紐時賞析／Z世代想建立信用 但選項有限

22歲的班森從大學畢業後因爲沒有信用記錄而難以找到公寓租賃。（紐約時報）

Gen Z Wants to Build Credit. It Has Few Options.

Z世代想建立信用 但選項有限

When Danny Benson started applying for apartments after graduating from Syracuse University in May, he assumed the hardest part would be finding the right location. He didn’t expect to be rejected before he got an opportunity to submit an application.

班森今年5月從雪城大學畢業後開始申請公寓時，他原以爲最困難的部分是找到合適的地點。他沒想到的是，連申請機會都還沒來，就先被拒絕。

Since Benson, 22, didn’t have a credit card during college, he had no credit history. He tried to fix that with a Discover card in June. But the only option the bank gave him was a secured card, which requires a minimum security deposit of $200.

因爲22歲的班森上大學期間沒有信用卡，所以他沒有信用記錄。他6月試圖以一張Discover卡彌補這個問題。但銀行給他的唯一選擇是擔保卡，需要繳納最低200美元的押金。

Benson said the deposit requirement established “a dynamic of distrust” and decided not to apply for the secured card. He moved back home with his parents.

班森表示，這種押金要求營造出一種「不信任的氛圍」，並決定不申請這張擔保卡。他搬回家和父母同住。

Gen Zers are often in their early to late 20s, prime years for establishing credit. But pandemic-era spending, student loan delinquencies and inflation have left many young Americans vulnerable to long-term financial strain. As a result, Gen Z borrowers have seen the steepest decline in credit scores of any age group this year. Their average FICO score fell to 676, well below the national average of 715, according to the inaugural FICO Score Credit Insights Report.

Z世代通常處於20出頭到20多歲後期，正是建立信用的黃金時期。但疫情期間的消費行爲、學生貸款違約以及通膨，使許多年輕美國人容易陷入長期的財務壓力。因此，Z世代借款人的信用評分在今年所有年齡層中下跌幅度最大。根據首份FICO信用分數洞察報告，他們的平均 FICO分數降至676，遠低於全美平均的715分。（譯註：FICO不只評分，並深入解析信用行爲與風險因素。）

Gen Z has had fewer opportunities than older generations to build credit early on. Before the Credit CARD Act of 2009 was enacted, credit card companies targeted students on college campuses, providing them with easy access to credit. Many young adults also now rely on debit cards or “buy now, pay later” loans for daily expenses, neither of which contributes to credit building.

與上一代相比，Z世代早期建立信用的機會較少。 2009年《信用卡法案》實施前，信用卡公司會鎖定大學校園的學生，讓他們輕鬆取得信用卡。許多年輕人如今也依賴金融卡或「先買後付」的貸款來支付日常開銷，但這些方式都無助於建立信用。

“With fewer traditional ways to build credit, like homeownership, Gen Z is finding it harder to establish and maintain a strong credit profile,” said Allie Danziger, senior vice president of AscentUP, a professional development and career readiness platform.

專業發展和職涯準備平臺AscentUP資深副總裁丹齊格表示：「由於建立信用的傳統方式減少，如擁有住房，Z世代發現建立和維持良好信用紀錄變得更困難。」

Capital One and Bank of America offer secured and entry-level options. Yet beginner cards are becoming increasingly restrictive and often come with high interest rates, minimal rewards and confusing terms, said Carlo Kobe, CEO of Fizz, a digital fintech helping college students build credit.

第一資本和美國銀行提供擔保卡和入門級信用卡選項。但協助大學生建立信用的數位金融科技公司Fizz執行長寇比表示，入門級信用卡的限制日益嚴格，且通常利率高、回饋少、條款複雜。

文／Kailyn Rhone，譯／羅方妤

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