Which of the following factors can impact your credit score?

The correct answer focuses on two critical components of credit scoring: payment history and credit utilization ratio.

Payment history is perhaps the most significant factor in determining a credit score. It accounts for a large percentage of the score and reflects whether you have consistently paid your bills on time. Late payments, missed payments, and defaults negatively affect this aspect, leading to a lower credit score.

The credit utilization ratio is another vital measure, representing the amount of credit you are using compared to your total available credit. A lower ratio indicates more responsible credit management; ideally, keeping this ratio below 30% is recommended. High utilization can suggest financial distress or reliance on credit, which can lower your score.

While the other options present factors that may influence personal finance or financial planning, they do not directly correlate with credit scores in the same fundamental way. Factors like age and education level, geographic location and personal savings, or the number of bank accounts and income can influence financial behavior and opportunities, but they do not have a direct impact on the calculation of a credit score as payment history and credit utilization do. This focus on concrete scoring components allows for a clearer understanding of how to manage and improve a credit score effectively.