Average credit scores by state

[calmloki]

Average Credit Scores by State - Credit Score Information

Interesting looking at the higher and lower score states and trying to imagine why the scores for those states are what is reported. I'm looking at you Nevada and South Dakota!

 

[W2R]

Interesting! Since Louisiana is always vying with Mississippi for last place on various types of lists, I was interested in seeing that Arizona, Nevada, and Texas came out lower than we did, and New Mexico tied with us for 3rd/4th!

I have NO idea why. I always thought people in those states were relatively well off.

 

[Martha]

What! Minnesota was number 2 not number 1?

 

[Trek]

My first thought was that people in N. Dakota and S. Dakota probably have better scores because they don't take on as much debt and can make their payments. Plus I've been to N. Dakota and there isn't really anything to buy. j/k

 

[bright eyed]

hmmm - gambling and legal prostitution creating debt in nevada?

CA's who cashed out of cali to AZ - overspending since they "think" they now have more money - but still bought too big a house...have to fill it up w/ crap? Ooor...spending it all on air conditioning.

maybe in some of the cold states - it's too darn cold to be spendin money - so it gives a whole quarter to save save save - in CA it's sunny most year round - outdoor shopping malls always beckoning...

this is my expert analysis...

 

[Sandy]

I was going to go with the obvious - the lower south, as traditionally poorer states would have the worst credit scores, but then there are some states with historically better incomes which poor scores. It would take some digging - maybe consider percentage of elderly - have with high medical bills they can not pay (that could explain AZ), others I would need to ponder a bit more.

 

[REWahoo]

Oh boy. One more reason to add to my list of "Why you don't want to move to Texas".

 

[Nords]

Plus I've been to N. Dakota and there isn't really anything to buy. j/k

I wondered what attracted you to Estonia's much more moderate climate...

Oh boy. One more reason to add to my list of "Why you don't want to move to Texas".

I'm sure there's no correlation with mental health or IQ, either!

 

[rs0460a]

Texas?

Oh boy. One more reason to add to my list of "Why you don't want to move to Texas".

I was stationed in Lubbock in the late '60's when I got orders for Nam.

Often, I would say that I went to Vietnam to get out of Texas ...

(true story, unfortunately - Ron...)

 

[REWahoo]

I was stationed in Lubbock in the late '60's when I got orders for Nam.

Often, I would say that I went to Vietnam to get out of Texas ...

(true story, unfortunately - Ron...)

Another satisfied customer testimonial...

 

[Alan]

Interesting! Since Louisiana is always vying with Mississippi for last place on various types of lists, I was interested in seeing that Arizona, Nevada, and Texas came out lower than we did, and New Mexico tied with us for 3rd/4th!

I have NO idea why. I always thought people in those states were relatively well off.

We are moving back to Louisiana from Texas in January so we'll do our bit to get the average up. We bought a car a couple of weeks ago and the salesman told us that he had to do a credit check even though we were paying cash as it was company policy. He then turned his monitor to face us and said, I'm not supposed to do this, but I don't see this very often. DW's score was 815 and mine was 800.

 

[dessert]

We bought a car a couple of weeks ago and the salesman told us that he had to do a credit check even though we were paying cash as it was company policy.

What a stupid company policy that is.
I think every time someone does a credit check, it affects your score. If you are paying cash, what do they need to check on??
Oh well, no need getting upset over nothing......

 

[Alan]

What a stupid company policy that is.
I think every time someone does a credit check, it affects your score. If you are paying cash, what do they need to check on??
Oh well, no need getting upset over nothing......

It wasn't exactly cash, it was a check, so perhaps to let us drive off with the car that day they had to check that we didn't have a history of bounced checks.

 

[dessert]

It wasn't exactly cash, it was a check, so perhaps to let us drive off with the car that day they had to check that we didn't have a history of bounced checks.

I guess that makes sense. I've done that before but got a bank cashier's check or a credit union check rather than writing a personal check (if that is what you meant).
Anyway, not everyone can pay cash for a new car so "way to go".

 

[FinanceDude]

We are moving back to Louisiana from Texas in January so we'll do our bit to get the average up. We bought a car a couple of weeks ago and the salesman told us that he had to do a credit check even though we were paying cash as it was company policy. He then turned his monitor to face us and said, I'm not supposed to do this, but I don't see this very often. DW's score was 815 and mine was 800.

That's BS.............he didn't have to check your credit if you were bringing in a certified check from a lending insitution...........

 

[73ss454]

Hey, maybe the dealer only want's to do business with people with good credit.

Nah, as FD said that's total BS. No reason in the world for them to check your credit.

 

[W2R]

That's BS.............he didn't have to check your credit if you were bringing in a certified check from a lending insitution...........

It's been over 7 years since I bought a car, but I wrote a personal check for it.

I can't imagine that the salesman would have let me out of his office to go to the bank and get a certified check, once we had haggled and haggled, and we had finally agreed on the price, and he had computed the bottom line amount due. I am sure that he would have told me all bets were off if I left the dealership at that point.

In my case, it was also done on a Saturday afternoon, so he would have had to wait until Monday for the certified check and I would have had to miss work. I don't recall whether or not he did a credit check, but he had my driver's license while I went for a test drive so he probably did so without telling me, before a price was even discussed much less a check written.

 

[lets-retire]

There are a lot of people who should be ashamed of themseves. I have a bankruptcy and still have a higher score than the average in most states.

 

[Alan]

That's BS.............he didn't have to check your credit if you were bringing in a certified check from a lending insitution...........

It was not a certified check. It was a personal check against a VG Money Market fund so I think it was a valid reason for a credit check.

 

[73ss454]

It was not a certified check. It was a personal check against a VG Money Market fund so I think it was a valid reason for a credit check.

Alan, a good credit scord doesn't guarantee a check. At the dealership I worked at we would not take personal checks unless it was for MV fees.

 

[Alan]

Alan, a good credit scord doesn't guarantee a check. At the dealership I worked at we would not take personal checks unless it was for MV fees.

Interesting. Well, I wrote a personal check for $25K and drove off with the car. First time I'd ever been to that dealership, no trade in or anything. They did have a copy of my DL.

 

[REWahoo]

Hey 73, Alan just has an honest face!

 

[73ss454]

Hey 73, Alan just has an honest face!

I guess!

 

[Alan]

Hey 73, Alan just has an honest face!

This was in Texas and the personal check also had my Louisiana address printed on it and we haven't lived there for over 4 years.

Maybe it was my honest face , plus my NE English accent. Try listening to this guy in Middlesbrough being interviewed - sounds just like me.

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.... and me mother sounds just like the woman in Tyneside on this interview

English Accents and Dialects

 

[youbet]

Alan, a good credit scord doesn't guarantee a check. At the dealership I worked at we would not take personal checks unless it was for MV fees.

I've written personal checks for the last two cars I purchased, a
Toyota and a Ford. In either case, the only resistance to taking my check was from the finance guy who made me listen to his sales pitch to finance the car. After that boring waste of time, no problem. In fact, when I handed them the check, I got a big smile, handshake, thanks, etc., etc. They seemed to think getting the check was great! These were both dealerships in the Chicago suburbs. Perhaps policies vary from location to location?