How much will one missed personal-loan payment drop my credit score?

Payment history is 35% of the FICO score, the single largest factor. A 30-day late is the smallest reportable derogatory; 60-day, 90-day, and 120-day lates compound the damage at each step.

The higher the starting score, the further the drop. FICO's model assumes high-score borrowers have spotless histories, so a single late is a larger deviation from baseline than the same late on a borrower with a history of occasional issues.

Recovery starts immediately once you bring the account current. Scores typically recover 50 to 70% within 12 months if no further negatives are added. A goodwill letter to the lender asking them to remove the late mark sometimes works for first-time issues on long-tenured accounts; success rates are 20 to 30%.