FICO 08

A credit-scoring model introduced in 2009 by the FICO company to provide a more accurate picture of a potential borrower's ability to repay a loan. In particular, it is meant to provide a more accurate assessment of low-risk consumers whose scores were blemished by minor delinquencies, consumers with minimal credit history and consumers with poor credit.

The new formula ignores minor slipups, such as delinquencies with an original amount of $100 or less. It also weeds out people who had been inflating their credit scores by paying a stranger with better credit to add them as an authorized user on one of their credit card accounts (a practice known as "piggybacking"). The range of possible credit scores remains unchanged under the new system.