Transunion’s Q2 2019’s Industry Insight Report [1]found that Gen Zers, or those born in 1995 or after, saw their share of credit in mortgages rise by 114% in the quarter.
Of Gen Zers carrying a credit, 150,000 of them in Q2 2018 had a mortgage credit. That number ballooned to 319,000 in Q2 2019. Credit cards are the most popular form of credit for Gen Zers, with 7.7 million carrying a credit card balance.
“Both the newest and oldest members of the credit-eligible Gen Z generation are beginning to enter the credit market for the very first time,” said Matt Komos, VP of research and consulting at TransUnion. “The rapid growth in Gen Z credit activity is occurring despite many of these individuals having grown up during the Great Recession.
“Though the recession itself lasted less than two years, its impact was felt for several years afterward. As we see more members of this group come of age, we naturally expect continued growth in credit activity by Gen Z, which we will monitor closely to compare to the behaviors of previous generations.”
Although seeing a large year-over-year increase, Transunion states that mortgages are the credit product Gen Z consumers are least likely to have, with just 0.5% holding a mortgage. Additionally, 5.2% of those have a credit card balance, 5.1% have credit in a car, and 3.8% have a personal loan.
As Gen Z begins to build their financial resume, it’s important that they develop healthy credit habits so they can shape their financial future,” said Amy Thomann, Head of Consumer Credit Education at TransUnion. “We encourage Gen Z, and every generation, to seek out credit education tools that will help them take control of their path toward better credit health.”
The generation before them, millennial, have been in active in the housing market over the past year. A survey earlier this year from SunTrust found that nearly half of millennials (ages 22-38) who have been married say they and/or their spouse owned a home before marriage (48%), compared to just 35% of baby boomers (aged 55-73).
"People are choosing from many different paths and reaching common life milestones at a wider age span than before, changing when they decide to purchase a home," said Sherry Graziano, Mortgage Transformation Officer at SunTrust.