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Here's the Average Credit Score of 65-Year-Old Americans (How Do You Compare?)

Why credit scores tend to peak around retirement age

By Kristin Hitchcock , Edited by Laura Hohenstein

Updated Aug. 7, 2026

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Turning 65 doesn't make your credit score irrelevant. You might still need credit to replace a car, refinance a home, cover a major repair, or qualify for new rewards cards. A stronger score could mean more borrowing options and a lower interest rate, which matters when retirement income has to stretch.

So, how does your score compare? The typical 65-year-old likely has a score somewhere around 750, putting them well above the national average. Here's why older Americans tend to score so well, and how to avoid money mistakes that could undo years of good credit habits.

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The average score is likely around 750

There isn't a widely published credit score average for people who are exactly 65. Most credit data combines consumers into broader age or generational groups.

However, Experian's generational data has placed baby boomers in the mid-740s and the Silent Generation around 760. That suggests the typical 65-year-old's score likely lands in the upper 700s. Similarly, the average credit score for a 60-year-old is 747.

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Older Americans have some of the highest scores

Looking at the average credit score by age shows a fairly clear pattern, even though age itself isn't part of the calculation. Scores generally rise as people get older, and Experian's data lays out the trend:

Generation	Age in 2025	Average FICO Score
Generation Z	18 to 28	678
Millennials	29 to 44	689
Generation X	45 to 60	709
Baby boomers	61 to 79	747
Silent Generation	80 and older	760

A score of 747 falls within FICO's "very good" range, which runs from 740 to 799. However, lenders may use different scoring models and approval requirements.

Age itself doesn't improve your score

Credit scoring models don't award extra points for birthdays. Being 65 won't automatically produce a good score, and younger consumers can also have excellent credit.

Age helps indirectly, though. Someone approaching retirement has had more time to open accounts, establish payment patterns, and recover from earlier financial setbacks. Older consumers' higher scores generally reflect what happened during those extra years, not their age itself.

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A long credit history works in your favor

The length of your credit history accounts for approximately 15% of a typical FICO Score. FICO considers factors such as the age of your oldest account, the age of your newest account, and the average age of all your accounts.

Someone who opened a first credit card at 22 could have more than four decades of credit history by 65. That's one advantage younger borrowers simply can't rush.

Decades of on-time payments also help

Payment history makes up approximately 35% of a typical FICO Score, making it the most influential category.

By 65, a responsible borrower might have years of on-time credit card, auto loan, and mortgage payments on their reports. That record gives lenders considerable information about how the person has handled debt. One late payment could still cause damage, but a long history of paying as agreed provides a strong foundation.

A strong score can still slip in retirement

A score of 747 isn't permanent. It can move as balances, payments, and other information on your credit reports change.

Experian found that baby boomers carried an average credit card balance of $6,795 in June 2025. That was below the averages for Generation X and millennials, and older consumers' balances had remained relatively flat. Even so, thousands of dollars in credit card debt could be difficult to manage when income drops in retirement. Higher utilization could also pull down a previously strong score.

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Think carefully before closing old cards

It can be tempting to close unused cards while simplifying your finances. But an older card with no annual fee may still be helping your score by contributing to your available credit.

Closing it could increase your utilization immediately. The account may remain on your credit reports for years, so the effect on the age of your credit history might not happen right away. Check the card's age, limit, fees, and effect on utilization before closing it.

Review all three credit reports

An unfamiliar account, incorrect late payments, or outdated balances can hurt your score. It can also point to identity theft, which makes monitoring especially important for someone with decades of financial accounts behind them.

You can review free weekly reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Checking your own report doesn't lower your score. If you find inaccurate information, dispute it with the credit bureau reporting the error.

Keep card balances low

Paying cards in full each month can help you avoid interest, but it doesn't necessarily mean your credit report will show a zero balance. Issuers commonly report account information around the end of the billing cycle.

If you plan to apply for a loan or new credit card, consider paying balances down before the statement closes. Keeping both individual card balances and total utilization low could help protect the credit score you've spent decades building.

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Focus on maintaining what works

A score of 747 is a useful comparison, but falling below it doesn't automatically mean you have bad credit. A lender may consider your income, existing debts, requested loan amount, and other details alongside your score.

At 65, credit maintenance usually matters more than chasing a perfect number. Continue paying on time, watch your card balances, check your reports, and avoid unnecessary changes to long-standing accounts.

Bottom line

The average 65-year-old has a credit score around 747, but age alone doesn't create good credit. Decades of on-time payments, a long credit history, and low card balances are what typically push older Americans' scores higher.

Protecting your credit also helps you prepare yourself financially for retirement expenses you may need to finance. Before applying for a car loan or home repair loan, check all three credit reports and pay down card balances, since even a small improvement could help you qualify for more favorable terms.

FAQs

Does retiring lower your credit score?

No. Retiring on its own has no direct effect on your credit score, because FICO scores are calculated only from the information on your credit reports. Income, salary, and employment status are not part of the formula, and neither is your age. What can change in retirement is your behavior. If a smaller monthly income leads you to carry a balance you used to pay off, or you close accounts while simplifying your finances, those choices could move your score even though retiring itself did not.

Does having no debt hurt your credit score?

It can, if it means you have no active credit accounts at all. To generate a FICO score, your credit file needs at least one account that has been open for six months or more and at least one account that has been reported to the credit bureau within the past six months. If you have paid everything off and stopped using credit entirely, you could eventually end up without a scoreable file. FICO also notes that someone with no credit cards tends to look riskier to lenders than someone who has managed cards responsibly. Carrying debt is not the goal, but keeping one card active and paying it in full each month is.

Why is your credit score different at each credit bureau?

Because each bureau holds a slightly different file. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion each collect information independently, and not every lender reports to all three. One bureau might have an account or a recent balance update that another does not, and lenders send their updates at different times, so one report can simply be more current. Each bureau also runs its own version of the FICO scoring system, which means scores can differ a little even when the underlying data matches. That is a good reason to review all three reports rather than assuming one tells the whole story.

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