VantageScore CreditGauge™ April 2026: Consumers Borrow Selectively as Delinquencies Ease and Mortgage Demand Strengthens

• Credit Card Delinquencies Improve Across All Delinquency Stages
• Mortgage Originations Strengthen in Spring Homebuying Season

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Consumer credit conditions in April 2026 continued to stabilize as delinquency trends improved across most stages and products, supported by seasonal tax-related relief and disciplined balance management, according to the latest edition of CreditGauge™ from VantageScore. The average VantageScore 4.0 credit score held stable at 701, indicating that consumer credit health remains stable despite elevated interest rates and persistent affordability pressures.

“April’s data points to a consumer that is exercising restraint,” said Susan Fahy, EVP and Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer at VantageScore. “Mortgage activity strengthened during the spring homebuying season, while consumers continued to preserve credit capacity and borrow selectively despite ongoing affordability pressures.”

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

CREDIT CARD DELINQUENCIES IMPROVE ACROSS ALL DELINQUENCY STAGES: In April 2026, year-over-year credit card delinquencies showed the most consistent improvement across all delinquency stages. This signals resilient revolving credit performance despite continued affordability constraints and interest rate pressures.

MORTGAGE ORIGINATIONS STRENGTHEN IN SPRING HOMEBUYING SEASON: Mortgage originations in April 2026 increased by 0.12% from March 2026, following seasonal trends and marking the largest month-over-month increase since April 2021. Mortgage activity in April 2026 improved as the spring homebuying season began, likely buoyed by the downward trend in interest rates in early 2026.

Follow VantageScore on LinkedIn and YouTube to watch CreditGauge LIVE, a monthly video series featuring our latest insights on consumer credit data and analysis.

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™ and MarketGain™. 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.