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308 Credit score: What You Need to Know in 2025
July 1, 2025
TL;DR
A 308 credit score provides a clear opportunity to build a stronger financial foundation. This score falls into the "Poor" FICO range, which offers a starting point from which you can take actionable steps toward significant improvement.
What Does a 308 Credit Score Mean?
A credit score of 308 indicates a history of significant financial difficulties. On the standard FICO Score range of 300 to 850, a 308 falls squarely into the "very poor" category. This score signals to lenders that you are a high-risk borrower, likely due to a pattern of major credit problems such as delinquencies, defaults, or collections accounts.
Financially, this score will create major obstacles. You'll find it nearly impossible to get approved for new loans or credit cards. Any credit offers you might receive will almost certainly come with extremely high interest rates and restrictive terms. While this presents a challenging financial picture, a credit score is not a permanent label, and it is possible to move forward.
Who Has a 308 Credit Score?
While age isn't a direct factor in calculating your credit score, there's a clear trend of scores improving as people get older. According to 2023 data from Experian, the average FICO score increases with each generation:
- Generation Z (ages 18-26): 680 (Good)
- Millennials (ages 27-42): 690 (Good)
- Generation X (ages 43-58): 709 (Good)
- Baby Boomers (ages 59-77): 745 (Good)
- Silent Generation (ages 78+): 760 (Very Good)
Credit Cards With a 308 Credit Score
A credit score of 308 falls into the "very poor" range, which can make qualifying for a traditional credit card a significant challenge. Most major issuers view this score as a high-risk indicator, leading to likely rejections for standard unsecured cards. Consequently, your options will primarily be limited to secured credit cards or specific subprime cards designed to help rebuild a damaged credit history.
Kudos offers card matching tools that analyze your financial goals and spending habits to help you find a suitable card from its database of nearly 3,000 options. The platform also provides insights into the potential impact on your credit score, empowering you to choose a card that aligns with your rebuilding journey.
Auto Loans and a 308 Credit Score
A 308 credit score places you in the deep subprime category, which can make securing an auto loan challenging. While approval is still possible, you will likely face significantly higher interest rates and stricter loan terms according to 2025 auto loan rates.
- 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 308 Credit Score
A credit score of 308 is significantly below the minimum for almost any mortgage. Based on current mortgage requirements, even lenient FHA loans require a score of at least 500 with a 10% down payment, while conventional loans typically need a 620 minimum. Therefore, securing a home loan with a 308 score from a mainstream lender is highly unlikely, as it signals extreme risk.
Even if you found a specialty subprime lender, the impact of a low score is severe. Expect extremely high interest rates, which add tens of thousands to the loan's total cost. Lenders would also demand a substantial down payment and larger cash reserves, and would likely limit the amount you could borrow to offset their risk.
What's in a Credit Score?
Figuring out what goes into your credit score can feel like trying to solve a complex puzzle, but it generally boils down to a handful of key elements. The most common factors include:
- Your history of making payments on time is the most significant factor.
- How much of your available credit you're currently using, known as your credit utilization ratio, plays a major role.
- The age of your credit accounts, including the average age and the age of your oldest account, is also considered.
- Lenders like to see that you can responsibly manage different types of credit, such as credit cards and loans.
- Opening several new credit accounts in a short period can be seen as a risk and may temporarily lower your score.
How to Improve Your 308 Credit Score
While a 308 credit score is considered very poor, it is absolutely possible to improve it with the right strategy and consistent effort. According to a guide from Kudos, most people can see meaningful changes within three to six months of positive financial behavior.
- Make on-time payments. Your payment history is the most heavily weighted factor in your credit score, so establishing a track record of paying every bill on time is the single most important step. Setting up automatic payments can help ensure you never miss a due date.
- Become an authorized user. Being added to the credit card of a trusted person with a strong payment history can help you benefit from their good habits. Their positive account history can be added to your credit file, which is a powerful way to improve a very low score.
- Get a secured credit card. These cards require a cash deposit as collateral, making them accessible for those rebuilding credit. Responsible use and timely payments are reported to the credit bureaus, allowing you to build a positive history from the ground up.
- Monitor your credit reports. Regularly check your free reports from Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax for errors or signs of fraud. Disputing and removing inaccuracies is a direct way to fix issues that may be unfairly dragging your score down.
The Kudos browser extension can help you manage your cards and payments as you work to improve your credit score.
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