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VantageScore reason code · Code 71

“You have either very few installment loans or too many with delinquencies” — Decoded.

That line on your denial letter isn’t an insult — it’s a standard reason code, and it’s telling you exactly which lever moved against you. Here’s what it actually says about your file, in plain English.

The short answer

“You have either very few installment loans or too many with delinquencies” means: A deliberately double-barreled code: either your installment history is thin, or your loans carry late marks. It does not mean: An automatic ‘get a loan’ suggestion — if your loans carry delinquent or derogatory marks, this is a damage code wearing a mix-code costume, and sorting out which branch you are on takes a read of the actual report. The 800 Club’s team turns this reason into a plan on a free strategy call.

Reviewed by Christopher Blanco, Founder of The 800 Club · Reviewed August 2026

Lever: Credit Mix Service Case — record-level work — professional review territory

What It Actually Means

A deliberately double-barreled code: either your installment history is thin, or your loans carry late marks. Which branch applies depends on your file — and the letter alone cannot tell you which.

What It Does NOT Mean

It does not mean an automatic ‘get a loan’ suggestion — if your loans carry delinquent or derogatory marks, this is a damage code wearing a mix-code costume, and sorting out which branch you are on takes a read of the actual report. You always have the free right to dispute inaccurate items directly with the credit bureaus — no company, including ours, can do anything on your file that you can’t do yourself.

The Lever It Points At: Credit Mix

Lenders want proof you can handle both revolving credit and installment loans. Mix builds slowly and deliberately — never open an account just to decorate the file; open it when it serves a plan.

Build the mix deliberately — the playbook →

The Same Reason, Other Wordings

Lenders and bureaus phrase this one differently letter to letter. If yours says any of these, this is the page:

  • You have either very few loans or too many loans with delinquencies (code 10)”
  • Too many installment accts with a delinquent or derogatory payment status (code 72)”
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