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339 Credit score: What You Need to Know in 2025
July 1, 2025
TL;DR
A 339 credit score presents a significant opportunity for growth, as it falls into the "Poor" FICO score range. While this score indicates considerable financial challenges, it also serves as a foundational starting point from which you can begin to build a much stronger credit history.
What Does a 339 Credit Score Mean?
A credit score of 339 is considered very poor. On the most common FICO scoring model, which ranges from 300 to 850, any score below 580 falls into this lowest category. This number indicates to lenders a history of significant credit difficulties, such as delinquencies, defaults, or collections accounts. From a lender's viewpoint, a score this low represents a substantial credit risk, making them hesitant to extend new credit.
Having a 339 credit score will significantly impact your financial life. It creates major hurdles when applying for mortgages, auto loans, or even basic credit cards. If you do manage to get approved for any form of credit, it will likely come with very high interest rates and unfavorable terms. While this presents a considerable challenge, recognizing where you stand is the foundational step toward building a stronger financial future.
Who Has a 339 Credit Score?
While age is not a direct factor in calculating your credit score, there is a clear correlation showing that scores tend to improve over time. This is often due to factors like a longer credit history and more experience managing debt. According to 2023 data on average credit scores, the breakdown by generation is as follows:
- Generation Z (ages 18-26): 680
- Millennials (ages 27-42): 690
- Generation X (ages 43-58): 709
- Baby Boomers (ages 59-77): 745
- Silent Generation (ages 78+): 760
Credit Cards With a 339 Credit Score
A credit score of 339 falls into the "poor" range, signaling to lenders that you are a high-risk borrower. Consequently, you'll likely face significant challenges when applying for traditional unsecured credit cards, with most mainstream issuers denying your application outright. Your options will generally be limited to secured credit cards that require a cash deposit or certain unsecured cards specifically designed for building credit, which often come with high fees and interest rates.
Kudos offers AI-powered tools that can help you find a credit card by asking about your preferences, such as building credit or finding low interest rates. Its Explore Tool sifts through a database of nearly 3,000 cards to provide personalized recommendations that align with your financial goals.
Auto Loans and a 339 Credit Score
A 339 credit score places you in the deep subprime category, which can make securing an auto loan challenging. While approval may still be possible, you should expect to face significantly higher interest rates and less favorable loan terms.
To put this in perspective, a 2025 guide on auto loans breaks down the average interest rates by credit score bracket:
- Super-prime (781-850): 5.25% for new cars and 7.13% for used cars.
- Prime (661-780): 6.87% for new cars and 9.36% for used cars.
- Non-prime (601-660): 9.83% for new cars and 13.92% for used cars.
- Subprime (501-600): 13.18% for new cars and 18.86% for used cars.
- Deep subprime (300-500): 15.77% for new cars and 21.55% for used cars.
Mortgages at a 339 Credit Score
With a 339 credit score, traditional mortgage options are effectively off the table. Lenders for conventional loans require a minimum score of 620. Even government-backed FHA loans have a floor of 500, and that’s only with a 10% down payment. According to mortgage requirements, a score this low will almost certainly result in denial from mainstream lenders.
In the rare case you find a specialty lender, the terms would be punishing. Expect significantly higher interest rates, adding tens of thousands to the loan's lifetime cost. Lenders would also demand a much larger down payment and put your finances under a microscope, making borrowing both difficult and expensive.
What's in a Credit Score?
Understanding your credit score can feel like trying to solve a complex puzzle, as it's a blend of several key financial habits. The most common factors that determine your score include:
- Your payment history tracks whether you have paid past credit accounts on time.
- Credit utilization is the percentage of your available credit that you are currently using.
- The length of your credit history considers the age of your oldest account and the average age of all your accounts.
- Credit mix refers to the variety of credit products you have, such as credit cards, retail accounts, and loans.
- New credit inquiries and recently opened accounts can also temporarily impact your score.
How to Improve Your 339 Credit Score
While a 339 credit score can feel discouraging, it is possible to improve your creditworthiness with consistent effort and the right financial habits. Taking deliberate, proven steps can help you build a healthier credit profile over time.
- Apply for a secured credit card. Since these cards are designed for those with damaged credit, they require a security deposit, which makes you a lower risk to lenders. Your responsible use and timely payments are reported to the major credit bureaus, helping you establish a positive history.
- Become an authorized user. You can build your credit history by being added to a trusted person's account that has a strong record of on-time payments and low utilization. Their good credit habits can have a positive impact on your own credit file.
- Consider a credit-builder loan. These loans are specifically designed to help you build credit by reporting your payments to the bureaus. They also help diversify your credit mix, showing future lenders you can responsibly handle different types of credit.
- Monitor your credit reports regularly. A very low score can sometimes be the result of inaccuracies or even identity theft on your report. Checking your reports allows you to spot and dispute these errors, which can be a direct way to improve your score.
Using a financial companion like Kudos can help you manage your credit cards and monitor your score as you work toward your goals.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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