Approval Paths is not a lender

Approval Paths does not lend money, issue credit, broker applications, or make credit decisions. We do not guarantee approval, rates, or terms, and nothing on this site is an offer of credit.

Approval Scores are estimates, not credit decisions

Your Approval Score is a 0–100 estimate calculated from the information you enter. It is not a FICO score, not a VantageScore, and not a score any lender uses. It is a way of expressing how close your stated profile is to what lenders commonly look for on a specific type of purchase.

Estimated rates, payments, limits and ready-by dates are derived from the same inputs. Actual lender decisions depend on factors we do not see, including your full credit file, verified income and employment, the specific product, and the lender's own policy at the moment you apply.

How the score is built

The scored components and their maximum weights are:

• Credit score tier — up to 35 points
• Debt-to-income ratio, including the new payment — up to 20 points
• Credit utilization — up to 15 points
• Payment history — up to 15 points
• Down payment or cash position — up to 15 points, where the product has one

Those weights are then adjusted for the goal you chose, and penalties are applied for recent hard inquiries and for collections or charge-offs. Because the mix differs by product, the same profile scores differently on an auto loan than on a credit card — that is the point of the tool.

Checking never affects your credit

Using the Approval Calculator does not pull your credit report and creates no inquiry, soft or hard. You tell us your numbers; we do not fetch them.

Sponsored placements

Some units on this site are paid placements and are always labelled “Sponsored”. Approval Paths does not charge lenders for placement inside your score output, and sponsored units never appear on the results screen. Your Approval Score, your blockers and your ranking are never for sale.

Not financial advice

Approval Paths is not a substitute for advice from a licensed financial, credit, tax or legal professional, and it is not a credit repair organization. Decisions about borrowing are yours.