4 Traits of Americans With a Perfect 850 Credit Score

Under the widely used FICO® Score system, the highest credit score you can earn is an 850. According to Motley Fool Money research and Experian data, just 1.76% of Americans have managed to hit that perfect credit score number.

While you don't need a perfect credit score to access great financial perks, having a very good or excellent score (above 740) can make a meaningful difference.

So what separates the small group of people who hit an 850 from everyone else? Here are a few common traits and habits they share.

1. They tend to have more credit cards

The average American has about 3.9 credit cards. People with a perfect 850 credit score have 5.8 cards on average.

That might sound counterintuitive if you've ever heard that having "too many cards" hurts your credit. In reality, the number of cards you have isn't a direct scoring factor.

Holding multiple cards isn't required for great credit, but it can come with some perks. Many people open additional cards to earn better rewards (like cash back or travel points) or to take advantage of welcome offers. More cards can also mean more available credit, which can help your utilization ratio.

The tradeoff is complexity. More cards mean more due dates and more responsibility. Folks with perfect credit usually have systems in place to keep everything organized and paid on time.

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2. They keep their balances very low

Even though they have more cards, people with perfect credit carry much smaller balances.

The average credit card balance nationwide is $6,501. For those with an 850 score, it's less than half of that -- around $3,028.

This leads to extremely low credit utilization, which is one of the biggest drivers of your credit score. Credit utilization is simply the percentage of your available credit that you're using. For example, a $2,500 balance on a $10,000 total limit equals 25% utilization.

Across all consumers, the average utilization rate is about 29%. Staying under 30% is often recommended, but those with perfect credit have an average utilization of just 4%.

That happens for two reasons: they spend less relative to their limits, and they have more total available credit spread across multiple cards.

3. They have a flawless payment history

Payment history is the single most important factor in your credit score. Paying on time helps build up your credit score. Paying late can hurt it -- badly. Even a single late payment can drop your score by 50-100 points, or more.

The average consumer has about 1.5 accounts that have been late at some point. Among people with an 850 score, that number is zero. No late payments. Ever.

It's worth knowing that payments aren't reported as late unless they're at least 30 days past due. A payment that's a few days late might trigger a fee, but it won't damage your credit score if you catch it before that 30-day mark.

Still, people with perfect credit don't flirt with deadlines. They build habits and systems (like using autopay, reminders, time buffers) that keep payments boring and predictable.

4. They were born before 1980

Age isn't about wisdom here -- it's about time.

Baby boomers and older consumers make up about 66% of people with perfect credit. Generation X accounts for another 26%. That means roughly 92% of Americans with an 850 score are in their mid-40s or older.

That's because part of your credit score depends on how long you've been using credit. Even if you do everything right, it takes years (or decades, really) to build a long, clean credit history.

If you're newer to credit, patience matters. Focus on paying every bill on time and keeping balances low. Stick with it long enough, and your score will follow.

There's nothing mysterious about building excellent credit. Just execute those basics extremely well. The extra credit cards are more about maximizing benefits than gaming the score, and that's a mindset worth copying.

If you're ready to put those habits to work, take a look at today's best-fit credit cards that reward the habits you're already building.