | $521,539 | +$8,576 |
| 740–759 | 7.47% | $2,440 | $528,423 | +$15,460 |
| 720–739 | 7.58% | $2,466 | $537,923 | +$24,960 |
| 700–719 Next | 7.63% | $2,478 | $542,254 | +$29,290 |
| 680–699 You | 7.75% | $2,507 | $552,679 | +$39,716 |
| 660–679 | 7.79% | $2,517 | $556,165 | +$43,201 |
| 640–659 | 7.9% | $2,544 | $565,775 | +$52,812 |
| 620–639 | 8.08% | $2,588 | $581,580 | +$68,617 |
$35,000 new car, 60 months
At 690: 7.5%, $701 a month, $7,080 in interest.
| Score band | Rate | Monthly | Total interest | vs. best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 780–850 | 6.2% | $680 | $5,794 | – |
| 760–779 | 6.24% | $681 | $5,834 | +$39 |
| 740–759 | 6.38% | $683 | $5,971 | +$177 |
| 720–739 | 6.4% | $683 | $5,991 | +$196 |
| 700–719 Next | 6.85% | $691 | $6,434 | +$640 |
| 680–699 You | 7.5% | $701 | $7,080 | +$1,285 |
| 660–679 | 8.3% | $715 | $7,883 | +$2,088 |
| 640–659 | 9.19% | $730 | $8,786 | +$2,992 |
National averages by FICO band from myFICO (data: Curinos), as of October 29, 2026. The rate you are offered depends on the lender, your down payment, income and debts. Where these rates come from.
What would a different score cost?
Same loan. Two scores. See the difference.
At 700 compared with 690
| Score | Reference rate | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 690 | 7.75% | $2,507.44 | $552,679.43 |
| 700 | 7.63% | $2,478.48 | $542,253.55 |
At 700, the estimate is $28.96 less per month and $10,425.88 less interest over the full term.
Reference rates: 30-year fixed mortgages, October 29, 2026, myFICO (Curinos). Changing the amount or term holds these rates constant. Methodology.
What this estimate includes
Estimates use national average bands, not an offer or approval prediction. Your lender may use a different score. Mortgage payments exclude taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance and fees. Full-term interest assumes no refinancing, early payoff or extra payments.
How to get from 690 to 700
Ten points with a deadline is a different job from ten points without one. If a loan is coming, work backward from the day the lender will pull your credit.
- Two statement cycles out, stop applying for anything. No store cards at checkout, no balance-transfer offers, no new lines of any kind.
- One cycle out, pay every card down before its statement closes. Many issuers report the statement balance, although practices vary, and amounts owed is 30% of the score.
- Check the score once those statements report. If it reads 700 or more, apply soon. Balances are reported monthly, and next month's statements could move it back.
- If it still reads in the 690s, decide on the loan, not the score. A car can be financed now and refinanced later. A mortgage rate can be fixed for decades, which makes it the one case where waiting a few more months may be worth it.
With no loan on the horizon, none of this is urgent. 690 can support an application; the ten points matter only on the day someone prices a loan for you.
What a Good score means (670 to 739)
A good score can give you a wider choice of lenders. This is the stretch where published reference bands can still change the estimate. 20.1% of Americans with a FICO score are in this range, according to Experian's 2025 data. What the good range means in practice.
Questions about a 690 score
Is 690 a good credit score to buy a house?
Yes. 690 clears the published minimums for conventional and FHA loans, and VA has none of its own. On a conventional loan, 700 is the next point where pricing improves, so if you are close it can be worth crossing before you lock a rate.
Sources (6)
- myFICO Loan Savings Calculator (rates by FICO band, data: Curinos), updated daily
- myFICO: What is a FICO Score? (score ranges and what goes into them)
- HUD Handbook 4000.1 (FHA minimum credit scores) and Mortgagee Letter 2026-11, October 8, 2026
- VA Home Loan Buyer's Guide (no VA minimum credit score)
- Fannie Mae Loan-Level Price Adjustment Matrix, September 30, 2026
- Experian: What is the average credit score in the U.S.? (share of consumers in each FICO range), 2025 data, published March 2026
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