The headline
FICO’s Fall 2026 Credit Insights report, released August 25, 2026, puts the national average FICO Score at 714. It was flat between October 2025 and April 2026, the latest data in the report, and down one point from a year earlier.
“The stability of the national average FICO Score at 714 reflects the resilience many consumers continue to demonstrate,” said Ethan Dornhelm, FICO’s head of scores analytics. He called affordability “the defining story” of the report.
A FICO Score of 714 falls in the “good” range of 670–739 used for FICO Score 8. See our guide to credit score ranges for the full scale.
Late payments eased for mortgages and auto loans
The report found modest improvement in early delinquencies for two big kinds of debt:
| Measure | A year earlier | Latest |
|---|---|---|
| Early-stage mortgage delinquency | 1.42% | 1.35% |
| 30-day auto loan delinquency | 2.65% | 2.6% |
FICO described the auto figure as a five-basis-point improvement to 2.6%; the earlier figure is implied by that change. Card and personal loan delinquencies were “largely unchanged,” and 90-day-plus delinquencies on mortgages and auto loans rose only in the lowest score bands.
Student loans split borrowers in two
The sharpest moves came from student loans. About 3.2 million consumers with a payment due had a recent student loan delinquency, and their average FICO Score fell 38 points over the year. Borrowers who kept paying on time gained 6 points, and those without a recent delinquency gained 16.
A 38-point drop can change your loan price. In LendingTree’s Q4 2025 marketplace data, the average best personal loan offer was 15.54% APR for scores of 740–799 and 20.61% for 670–739. Falling from one tier to the next can add real cost.
Younger borrowers have gained the most
Compared with before the pandemic, FICO found Gen Z scores up 17 points and Millennial scores up 10. At the same time, it highlighted affordability pressure: the average monthly payment for a first-time homebuyer reached $2,563, up 57% since 2019, and mortgage balances for borrowers scoring below 620 are up 43% since April 2019, against 30% inflation.
What goes into a FICO Score
An average that barely moves can hide a lot of individual change. Your own score responds to five groups of information, weighted roughly like this for the general population, according to myFICO:
| Factor | Approximate weight | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Payment history | 35% | Paying every bill on time |
| Amounts owed | 30% | Low card balances compared with limits |
| Length of credit history | 15% | Keeping older accounts open |
| New credit | 10% | Applying for credit only when you need it |
| Credit mix | 10% | A history with different types of credit |
That’s why a single missed student loan payment can outweigh years of steady progress: payment history is the largest factor, and a late payment can stay on a credit report for up to seven years.
What consumers get wrong about scores
FICO also published a Harris Poll survey of 2,078 U.S. adults taken July 20–22, 2026. Some findings:
- 27% believe checking their own score lowers it. It doesn’t: checking your own score is a soft inquiry.
- 65% incorrectly believe income is part of a credit score, or aren’t sure. Income matters to lenders, but it isn’t in the score.
- 72% check their score several times a year or more, and 56% checked it as a step toward better financial health.
- 41% say they currently use buy now, pay later, including 66% of Gen Z.
What a 714 means when you borrow
Here’s how average best-offer APRs from LendingTree’s Q4 2025 data translate into the cost of a $1,000 loan over 12 months:
| Credit score | Avg. best APR | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800+ | 12.15% | $88.92 | $67.03 |
| 740–799 | 15.54% | $90.51 | $86.16 |
| 670–739 (includes 714) | 20.61% | $92.93 | $115.12 |
| 580–669 | 25.78% | $95.42 | $145.08 |
| Under 580 | 29.05% | $97.02 | $164.25 |
Offers are conditional and vary by lender; calculations assume no fees and on-time payments. See rates by credit score for larger loan amounts.
Quick wins. Pay every bill on time (payment history is about 35% of a FICO Score), keep card balances low relative to limits, and check your reports for errors at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average FICO Score in 2026?
714, according to FICO’s Fall 2026 Credit Insights report. It was unchanged from October 2025 to April 2026 and down one point from a year earlier.
Is 714 a good credit score?
Yes. For FICO Score 8, 670–739 is considered good. Lenders set their own standards, and higher scores generally get lower rates.
Does checking my own score lower it?
No. Checking your own score is a soft inquiry and doesn’t affect it. A hard inquiry happens when you apply for credit.
How much did student loan delinquencies hurt scores?
FICO found about 3.2 million consumers with a recent student loan delinquency saw their scores fall an average of 38 points over the year.
This article is general information, not financial advice. Rates and rules change; check the linked sources for the latest figures.