VantageScore CreditGauge™ January 2026: Mortgage Delinquencies Rise as Early-Stage Credit Stress Broadens Across Borrowers

• Early-Stage Credit Delinquencies Increase Across All VantageScore Credit Tiers
• Credit Originations Increase Month-Over-Month Across Lending Products as Borrowers Leverage Up During Increased Stress

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mortgage delinquencies increased across all stages, with early-stage delinquencies rising by 30.9% year-over-year in January 2026, according to the latest edition of CreditGauge™ from VantageScore. Credit originations increased modestly over the same period as consumers increased leverage to better navigate the economic stress they perceive. The notable exception was credit card lending, where originations declined as credit card issuers tightened lending standards. The average VantageScore 4.0 credit score held steady at 700.

“The broad-based rise in early-stage credit delinquencies across VantageScore credit tiers underscores persistent macroeconomic pressures, particularly for more vulnerable borrowers,” said Susan Fahy, EVP and Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer at VantageScore. “Sustained cost pressures and interest rates may leave some consumers increasingly exposed to future economic shocks.”

Watch CreditGauge LIVE for additional key insights from the January 2026 edition of CreditGauge that include:

MORTGAGE DELINQUENCIES INCREASE: Year-over-year, mortgage delinquencies increased across all Days Past Due (DPD) stages on a relative basis, with the early-stage (30–59 DPD) rising sharply by 30.9%, followed by late-stage (90–119 DPD) increasing by 14.6% and mid-stage (60–89 DPD) up by 9.06%. This is the most notable deterioration across credit products, signaling gradually building repayment pressure in the housing segment.

EARLY-STAGE CREDIT DELINQUENCIES INCREASE ACROSS ALL VANTAGESCORE CREDIT TIERS: Early-stage delinquencies rose year-over-year across VantageScore Subprime (+10.6%), Nearprime (+15.5%), Prime (+22.8%) and Superprime (+26.2%) borrowers. Overall, 30–59 Days-Past-Due (DPD) delinquencies reached 1.14% in January 2026, continuing a gradual upward trend. Despite stronger relative growth in VantageScore Prime and Superprime segments, absolute delinquency levels remain low.

CREDIT ORIGINATIONS INCREASE MONTH-OVER-MONTH ACROSS LENDING PRODUCTS: Credit originations grew modestly for personal loans (+0.29%), auto loans (+0.10%), and mortgages (+0.03%), while credit card originations edged down slightly (+0.09%) in January.

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CreditGauge is a monthly analysis highlighting the overall health of U.S. consumer credit. To download this month’s full CreditGauge report, visit the VantageScore website.

About VantageScore CreditGauge™

CreditGauge is provided both as a monthly analysis to industry stakeholders as well as through a series of interactive tools at VantageScore.com, which also includes Inclusion360®, RiskRatio^TM and MarketGain^TM. Stakeholders can use the tools to execute additional queries on credit metrics and compare current levels to a pre-pandemic timeframe, starting with January 2020. CreditGauge solely represents the views and analysis of VantageScore and does not necessarily reflect or represent the views of the Nationwide Consumer Reporting Agencies (NCRAs) – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

About VantageScore®

VantageScore is the fastest-growing credit scoring company in the U.S., and is known for the industry’s most innovative, predictive and inclusive credit score models. In 2024, usage of VantageScore increased by 55% to hit 42 billion credit scores. More than 3,700 institutions, including nine of the top 10 U.S. banks, use VantageScore credit scores and digital tools to provide consumer credit products or generate greater insights into consumer behavior. The VantageScore 4.0 credit scoring model scores 33 million more people than traditional models. With the FHFA allowing the immediate use of VantageScore 4.0 for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guaranteed mortgages, the company is also ushering in a new era for mortgage lending.

VantageScore is an independent joint venture company owned by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.