--- title: What Is A Good Credit Score For My Age? description: Discover what credit score is considered good for your age and how it can impact your financial opportunities. Learn tips to build and maintain a healthy credit score at every stage of life. authors: - name: Marcela Otero Costa role: Content Director url: https://money.com/author/marcela-otero-costa/ bio: Marcela is a former Content Director at Money Group. Before serving in this role, she wrote and edited articles about personal finance and consumer advocacy starting in 2017, focusing on guiding people through important financial decisions. She holds an MA in Translation from the University of Puerto Rico. education: University of Puerto Rico at_money_since: 2021 articles: 8 covers: - Credit - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit Cards - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Technology social: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcela-filomena-otero-costa-504a837a/ former_staff: true editors: - name: Taína Cuevas role: Lead Editor, Credit and Credit Cards url: https://money.com/author/taina-cuevas/ bio: Taína Cuevas is a former managing editor at Money, where she specialized in consumer credit, credit cards, and product reviews. She also oversaw Money's financial product compliance department, ensuring the publication provided up-to-date and accurate information. education: Franklin University Switzerland at_money_since: 2018 articles: 27 covers: - Credit - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit Cards - Debt - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Shopping - Taxes - Technology former_staff: true published: '2024-06-24T20:20:48.000Z' modified: '2024-07-04T16:02:37.000Z' section: Credit word_count: 1099 canonical: https://money.com/what-is-a-good-credit-score-for-my-age/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![What Is A Good Credit Score For My Age?](https://img.money.com/2024/06/Explainer-Credit-Score-For-Age.jpg?quality=85&w=1012&h=569&crop=1) * * * Presented by: ![](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/24726/a04f32fc-718d-4776-8282-2902bb7fcd4a.png) Lexington Law Firm has represented over 10.9 million people since 2004. Start repairing your credit today! [Go to LexingtonLaw.com](https://money.com/pr/df7c25b99b36?ap_referrer=%2Fwhat-is-a-good-credit-score-for-my-age%2F) When you think about what your credit score should be, the simple answer is that you should aim for the highest possible number — that is 850, an essentially perfect score. However, that perfect score can be hard to achieve if you’re younger, and your credit history is brief. The good news is that you don’t need an 800+ FICO to get the rewards that come with good credit. Read on to learn how you compare to others your age and some tips on how to build and maintain a great score at every stage of life. ## Table of Contents [Average credit score in the U.S.](#avg) [Does age affect your credit score?](#affect) [How to build your credit history](#how) [What can lower your credit score](#what) [What is a good credit score for my age? FAQs](#FAQ) ## Average credit score in the U.S. According to data from the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), the data analytics firm behind the most widely used credit scoring model, the average FICO score in the U.S. was 717 as of October 2023. This places the national average squarely in what is considered the “good credit” range. For context, FICO scores can range from 300 to 850 and are classified as follows: | **Range** | **Credit classification** | | --- | --- | | 300 - 579 | Poor | | 580 - 669 | Fair | | 670 - 739 | Good | | 740 - 799 | Very Good | | 800 - 850 | Exceptional | ### Average FICO score by age group But, while age does not technically affect your credit score, the length of your credit history does. As you’ll see from the data below, the older you are, the higher your score is likely to be. You might also note that there’s been a slight score increase at the age group level, with most seeing a modest 1- to 3-point uptick over the past year, as reported by Experian. | **Age Bracket** | 2022 | 2023 | Point Difference | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Gen Z (18-26) | 679 | 680 | +1 | | Millennials (27-42) | 687 | 690 | +3 | | Gen X (43-58) | 707 | 709 | +2 | | Baby Boomers (59-77) | 743 | 745 | +2 | | Silent Generation (78+) | 760 | 760 | 0 | _Source: Experian data from Q3 of each year; ages as of 2023._ ## Does age affect your credit score? While your biological age isn’t taken into account in your credit score, your credit’s age is. Credit age or length of credit history, in fact, accounts for 15% of your FICO score and takes into account the following: - How old your credit accounts are (factoring in the age of your oldest account and your newest account, as well as an average age of all your accounts) - How long ago specific accounts were established - How long certain accounts have been unused So, in a sense, your age does affect your credit score — but only to the extent that the younger you are, the likelier it is that you have a shorter credit history. Lenders and credit scoring models favor longer credit histories because it gives them a better picture of your financial behavior over time. If you’re just getting started, your score might be on the lower side simply because there isn’t much for lenders to go on yet. With consistent, responsible use of credit, you can [build credit faster](https://money.com/how-to-build-credit/) than you think. ## How to build your credit history [Building your credit history](https://money.com/how-to-build-credit/) might seem daunting, but it’s doable with a few smart moves. ### Check your credit report The absolute first thing to do is check your credit report at annualcreditreport.com, which you can do for free on a weekly basis. This free report won’t show you your FICO score, but you can get that by purchasing your report from the credit bureaus or you may be able to access that through your credit card issuer’s portal. ### Pay your bills on time Next, don’t underestimate the power of paying your bills on time. This includes not just credit cards, but also rent, utilities, and even cell phone bills. Payment history is the most influential factor in your credit score, so setting up automatic payments or reminders can be a credit-saver. If you have any student loans or other installment loans, making regular, on-time payments on those can also help build your credit history. ### Aim for a balanced credit mix If your credit history is on the shorter side, aiming for a healthy credit mix will be helpful. Credit mix refers to the various types of credit accounts you may have, from auto and personal loans to credit card debt, mortgages or lines of credit. It accounts for about 10% of your FICO score as it gives lenders a picture of how you handle different types of debt. ### Get a credit card Consider getting a credit card if you don’t already have one. Start with a [secured card](https://money.com/best-credit-cards-to-build-credit/) if needed — these are easier to get if you have no credit history at all. Use it for small purchases that you can pay off each month. This way, you’re showing lenders that you can handle credit responsibly. ### Become an authorized user Another good step to build credit is to become an authorized user on someone else’s account, like a parent or a trusted friend. Their good credit habits can help boost your own score without you needing to do much. ## What can lower your credit score Several factors can [lower your credit score](https://money.com/what-can-hurt-your-credit-score/), and understanding them can help you avoid common pitfalls. ### Missing payments Missed or late payments are a big red flag for lenders. Even a single missed payment can significantly impact your score, in fact, by as much as 100 points. It’s essential to pay at least the minimum amount due on all your bills each month to keep your credit healthy. Setting up automatic payments or reminders can help you stay on top of due dates and avoid the hit to your credit score that comes with missing payments. ### High credit card debt Another factor that can drag down your credit score is high credit card balances relative to your credit limits, often referred to as your credit utilization ratio. Lenders like to see that you’re not maxing out your available credit. Ideally, you should aim to use no more than 30% of your total credit limit across all your cards. Meaning, if you have a combined credit limit of $10,000, try to keep your total balance under $3,000. High balances suggest to lenders that you might be overextended and could have trouble paying back your debts, which can lower your score. ### Applications for new credit Lastly, frequently applying for new credit can also hurt your score. Each time you apply for a credit card, loan, or other forms of credit, the lender will do a hard inquiry on your credit report. While one or two credit inquiries won’t make much difference, several in a short period can signal to lenders that you’re in financial trouble or taking on too much new debt. This can lower your credit score temporarily. It’s best to apply for new credit sparingly and focus on building a strong, stable credit history with the accounts you already have. ## Find out if you have unfair or incorrect negative items on your credit report today ### On average over the past 5 years, 275,000 active clients chose Lexington Law Firm to work on their credit repair. Click below and get started now: [Get Started](https://money.com/pr/o23050998867?ap_referrer=%2Fwhat-is-a-good-credit-score-for-my-age%2F) Lexington Law Firm services are unavailable in Oregon. ## What is a good credit score for my age FAQs ### What should my credit score be at my age? Credit scores do not really take age into account, but they do take into account length of credit history or credit age. This means that, if you’re on the younger side, your credit score is likely to be lower than someone that has had credit for much longer. This could be one of several reasons why average credit scores for Gen Z and millennials are the lowest of all age groups at 680 and 690 respectively. (The national average is 717.) However, it’s important to note that those scores still fall within the “good credit” range in the FICO scale. ### What age group has an 800 credit score? No age group in the U.S. has an average credit score of 800. According to data from Experian, exceptional FICO scores of 800-850 represent a small fraction of the population — a little over 20%. ### What is the average American's credit score? 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