Credit scores are dropping rapidly. Here's why (and what to do about it).

Americans' credit scores fell for the second straight year as debt and missed payments surged nationwide. Wong Yu Liang/Getty Images

For more than a decade, Americans watched their credit scores climb steadily upward, a reassuring sign of improving financial health following the Great Recession. However, it appears the streak has come to an abrupt end. The national average credit score has officially dropped for two consecutive years, falling from 718 in 2023 to 717 in 2024, and it now sits at 715 in 2025, according to new data from FICO , the company behind the credit scores most widely used by lenders.

While a few points might seem insignificant, this credit score reversal marks a concerning shift after years of progress. What's particularly alarming isn't just the decline itse