The average U.S. credit score hit 680 in 2018, up from 675 the year before, the report found. That’s the biggest one-year jump since 2008, but not quite back to the 685 average that year as the 2007-09 recession deepened.
The report looked at a statistically relevant sampling of Experian’s consumer credit database, checking data from the second quarters of 2008, 2017 and 2018. It used the VantageScore credit scoring model, which — like its competitor FICO — ranges from 300 to 850. Consumers’ scores determine whether they can qualify for credit cards and loans, and how much interest they’ll pay if they do.
