Creditworthiness

Bonität (creditworthiness) is the assessment of how reliably a person or company repays debts.

How is your creditworthiness assessed?

For private individuals in Germany (Schufa):

• Score scale: 100–999 points (new system since 2026)
• Over 700: very good – best loan terms
• 500–700: good to satisfactory
• Under 500: problematic – loans difficult

What influences your score?

• Positive: on-time payments, long-standing accounts, few credit enquiries
• Negative: payment defaults, debt collection, many credit enquiries, frequent account switching

For companies (rating agencies):

• AAA: highest creditworthiness (e.g. Germany, Microsoft)
• BBB: still "investment grade" (solid)
• BB and below: speculative ("junk bonds")
• D: payment default

Why creditworthiness matters so much:

• It decides your loan terms (good score = lower interest)
• Rental contract: many landlords require a Schufa report
• Mobile phone contract: with a poor score only prepaid is possible