Average consumer credit scores fall two points over last 13 months

The effects of the recession were suppose to change spending habits and make consumers more cognizant of their credit scores. But that supposed windfall has yet to take hold, as average credit report scores among U.S. consumers have fallen by two points since January 2010. "The average national credit score dropped only slightly down from a year ago, reflecting consumers are making efforts to take control of their debt," Ken Lin, CEO of CreditKarma.com, said in a statement. "The data suggests if consumers maintain this path of financial responsibility, the downward trend for credit scores will continue to slow and ultimately will begin to increase again." According to CreditKarma's U.S. Credit Score Climate Report, the average American holds a score of 667. Additionally, CreditKarma found that credit scores in six major metropolitan areas fell further than the national average. The data revealed that scores in Chicago, Seattle and Houston decreased by three points, while scores in New York City dipped four points and scores in Los Angeles and Philadelphia slipped five points.