Residents of this state have the worst average credit score—see how you stack up

No 1 wants to spot their authorities connected the database of worst anything, beryllium it food, standardized trial scores oregon roadworthy rage incidents.

But being among the worst erstwhile it comes to recognition scores is particularly disappointing. Because your people is simply a reflection of your creditworthiness successful the eyes of lenders, a debased fig tin mean you're little apt to suffice for recognition cards and loans — oregon that you'll beryllium a higher involvement complaint if you bash qualify.

That's atrocious quality for Mississippians, whose mean recognition people of 662 is the worst successful the nation, according to a recent study from WalletHub, based connected information from TransUnion.

That puts them successful bad, but not unsalvageable, shape. Credit scores mostly tally from 300 to 850, with scores implicit 750 considered "excellent." The U.S. mean is 695 utilizing the exemplary from VantageScore, truthful don't get excessively superior if your authorities isn't among the debased scorers. Plenty of Americans person immoderate enactment to bash connected the recognition people front.

Read connected to spot the 10 states with the lowest mean recognition scores and what recognition experts accidental you tin bash if you privation to bring your people up.

1. Mississippi: 662
2. Louisiana: 668
3. Alabama: 672
4. Arkansas: 673
5. Oklahoma: 673
6. Texas: 674
7. Georgia: 675
8. West Virginia: 676
9. Kentucky: 678
10. South Carolina: 678

If you, similar the mean Mississippian, find yourself successful the 600s, it's clip to enactment connected repairing your credit, experts said. That's due to the fact that top-of-the-line recognition offers are reserved for those with scores of 750 and above.

"Once you get betwixt 660 and 680, you're getting to the cutoff for subprime credit," said Ted Rossman, elder manufacture expert astatine Bankrate.com. "Below that, you're overmuch little apt to beryllium approved. Below 620, you're going to person a hard clip getting approved."

Anyone looking to instrumentality retired a loan, unfastened a recognition paper oregon yet bargain a location would beryllium omniscient to effort to boost their score, said recognition adept Gerri Detweiler. "If you're successful the 600s, getting implicit that 700 threshold is simply a bully extremity to purpose for," she said.

Here are 3 tips from recognition experts to assistance you get your fig up.

1. Check your recognition report

"Start by taking a bully inventory," said Rossman. Get a escaped transcript of your recognition reports astatine AnnualCreditReport.com and scrutinize them carefully.

"The biggest happening to look for: Are determination immoderate mistakes?" said Rossman. "Look for signs of individuality theft oregon expenses that don't beryllium to you. These could see precocious payments you deliberation you made connected time."

2. Establish bully recognition health

If determination aren't immoderate mistakes, you're improbable to beryllium capable to alteration the recognition reporting agencies' presumption of your past. But you tin alteration your habits to boost your people going forward.

Be definite to marque recognition paper payments — adjacent the minimum — connected time. Late payments are "what sinks your people the fastest," said Detweiler.

You'd besides beryllium omniscient to little your recognition utilization ratio — a measurement recognition bureaus usage to cipher your score, which compares your equilibrium with your recognition limit. Ideally, your equilibrium astatine the extremity of your billing rhythm should beryllium nary much than 25% to 30% of your disposable credit.

To support this fig down, see asking your creditor for a higher bounds oregon paying disconnected portion of your equilibrium successful beforehand of the extremity of the billing cycle, said Detweiler.

3. Look into alternate scoring systems

You whitethorn person a debased people due to the fact that you person a "thin" recognition history, which tin consciousness paradoxical. How tin you beryllium to creditors that you're a bully borrower if you can't get a loan?

It mightiness marque consciousness to look for a work that helps you summation your people by taking nontraditional payments into account. The escaped Experian Boost service, for instance, incorporates payments specified arsenic utilities, video streaming services and rent. A similar, paid work astatine eCredable Lift, which reports to TransUnion, takes compartment phone, inferior and net work bills into account.  

"These are things that haven't historically counted but should," said Rossman. "These are a bully mode to advocator for yourself."

Want to gain much and enactment less? Register for the free CNBC Make It: Your Money virtual event on Dec. 13 astatine 12 p.m. ET to larn from wealth masters however you tin summation your earning power.

Don't miss: 75% of young, affluent Americans get this ‘wrong’ astir investing, says CFP