Key Takeaways
- A growing number of Americans are falling behind on car loan payments, according to a report Thursday by credit-scoring firm VantageScore.
- The average credit score also declined, which VantageScore attributed to growing car loan balances and student debt repayment pressures.
- Auto loan balances climbed more than $400 on average from a year ago, VantageScore said.
A growing number of Americans are falling behind on car loan payments as loan sizes and student debt repayment pressures rise.
Auto loan credit delinquencies climbed in February from a year ago, according to a report Thursday by credit-scoring firm VantageScore, using data from the “Big Three” credit bureaus. Delinquencies were above pre-pandemic levels across all “days past due” categories tracked, as average loan balances swelled by more than $400 from a year ago, VantageScore said.
The shift came amid what VantageScore called a “sharp” rise in late-stage delinquencies, or those that are over 90 days past due, across different types of loans, including student loans. Overall, late-stage delinquencies were up 25 basis points month-over-month to 0.45%, which VantageScore said was “driven mainly by student loan reporting.”
As late-stage delinquencies rose, VantageScore said the average credit score dropped to 701, after remaining at 702 for 11 months.
“It’s unusual to see a [score] decline of this size, and we attribute the change to the increased demands of car loan balances and student debt repayment,” said Susan Fahy, executive vice president and chief digital officer at VantageScore.
If you miss a car payment, you could be hit with late fees, get a ding on your credit score, or face repossession.
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