Intuit Credit Karma
Kenneth Lin, chief executive of the credit management service CreditKarma.com, says consumers in their early 20s have an average score of 617 out of a possible 850. Scores inch up as graduates learn about the importance of credit and how everyday transactions can harm their finances, he says.
In the past, banks had a strong incentive to reward customers for using their debit cards, says Ken Lin, chief executive of Credit Karma.com, a website that helps consumers improve their credit scores.
CreditKarma Chief Executive Ken Lin attributes the decline to foreclosures, which are eliminating high mortgage debt incurred during the boom years when housing prices were high.
"As college tuition costs skyrocket, consumers are forced to take out larger student loans to meet the increase in price," said Ken Lin, CEO of CreditKarma.com.
Gauge the impact of paying down debt on your current score with a simulator at Creditkarma.com.
Rewards cards usually have higher interest rates, which will cost a consumer far more than can be made up with the 1 or 2 percent discount on gas, said Ken Lin from CreditKarma.com.
"Building credit isn't the same as building a large balance," Ken Lin, CEO of Credit Karma.com, says. Don't make the mistake many credit beginners make by opening a store credit card at every retailer visited during Christmastime, for example.
[Includes Video] I recently discovered, and fell in love with, CreditKarma.com. They tell you your credit score free of charge and will email it to you monthly.
Credit Karma helps more than 2 million consumers realize the everyday cost savings of having a good credit score. Here are some of the dangerously reliable cash windfalls, and why you should not count on them.
CreditKarma CEO Ken Lin says that even though the scores are highly correlated with FICO scores, some may still be off by 100 to 150 points.