Experian: Mortgageholders Have Higher Scores

Consumers with mortgages have an average credit score 55 points higher than that of consumers without a mortgage, according to a study by Experian Consumer Direct, Irvine, Calif.The provider of online credit reports to consumers said the study also indicates that consumers with second mortgages have an average credit score 81 points higher than that of consumers without a mortgage. "Consumers with mortgages are doing a great job managing their credit, and those with second mortgages are doing even better," said Ty Taylor, president of Experian Consumer Direct. "Although consumers with mortgages have on average about five times more debt than those without, their average credit score is 713 -- compared to 658 for consumers without a mortgage." Experian can be found online at http://www.experian.com, and the national and statewide results of the study can be found at http://www.nationalscoreindex.com.