How does your credit score compare? From Floridians to Minnesotans...
Bottom Line: The good news is that the average American has a "good" credit score for the first time since prior to the Great Recession. According to the most recent FICO findings the average American's credit score is an even 700. The not-so-good news is that the average Floridian doesn't yet have good credit. Cross referencing info from Experian and FICO we're pacing a credit score of 693 as a state. While not good it's substantially improved from the 650's we saw as a state during the Great Recession.
The top state for overall credit is Minnesota with an average score that's pacing around an impressive 734. On the short end of the stick is Mississippi with a score around 672. What's a bit more interesting than just a score are some of the habits of those who have the best credit. For example, take the average American with excellent credit. They have an average of three credit cards (and obviously manage them well). This is important as many Millennials who're debt averse, which is generally a good thing, are avoiding accessing lines of credit like credit cards, which is a bad thing. The best of all worlds is to have credit cards with rewards programs that you use regularly but pay off monthly. This is proven in the data.
In times gone by I've shown that effectively managing your credit score is literally worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, let along access and options, to the average American over the course of one's life. That's a lot of motivation to get it right. And remember that if life happened and you got off track – the most important thing is to work as quickly as possible to get back on track. Every day that you don't will literally cost you and credit scores can substantially be improved within two years in most circumstances.