Many consumers saw credit scores take a hit in the aftermath of the recession

The Great Recession had a major impact on the financial situations of Americans, including their consumer credit scores.

One area that has suffered significantly is San Joaquin Valley, where families are dealing with unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy. A report from TransUnion found that a number of consumers in this area of California had extremely poor credit scores as a result of the recession, according to the Fresno Bee.

In fact, many had poor scores before the economic downturn, and it only got worse after, as some went through foreclosures.

"Many consumers who were at the lower-mid score range when the recession hit were already carrying high balances and had incidences of missed payments," FICO noted in a white paper on credit behavior in the U.S. "Close to the edge, they didn't have the financial resources to weather additional economic pressures and were ineligible for additional credit to tide them over."

John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com, said scores can fall more than 200 points after a foreclosure or a similar event.

In trying financial times, short term lenders can be of great benefit to consumers. Areas such as San Joaquin Valley could see these financial institutions realize increased demand, as they often use alternative credit methods to approve applications.