December 2016

Who are the credit 

invisibles?

How to help people with limited credit histories
1 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU FOOTER STYLE

Table of contents

Table of contents.........................................................................................................1

Who are the credit invisibles? ...................................................................................2

Where do the credit invisible live?....................................................................6

The impact of credit invisibility ........................................................................ 7

How are credit reports and credit scores created? ...........................................8

Actions consumers can take ..............................................................................8

CFPB Actions ....................................................................................................11

Appendix A: Micropolitan Statistical Areas with the highest 

percentage of Credit Invisible & Unscorable Consumers...............................13

Appendix B: Metropolitan Statistical Areas with the largest number 

of Credit Invisible & Unscorable Consumers...................................................15
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Who are the credit invisibles?

In 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a Data Point that found one 

in ten adults in the U.S., or about 26 million people, are “credit invisible.” This means that 26 

million consumers do not have a credit history with one of the nationwide credit reporting 

companies. An additional 19 million consumers have “unscorable” credit files, which means that 

their file is thin and has an insufficient credit history (9.9 million) or they have stale files and 

lack any recent credit history (9.6 million). In sum, there are 45 million consumers who may be 

denied access to credit because they do not have credit records that can be scored. 

Together, the unscorable and credit invisible consumers make up almost 20 percent of the entire 

U.S. adult population. Consumers who are credit invisible or unscorable generally do not have 

access to quality credit and may face a range of issues, from trying to obtain credit to leasing an 

apartment.

Credit Invisible

(26 million)

Credit Unscorable

(19 million)

Thin File

Stale File
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Consumers in low-income neighborhoods are more 

likely to be credit invisible

Consumers in low-income neighborhoods are disproportionately credit invisible and are more 

likely to have unscorable credit files. Of the consumers who live in low-income neighborhoods, 

almost 30 percent are credit invisible and an additional 15 percent have records that are 

unscorable. These percentages are notably lower in upper-income1 neighborhoods. For example,

in upper-income neighborhoods, only 4 percent of the population is credit invisible and another 

5 percent is unscorable. Taken from the Data Point, Figure 1 (below) shows that credit 

invisibility is largely a problem affecting low and moderate income households.

FIGURE 1: UNSCORED CONSUMERS BY INCOME CATEGORY

 

1 The American Community Survey includes the median household income in each tract, county, and Metropolitan 

Statistical Area (MSA). We use this information to calculate the “relative income” of each tract. Relative income is 

defined as the ratio between the median household income of the tract and the median household income of the 

surrounding area, which is the MSA for urban tracts or the county for rural tracts. Following the definitions used in 

the Community Reinvestment Act, we then characterize each tract as low, moderate, middle, or upper-income, 

depending on whether the tract’s relative income is below 50 percent, between 50 and 80 percent, between 80 and 

120 percent, or above 120 percent. http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201505_cfpb_data-point-creditinvisibles.pdf (pgs. 8-9)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Low Moderate Middle Upper

Percent of Income Category

Income Category

Credit Invisible Stale Unscored Insufficient Unscored
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Black and Hispanic consumers are more likely 

to be credit invisible

Black and Hispanic consumers are considerably more likely to be credit invisible, as well as have 

unscored credit records than White or Asian consumers.2 Figure 2 (below) shows that about 15 

percent of Black and Hispanic consumers are credit invisible compared to 9 percent of White 

consumers. An additional 13 percent of Black consumers and 12 percent of Hispanic consumers 

have unscorable records compared to 7 percent of White consumers.

FIGURE 2: UNSCORED CONSUMERS BY RACE

 

2 For each tract, we estimate the number of consumers in each of the thirteen age groups who are credit invisible. We 

then use the racial mix of the tract in each age group from the 2010 Decennial Census to estimate the racial or 

ethnic mix of credit invisibles, assuming for these purposes that the distribution of credit invisibles in any given 

tract is proportionate to the racial and ethnic composition of the tract (i.e., that members of each racial or ethnic 

group in a given tract have an equal chance of being credit invisible). For example, if we find that a tract has 100 

credit invisibles in a given age group, and that tract’s population in that age group is 15 percent Black, 10 percent 

Hispanic, 5 percent Asian, and 70 percent White, then we would assume that 15 of these credit invisibles were Black, 

10 were Hispanic, 5 were Asian, and the remaining 70 were White.

0%

10%

20%

30%

Black Hispanic Other Asian White

Percent Unscored

Race

Credit Invisible Stale-Unscored Insufficient-Unscored
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Young consumers are more likely to be credit invisible

Our analysis shows that young consumers are more likely to be credit invisible. This trend is 

mostly due to this segment of consumers just starting out in their credit journey. With few 

exceptions, children under the age of 18 generally do not have credit reports. Figure 3 below 

shows about 64 to 67 percent of all consumers 18 to 19 years old are credit invisible – with 

minimal variation across race. 

FIGURE 3: PREVALENCE OF CREDIT INVISIBLES BY AGE GROUP 

In Figure 4, we focus on where the difference of credit invisibility incidence between Whites and 

other consumers becomes more pronounced. The percentages quickly deviate as consumers 

enter their early 20s, suggesting that differences begin early in consumers’ lives and could 

persist throughout. While only 6 percent of young White consumers ages 25 to 29 do not have a 

credit report, Hispanics in that same age group are more than twice as likely to be credit 

invisible at 15.5 percent, and Blacks are almost twice as likely to be credit invisible at 11.1 

percent. Hispanic and Black consumers are also more likely than Whites to be credit invisible at 

age 60 and older.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

18 to 19

years

20 to 24

years

25 to 29

years

30 to 34

years

35 to 39

years

40 to 44

years

45 to 49

years

50 to 54

years

55 to 59

years

60 to 64

years

65 to 69

years

70 to 74

years

75

years

and

over

Percent Credit Invisible

Age Group

White Black Hispanic
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FIGURE 4: A CLOSER LOOK – PREVALENCE OF CREDIT INVISIBLES BY AGE GROUP

Where do the credit invisible live?

Credit invisible consumers are concentrated in certain areas across the county. Geographic 

analysis on credit invisibles data was compiled at both the state and the Core Base Statistical 

Area level.3 Our state-level data shows the percentage of residents within each state who are 

credit invisible, have thin files, or have stale files. By state, Mississippi has the highest portion of 

adults (22.3 percent) who are either credit invisible or unscorable, while Utah has the lowest 

(15.8 percent). States in the South generally have a larger percentage of credit invisibles than 

states in other regions. Of the top 25 Micropolitan Statistical Areas, 21 are located in the South. 

 

3 Core Base Statistical Areas (CBSA) are made up of Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Micropolitan Areas. These are 

areas defined by the U.S. Census Bureau made up of clusters of at least 50,000 and 10,000 people, respectively.

18%

6%

3%

7%

4%

7%

6% 5%

2%

7%

9%

17%

22%

11%

7%

8%

7%

11% 11% 11%

8%

15% 18%

24%

24%

16%

11% 11%

9% 9% 8% 9%

7%

14%

18%

24%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

20 to 24

years

25 to 29

years

30 to 34

years

35 to 39

years

40 to 44

years

45 to 49

years

50 to 54

years

55 to 59

years

60 to 64

years

65 to 69

years

70 to 74

years

75 years

and over

Percent Credit Invisible

Age Group

White Black Hispanic
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In Appendix B, the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, there are also more Southern areas 

represented than any other region.

Credit invisible consumers are concentrated in areas of high poverty. Of the top 25 Micropolitan 

Statistical Areas with the highest percentage of credit invisibles, all 25 have poverty rates higher 

than the 2015 national rate of 13.5 percent. Fourteen of those areas have poverty rates more 

than double the national rate.4

The impact of credit invisibility

Credit invisibility can exclude consumers from accessing financial opportunities and full 

participation in mainstream financial services. Consumers could also face difficulty in other 

aspects of life, depending on how credit history is used in decisions related to employment, 

renting an apartment, obtaining a cell phone, and accessing utilities without a deposit. Many 

people and businesses use reports and/or scores to make decisions about consumers. Banks and 

credit card companies can use credit reports to decide whether to give a person a loan and what 

price to charge. A landlord may use credit reports to evaluate apartment applications. 

A limited credit history can also impair consumers’ abilities to withstand financial shocks and 

achieve financial stability. When they encounter emergency situations that require them to 

borrow money, and traditional credit products are not available to them, they may find it 

necessary to use higher cost alternatives to bridge the financial gap. 

 

4 See Appendix A for the top 25 Micropolitan Statistical Areas with the highest percentage of credit invisible and 

unscorable consumers, and Appendix B for the top 25 Metropolitan Statistical Areas with the largest total number 

of credit invisible and unscorable consumers.
8 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU FOOTER STYLE

How are credit reports and credit scores 

created?

Credit reporting companies collect information about consumers from many sources, some of 

which are called information furnishers. The companies organize this information into reports 

and sell them to businesses so they can make decisions about consumers. The biggest 

nationwide credit reporting companies are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. 

While some pieces of information in consumers’ credit reports may be more important or less 

important, the key is to understand the information in the credit reports. Fair Isaac Corporation 

(FICO scores) and VantageScore Solutions (Vantage scores) are two of the companies that 

generate many of the most commonly used credit scores. The actual way that FICO and Vantage 

scores (and other credit scores) are calculated is not public. These scores typically range from 

300 to 850. A FICO score above 680 is considered good by most businesses, and the scores 

considered the best are 760 and higher. 

Credit scores provide an easy and efficient way to evaluate risk and assess consumers’ ability to 

repay a loan. These scores sum up key pieces of a consumer’s credit history in a number at a 

moment in time—like a photograph. Companies that create credit scores each use their own 

complicated mathematical formulas. Some lenders create their own scores using different 

scoring formulas, so the score can vary from lender to lender. The information that is input into 

these formulas can come from prior history with the lender or the application itself, as well as 

credit reports— such as information on how many loans a consumer has, the types of loans the 

consumer has, whether they’ve paid their loans on time, length of credit history and how much 

of their revolving credit limits they are using. Most decisions to grant credit and set interest 

rates for loans are made based on information contained in credit reports. As a result, those 

consumers who have a limited or nonexistent credit history face greater hurdles in getting 

credit. 

Actions consumers can take

Fortunately, there are steps consumers can take to build credit for both the consumers looking 

to rebuild and those new to credit. Knowing what matters, such as having access and using 

products that help build credit –knowing how to obtain a free credit report, and knowing how to 
9 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU FOOTER STYLE

dispute errors are important steps that can contribute to a consumer’s path toward financial 

capability and well-being. 

Know what matters

Paying bills on time is one critical step in building a good credit score. Also, don’t get too close to 

the credit limit. Credit scoring models look at how close a consumer is to being “maxed out,” 

because the formulas predict that people who are using too much of their available credit may 

have future troubles with repayment. Using too much of the total credit lines can hurt 

consumers’ credit scores. Experts advise keeping use at no more than 30% of total credit limits. 

Credit scores may also decline if consumers apply for and open too many credit accounts, such 

as credit cards, in a short time.

Finding and using products that will help you to build your 

credit history responsibly

There are a number of existing products considered helpful in establishing or rebuilding credit 

histories, and provide consumers with the opportunity to practice making on-time payments 

that are reported to the credit reporting companies. Below is a list of common credit-building 

products to explore:

SECURED CREDIT CARDS

Consumers apply for this card as they would a traditional credit card and after approval, the 

consumer deposits an amount of money – which can range from $50 to $300 depending on the 

credit card company – into a separate account. The bank holds onto this deposit and extends the 

consumer a credit line matching the deposit amount. Not all banks report to the credit reporting 

companies about card activity. Generally, consumers can build credit with a secured card, but be 

sure to ask the card issuer. Many secured cards also include a “graduation” component, so 

consumers are able to move from a secured card to a traditional credit card seamlessly after 

establishing a pattern of consistent payments. 

CREDIT BUILDER LOANS

Financial institutions, typically credit unions, deposit a small “loan” (often $300-$1000) into a 

locked savings account and the consumer pays the institution back with small-dollar payments 

over 6 to 24 months. These payments are reported to the credit reporting companies. Once the 

end of the loan term is reached, the consumer receives the accumulated money back in total. 
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These loans are typically marketed as having the dual benefit of building credit and savings. 

The savings could be used for an emergency (in lieu of a more costly financial products) or as 

the deposit for a secured credit card. This can help consumers establish a credit history for the 

first time.

RETAIL STORE CREDIT CARDS

Many gas stations, department stores or retail chains offer credit cards. These cards tend to be 

easier to obtain and typically offer lower credit lines. This combination makes them an option 

for consumers looking to build up a thin or nonexistent credit record.

Report less traditional payment data to the credit reporting 

companies

There are a number of payments consumers make that credit reporting companies do not 

traditionally receive information about, but could be captured to record someone’s on-time 

payment history. For example, monthly rent or cell phone payments. 

There are new and emerging ways consumers can report the data from on-time payments so 

that it is positively reflected in their credit reports and scores. Organizations that work with 

consumers can also help with this effort. For example, an increasing number of public housing 

agencies have started to report tenant rental payments in an effort to build their tenants’ credit 

history, giving tenants the choice to opt in to have this data reported. Some companies invite 

consumers to opt into self-reported payments, but the impact of self-reported rent has not been 

studied in the same manner that rental data provided by landlords providing subsidized housing 

has been studied, so the impact is not yet well-understood. Fees and conditions may apply for 

such services, so be sure to research before enrolling.

Know how to access credit reports

The first and most important step for consumers who want to build and maintain good credit is 

to know and understand what is in their credit report. This is true regardless of whether 

consumers have a good credit record or have a poor credit record from events in their past. 

Consumers are entitled to and can request their credit report from each of the three nationwide 

credit reporting companies once every twelve months free of charge at annualcreditreport.com. 

Consumers can get additional free reports in certain other circumstances. Having this 

information in-hand is the most important first step in building or rebuilding credit.
11 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU FOOTER STYLE

Take steps to correct errors

Consumers should actively take steps to correct any issues with their credit report. After 

accessing their report, they will have a better understanding of their current creditworthiness 

and be able to request an investigation of errors or inaccuracies that they find. Accuracy issues 

are the top cited issues in credit reporting complaints handled by the CFPB.5 The CFPB offers 

guidance and sample letters to dispute errors provided by information furnishers (such as a 

financial institution or bank), as well as the credit reporting companies. Consumers can access 

those letters and corresponding instructions here.

Consumers have the legal right to dispute errors in the report with the credit reporting company 

and the company that furnished the information to the reporting company such as the lender. 

Companies are obligated to conduct – free of charge – a reasonable investigation of the dispute. 

The company that has provided the incorrect information must correct the error, and notify all 

of the credit reporting companies to whom it provided the inaccurate information.

CFPB Actions

In 2014, the CFPB launched an open credit score initiative, which called on more of the nation’s 

largest credit card companies to make credit scores freely available to their customers – and 

other types of consumer lenders are increasingly joining them.6 Today more than 180 million 

consumer accounts have free access to credit scores on a monthly basis. All three nationwide

credit reporting companies are now allowing nonprofit counselors to share credit reports, as 

well as the scores, with the consumers they serve. Nonprofit organizations that offer credit 

 

5 http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/201605_cfpb_monthly-complaint-report-vol-11.pdf

6 http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201402_cfpb_letters_credit-scores.pdf
12 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU FOOTER STYLE

counseling, housing counseling, and other financial counseling services are now able to share 

credit reports and scores for the consumers they serve. 

The CFPB has many tools to aid consumers in getting the information and help they need. If 

consumers are facing issues with credit reporting, or other financial products or services, they 

can submit a complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or by phone at 855-411-2372. 
13 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU FOOTER STYLE

APPENDIX A: MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS 

WITH THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF CREDIT 

INVISIBLE & UNSCORABLE CONSUMERS

CBSA title CBSA adult 

population

Percent in 

poverty*

Credit 

invisibles

Thin 

file

Stale 

file

Percent of 

adult population

1 Helena-West 

Helena, AR 15,112 34.0% 2,198 759 684 24.1%

2 Indianola, MS 21,555 35.8% 3,135 1,093 955 24.0%

3 Clewiston, FL 27,648 26.8% 4,002 1,382 1,213 23.9%

4 Americus, GA 27,502 30.2% 3,969 1,333 1,228 23.7%

5 Summerville, GA 19,723 23.9% 2,855 917 897 23.7%

6 Bennettsville, SC 22,333 32.1% 3,202 1,115 970 23.7%

7 Logan, WV 28,696 19.6% 4,111 1,369 1,312 23.7%

8 Clarksdale, MS 18,227 37.4% 2,618 901 788 23.6%

9 Roanoke Rapids, 

NC 58,859 25.9% 8,418 2,861 2,623 23.6%

10 Greenwood, MS 31,433 36.3% 4,515 1,530 1,371 23.6%

11 Greenville, MS 36,404 37.5% 5,190 1,783 1,587 23.5%

12 Española, NM 30,334 22.5% 4,296 1,511 1,311 23.5%

13 Forrest City, AR 21,229 27.7% 2,983 1,047 950 23.5%
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14 Raymondville, TX 16,351 38.0% 2,295 812 727 23.4%

15 Kennett, MO 23,627 26.7% 3,381 1,100 1,054 23.4%

16 Rockingham, NC 35,117 23.8% 4,994 1,679 1,552 23.4%

17 Orangeburg, SC 70,460 24.7% 9,956 3,476 3,058 23.4%

18 Bainbridge, GA 20,603 29.6% 2,940 963 918 23.4%

19 Crescent City, CA 22,082 22.4% 3,128 1,053 979 23.4%

20 Grenada, MS 16,432 22.7% 2,339 783 718 23.4%

21 Selma, AL 31,717 35.9% 4,465 1,542 1,402 23.4%

22 Muskogee, OK 53,174 22.0% 7,552 2,520 2,340 23.3%

23 Las Vegas, NM 22,805 29.4% 3,211 1,135 977 23.3%

24 Cleveland, MS 25,333 34.8% 3,612 1,206 1,090 23.3%

25 Wauchula, FL 19,946 30.8% 2,833 956 859 23.3%
15 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU FOOTER STYLE

APPENDIX B: METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS 

WITH THE LARGEST NUMBER OF CREDIT INVISIBLE & 

UNSCORABLE CONSUMERS

CBSA title CBSA adult 

population

Credit 

invisibles

Thin 

files

Stale 

files Total

Percent 

of adult

population

1

New York-NewarkJERSEY City, NYNJ-PA

15,411,733 1,680,808 605,723 632,055 2,918,586 18.9%

2 Los Angeles-Long 

Beach-Anaheim, CA 9,983,284 888,446 429,104 422,841 1,740,391 17.4%

3 Chicago-NapervilleElgin, IL-IN-WI 7,195,979 846,408 268,001 293,401 1,407,809 19.6%

4

Houston-The 

Woodlands-Sugar 

Land, TX

4,503,576 511,193 175,503 181,574 868,271 19.3%

5 Dallas-Fort WorthArlington, TX 4,879,217 459,259 193,340 205,208 857,808 17.6%

6

PhiladelphiaCamden-Wilmington, 

PA-NJ-DE-MD

4,646,738 501,121 162,562 189,372 853,055 18.4%

7

Miami-Fort 

Lauderdale-West 

Palm Beach, FL

4,556,644 443,659 194,771 186,182 824,612 18.1%

8 Atlanta-Sandy 

Springs-Roswell, GA 4,043,177 398,927 151,682 165,665 716,274 17.7%

9

WashingtonArlington-Alexandria, 

DC-VA-MD-WV

4,485,132 320,408 155,619 170,912 646,939 14.4%
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10

San FranciscoOakland-Hayward, 

CA

3,538,377 339,747 147,695 147,130 634,572 17.9%

11 Phoenix-MesaScottsdale, AZ 3,226,355 357,680 129,249 129,732 616,661 19.1%

12 Boston-CambridgeNewton, MA-NH 3,672,531 346,563 119,143 146,290 611,997 16.7%

13

Riverside-San 

Bernardino-Ontario, 

CA

3,144,324 283,464 133,325 131,190 547,978 17.4%

14 Seattle-TacomaBellevue, WA 2,759,854 240,658 113,881 111,499 466,039 16.9%

15

Tampa-St. 

PetersburgClearwater, FL2,259,194 254,272 91,708 94,494 440,474 19.5%

16 Minneapolis-St. PaulBloomington, MN-WI 2,585,801 250,397 83,128 101,581 435,106 16.8%

17 Detroit-WarrenDearborn, MI 3,283,290 208,495 110,022 115,797 434,314 13.2%

18 St. Louis, MO-IL 2,147,644 234,241 82,436 90,767 407,444 19.0%

19 Baltimore-ColumbiaTowson, MD 2,132,933 224,113 80,070 86,920 391,103 18.3%

20 San Diego-Carlsbad, 

CA 2,456,245 161,721 107,905 104,070 373,696 15.2%

21 Denver-AuroraLakewood, CO 2,007,140 199,434 78,776 81,512 359,722 17.9%

22 Charlotte-ConcordGastonia, NC-SC 1,722,849 213,199 70,220 71,760 355,178 20.6%

23 Pittsburgh, PA 1,895,242 189,120 65,199 79,856 334,176 17.6%
17 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU FOOTER STYLE

24 Portland-VancouverHillsboro, OR-WA 1,761,307 187,358 71,625 73,403 332,386 18.9%

25

Las VegasHenderson-Paradise, 

NV

1,515,899 188,203 71,449 64,013 323,664 21.4%