VantageScore CreditGauge: Average Score Increases to 701 as Lenders Boost New Credit

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Lenders shrugged off macroeconomic headwinds and increased their new credit accounts to top-tier consumers, according to the latest VantageScore CreditGauge report.

Through the end of February, the average VantageScore 4.0 credit score increased by one point to 701, driven by improved balance-to-loan ratios.

“Top-tier consumers increased their new credit accounts as lenders boosted lending to more affluent borrowers,” said Susan Fahy, executive vice president and chief digital, data and technology officer at VantageScore, an independent joint venture company owned by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. “These same consumers exhibited increased credit discipline as credit utilization ratios decreased, boosting the average VantageScore to 701.”

Overall consumer credit health remains relatively resilient, as improvements in the credit health of top-tier consumers outweigh the deterioration among lower-tier consumers, VantageScore reported.

Lending increased year over year as banks selectively increased origination to the top tier, the report noted. Mortgage credit originations increased 0.05% compared to February 2025.

Lower-tier consumers remain under stress, the report said. Early-stage delinquencies edged up to 1.15% in February, rising by 0.01% from January and returning to levels last seen in early 2020. “These trends in early-stage delinquencies are most pronounced among lower-tier consumers and suggest financial stress as households continue to navigate elevated interest rates and persistent inflationary pressures,” VantageScore said.