Articles from VantageScore

Mortgage delinquencies increased across all stages, with early-stage delinquencies rising by 30.9% year-over-year in January 2026, according to the latest edition of CreditGauge™ from VantageScore. Credit originations increased modestly over the same period as consumers increased leverage to better navigate the economic stress they perceive. The notable exception was credit card lending, where originations declined as credit card issuers tightened lending standards. The average VantageScore 4.0 credit score held steady at 700.

Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte’s July 2025 decision to authorize VantageScore 4.0 for competitive use in GSE-conforming mortgages saves the U.S. mortgage industry more than $600 million in the first year under a “full adoption” scenario, according to a newly published independent analysis from credit risk research company Deep Future Analytics. Consumers whose mortgages are originated using VantageScore 4.0 stand to save in excess of $100 per completed loan. Across all of the comprehensive scenarios analyzed in the study, the inclusion of VantageScore in the conforming mortgage market generated meaningful cost savings for both lenders and borrowers.

By the end of 2025, consumer credit conditions showed signs of softening, led by rising delinquency pressure and a modest decline in credit scores, according to the latest edition of CreditGauge™ from VantageScore. Overall credit delinquencies increased across all late payment stages, with late-stage mortgage delinquencies rising sharply year-over-year and increasing consistently across mid-stage and riskier credit tiers, signaling affordability-driven strain. The average VantageScore 4.0 credit score declined by one point to 700.

VantageScore Solutions, LLC, the developer of the VantageScore credit score model, announced today a free and transparent resource that provides key consumer credit score metrics and insights at https://vantagescore.com/consumer-credit-score-insights.