What is typically assessed to establish the credit score?

Establishing a credit score involves evaluating various factors, with payment history being a crucial component. The borrower's credit card payment history is particularly significant because it reflects the borrower's reliability in making payments on time, which is a key indicator of their creditworthiness. Lenders consider this information vital when assessing the risk of lending to an individual. A strong history of on-time payments boosts a borrower’s credit score, while late payments, defaults, or bankruptcies can negatively impact it.

The other options do play roles in a borrower’s overall financial profile but are not direct assessments for establishing a credit score. Total assets owned may provide insight into a borrower’s wealth but do not indicate their credit behavior. The performance of loan applications can inform lenders about an individual's borrowing tendencies but is not a factor directly contributing to the credit score calculation. Similarly, while the length of time accounts have been open can contribute to credit score factors, it does not have the same weight as payment history in determining creditworthiness. Thus, the emphasis on consistent and timely payment history is why this is the correct answer.