VantageScore Reports Stable Consumer Credit Despite Early Delinquency Ticks

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, November 11, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Consumer credit remained resilient in September 2026, according to VantageScore CreditGauge insights, even with some early-stage payment pressure. The average VantageScore 4.0 credit score held steady at 701, extending a long stretch of stability. This score reflects a consumer who is managing debt with care.

The average consumer balance held near $107,500 in September, essentially unchanged from August and $990 higher than a year ago. The balance-to-loan ratio slipped from 49.60% to 49.50% over the month, now sitting 1.29% below the 50.79% recorded in September 2025. In plain terms, balances are not growing faster than the loans behind them, which suggests consumers keep paying down debt relative to what they originally borrowed and that borrowing conditions remain stable.

Late-stage delinquencies (90-119 days past due) held at 0.23%, just 1 basis point above September 2025. Early-stage delinquencies (30-59 days past due) rose from August to 1.15%, though that is only 2 basis points above where they stood a year ago. With year-over-year rates barely moving, borrowers appear to be keeping up with their obligations despite ongoing economic pressure, and so far the uptick has not shown up in the late-stage numbers.

Credit tiers shifted only slightly, with the Prime share easing from 33.3% to 32.5%, while Nearprime rose from 17.4% to 18.0% and Subprime from 18.4% to 18.7%. These are small moves, and they point to credit quality that remains steady in the current economic environment.

September’s CreditGauge findings describe a consumer credit market that remains resilient, with stable balances, lower leverage, and a steady average score. At the same time, the month-over-month rise in early-stage delinquencies and the slow drift from Prime to Nearprime are the trends to keep an eye on in the months ahead as a signal of how households are handling ongoing economic pressure.

VantageScore CreditGauge is provided both as a monthly analysis to industry stakeholders as well as through a series of interactive tools at VantageScore.com, which also includes Inclusion360®, RiskRatioTM, and MarketGainTM. Stakeholders can use the tools to execute additional queries on credit metrics and compare current levels to a pre-pandemic timeframe, starting with January 2020. CreditGauge solely represents the views and analysis of VantageScore and does not necessarily reflect or represent the views of the Nationwide Consumer Reporting Agencies (NCRAs), Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

In 2024, usage of VantageScore increased by 55% to hit 42 billion credit scores. More than 3,700 institutions, including nine of the top 10 U.S. banks, use VantageScore credit scores and digital tools to provide consumer credit products or generate greater insights into consumer behavior. The VantageScore 4.0 credit scoring model scores 33 million more people than traditional models. With the FHFA allowing the immediate use of VantageScore 4.0 for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guaranteed mortgages, the company is ushering in a new era for mortgage lending.