Answer: 670-739 with 21.5% of people in that range

Questions:

• What are some of the disadvantages of having a low credit score?
• What are some advantages of having a high credit score?
• Why do lenders use credit scores? How is this information helpful in running their business?
• What is your strategy to develop a high credit score? 

Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Financial Samurai):

Your credit score ranges between 300 – 850. Therefore, the average credit score should be somewhere around 575-600 if the scores are equally distributed. But they are not.

If your score is between a 300 – 579, you’re probably never going to get credit due to some type of non-payment you made in the past.

If your score is between 580-669, your rating is fair, but you’re still considered a subprime borrower. As a landlord who checks credit scores, I’ve seen doctors right out of medical school with scores in the low 600s due to massive debt and a short credit history.

It’s only after you get over 700 are you considered an attractive borrower. In the past, the magic number was 720 or above. Today, it seems like the average number has shifted to 740 or above.

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Pair this question of the day with these popular Managing Credit activities: Interactive: FICO Credit Scores and Calculate: Impact of Credit Score on Loans

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.