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349 Credit score: What You Need to Know in 2025
July 1, 2025
TL;DR
A 349 credit score is a starting point that presents a significant opportunity for building a stronger financial profile. This score falls into the 'Poor' FICO credit score range, giving you a clear baseline from which to improve.
What Does a 349 Credit Score Mean?
A credit score of 349 is considered very poor. On the standard FICO Score range of 300 to 850, this number falls into the lowest category. Lenders view a score this low as a sign of high risk, often indicating a history of significant financial difficulties, such as defaults or collections. It signals to potential creditors that there's a strong likelihood of challenges with repaying future debts.
With a 349 credit score, your financial options are severely limited. You will likely face rejections for most loans and credit cards. Any credit offers you might receive will almost certainly come with extremely high interest rates and unfavorable terms. While this presents a difficult situation, recognizing your current standing is the foundational step toward building a stronger financial future.
Who Has a 349 Credit Score?
While age isn't a direct factor in credit scoring, there is a clear trend of average scores increasing with age. According to 2023 Experian data, the average FICO score varies significantly across different generations:
- 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 349 Credit Score
A credit score of 349 places you in the "very poor" credit range, which unfortunately signals significant risk to potential lenders. This makes qualifying for most traditional unsecured credit cards very difficult, and you can expect most applications to be denied. Your most viable path forward will likely involve secured credit cards or other specialized financial products designed to help rebuild your credit profile.
Kudos offers personalized tools that can help you find a suitable card by analyzing your financial goals and providing insights into how different options may impact your credit score. With a database of nearly 3,000 cards, its recommendation engine can help you find a match designed to build your credit responsibly.
Auto Loans and a 349 Credit Score
A 349 credit score places you in the deep subprime category, which can make securing an auto loan challenging. Lenders view this score as high-risk, meaning if you are approved, you will likely face some of the highest interest rates available.
According to a guide on 2025 auto loan rates, the average interest rates vary significantly across credit score brackets:
- 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 349 Credit Score
A 349 credit score is significantly below the minimum threshold for most mortgage options. According to mortgage requirements, even the most lenient government-backed programs, like FHA loans, require a score of at least 500 with a 10% down payment. For conventional loans, lenders typically look for a score of 620 or higher, making it highly unlikely to secure a loan with a score in the 300s.
In the rare event a specialty lender considered an application with such a low score, the terms would be unfavorable. A low score directly translates to much higher interest rates, larger down payment requirements, and additional fees to compensate for the lender's risk. This would dramatically increase the total cost of the home over the life of the loan.
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 payment history, which tracks whether you pay your bills on time, is the most significant factor.
- Credit utilization, or the amount of credit you're using compared to your total available credit, also plays a major role.
- The length of your credit history demonstrates your experience with managing credit over time.
- Having a healthy mix of different types of credit, such as credit cards and installment loans, can positively impact your score.
- Finally, recent credit inquiries, which occur when you apply for new credit, are also taken into account.
How to Improve Your 349 Credit Score
While a low credit score can feel discouraging, it is absolutely possible to improve your creditworthiness and build a healthier financial profile with consistent effort. According to a guide from Kudos, there are proven methods to boost your score over time. Here are four foundational actions you can take:
- Monitor your credit reports. This allows you to find any errors, fraudulent activity, or negative items that are dragging your score down. Correcting inaccuracies is one of the most direct ways to potentially improve your score.
- Apply for a secured credit card. These cards are designed for individuals with damaged or limited credit and require a cash deposit that acts as your credit limit. Making consistent, on-time payments helps you build a positive payment history, which is essential for rebuilding your score.
- Address accounts in collections. Collection accounts are a significant negative factor that can severely impact a very low credit score. You can contact the collection agency to negotiate a settlement or a "pay-for-delete" agreement to have the damaging mark removed from your report.
- Make all payments on time. Your payment history is the single most important component of your credit score. Setting up automatic payments for all your bills is the best way to ensure you never miss a due date and begin establishing a positive track record.
As you work on these steps, a tool like the Kudos browser extension can help you manage your cards and monitor your progress.
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