Experian Boost Helped Raise American Credit Scores by Over 50 Million Points

Does Experian Boost Work?

Since its launch, 60% of people who have completed the Experian Boost process have seen their FICO^® Score go up, with consumers experiencing a 12-point increase on average. For Experian Boost users who started the process with a FICO^® Score of 579 or below (considered "poor"), the average increase was even more significant: 87% of that group grew their scores, and had an average increase of 22 points.

Among those who saw an increase with Experian Boost, many improved from one scoring range to the next—which could ultimately help them get approved for credit or a loan on better terms.

Of the consumers who saw a score range improvement, 21% moved from the poor FICO^® Score range to the fair FICO^® Score range (580-669). Here is a look at users who moved up to a new FICO^® Score range:

• 21% improved from a poor to fair FICO^® Score
• 4% improved from a fair to good FICO^® Score (670-739)
• 3% improved from a good to very good FICO^® Score (740-799)
• 3% improved from a very good to exceptional FICO^® Score (800 and above)

Lenders use FICO^® Scores to assess borrowers' potential risk in paying back a loan or credit card bill on time. Improved FICO^® Scores can mean a better chance of approval or more attractive interest rates and terms. In this way, Experian Boost is helping lenders get a clearer picture of creditworthiness among potential borrowers.

Experian Boost Has Helped Thousands of Consumers Become Scoreable

Experian Boost not only helps people raise their existing FICO^® Scores, but for consumers who have no score, the tool can actually help them become "scoreable." A consumer who isn't scoreable doesn't have enough data in their credit history for credit scoring algorithms to assign them a score.

Of the "unscoreable" users who completed the Experian Boost process, almost half—47%—of them built their credit file enough to become scoreable. Many of these consumers entered the poor or fair credit score range, but 15% of newly scoreable users ended up in the good score range or better.

Experian Boost Helped 85% of Thin-File Consumers Raise Their Credit Scores

Experian Boost has helped many users with "thin files" (less than five accounts in their credit file) increase their FICO^® Score.

Many of the more than 100 million consumers who have a thin credit file can see a transformational change when they add new data to their credit report, as lenders often adopt tighter criteria when evaluating someone with a thin file.

Overall, 85% of thin-file consumers who used Experian Boost saw their FICO^® Scores increase. And on average, consumers saw an increase of 19 points. Further, 15% of those users moved to a higher credit score range, and 41% shed their thin-file status.

State With the Largest Average Score Increase

Since Experian Boost launched, the state where consumers added the most points to their FICO^® Scores using the tool is West Virginia. Consumers in the state who saw a FICO^® Score increase using Experian Boost improved their scores by 16.6 points on average. Nevada followed closely, along with Oklahoma, Alabama and Indiana, to make up the top five.

Source: Experian

States With the Highest Percentage of Experian Boost Increases

Nevada was home to the highest percentage of scores boosted using Experian Boost. Of the users in the state who tried Experian Boost, 68% saw their FICO^® Scores increase.

Source: Experian

Metro Area With the Largest Average Score Increase

Rome, Georgia was the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) where consumers saw the largest average point increase among those whose scores improved with Experian Boost: 19 points. The other top five MSAs with the highest average per-consumer increases were spread across the country, including Gadsen, Alabama; San Angelo, Texas; Lima, Ohioa; and Parkersburg-Marrietta-Vienna, West Virginia-Ohio.

Source: Experian

Metro Area With the Highest Percentage of Experian Boost Increases

The Rome, Georgia, metro area had the highest percentage of Experian Boost users who saw a score increase after connecting their accounts. Of those in the metro area who used Experian Boost, nearly 73% saw an increase in their FICO^® Score.

Source: Experian

Experian Boost Continues to Improve Credit Access

Since Experian Boost launched, it continues to improve, adding more and more financial institutions to the platform. Experian Boost can add phone, utility, telecom and streaming service payments made with a credit card, expanding opportunities to thicken credit files. These improvements, among others, make it easier for more people to connect their accounts and ultimately get credit for the payments they are already making.

If you've been working to improve your credit scores and want to get credit for the utility and telecom payments you're already making, check out Experian Boost to see if you can increase your FICO^® Score.