Young woman with credit card. “Exceptional.” Depending on one’s frame of mind, the word may conjure up anything from a mint condition rookie card to possibly being asked, again, to stay after class.

Your credit score isn’t just a number. It’s a financial gatekeeper. It tells lenders how risky—or reliable—you are when it comes to managing debt. Whether you’re applying for a mortgage, credit card, ...

A FICO score below 580 or a VantageScore of less than 601 is considered a bad credit score. If your score falls in the bad credit range, you will face less favorable outcomes with lenders (who may ...

The average U.S. credit score is 715, according to FICO's Score Credit Insights, which examined data from April 2025. That's still in the "good" range, but it represents a two-point drop ...