Consumers’ awareness of their credit standing has improved over the past years, in part thanks to all the free credit score tracking services that fintechs, as well as financial institutions, have incorporated into their apps.
But while many users are aware of their credit standing, few check their credit scores on regular basis, according to a study by Discover Financial Services released today. Checking credit scores regularly can significantly improve credit behavior, the study suggests; however, almost a third of those surveyed indicated that they have not checked their scores in the past year. About 20% said they checked their score once. From the report:
The survey found that those who checked their score 12 or more times during the prior year were nearly twice as likely than those who checked their score just once to say that their score improved greatly or slightly over that same time period, 61 percent to 32 percent, respectively.
Of all the age groups surveyed for the report, millennials placed less importance on their credit standing.
Among millennial respondents, 54% say their credit standing is important to them right now, compared to 63% of generation X and 65% of baby boomers. Millennials are also significantly less aware of their credit standing than their generational counterparts, as only 57% of millennials say they are aware of their credit standing, compared to 74% of generation X and 85% of baby boomers.
While 80% of baby boomers and 62% of generation X think their credit standing is within their control, only 51% of millennials think so.
The study, available here, surveyed more than 2,100 adults in the U.S.