Montana Capital Highlights Credit Access Challenges Facing Younger Borrowers

Los Angeles, California, USA, October 20th, 2026, FinanceWire

Montana Capital Car Title Loans has released an analysis of its funded-loan data showing that 70% of its borrowers were aged 25–54 between June 2025 and June 2026, highlighting the role of vehicle-secured lending for working-age consumers who may have limited traditional credit histories.

The analysis draws on the company's lending data alongside research from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on credit invisibility, which disproportionately affects younger consumers. Montana Capital's findings show that borrowers aged 45–54 represented the largest single age group, accounting for 30% of funded loans during the period.

The full age breakdown was as follows:

• 18–24: 6%
• 25–34: 20%
• 35–44: 20%
• 45–54: 30%
• 55–64: 10%
• 65+: 14%

Montana Capital is not claiming that these borrowers are themselves "credit invisible." The data is better viewed as evidence that a substantial share of its funded customer base sits within working-age groups where access to traditional credit can vary widely.

The wider issue is well documented. The CFPB defines credit-invisible consumers as those with no credit record at any of the nationwide credit reporting agencies. Its most recent, corrected research estimates that 2.7% of U.S. adults were credit invisible as of 2020, down from a revised 5.8% in 2010 [2].

Younger consumers are still substantially more likely to fall into this group. CFPB research has found that roughly 64% to 67% of 18- and 19-year-olds are credit invisible, with the share falling sharply as consumers move through their twenties [3]. The agency's research also shows that more than 90% of consumers transition out of credit invisibility by their mid-to-late twenties [4].

Shir Amram, Chief Operating Officer at Montana Capital Car Title Loans, said: "A limited credit history doesn't necessarily mean someone has no income or no assets. Younger adults in particular may simply not have had enough time to build the kind of credit file traditional underwriting tends to rely on.

"What we see as a lender is that a person's vehicle can be an important part of their financial picture. We look at the vehicle's market value alongside the borrower's ability to repay rather than making a decision based on the vehicle alone."

Traditional credit files do not always reflect the full financial position of younger consumers. Someone may have a limited borrowing history but still have a regular income, a paid-off vehicle, and meaningful equity in that asset.

For lenders using vehicle-secured underwriting, that creates a different starting point. The vehicle's market value can be considered alongside income and ability to repay, rather than treating a thin credit file as the whole picture. This is particularly relevant for younger adults who may be financially active but have not yet built the longer borrowing history that conventional credit models tend to reward.

Vehicle-secured lending does not remove the need for underwriting. The lender still reviews income and ability to repay alongside the vehicle offered as collateral, and eligibility, loan amounts, and terms vary by borrower and by state.

Amram added: "Owning a vehicle doesn't mean someone will automatically qualify for a title loan, and age by itself tells us very little about an applicant. The point is that traditional credit history is only one part of a person's financial circumstances.

"For borrowers who have income and vehicle equity but a limited credit history, secured lending can provide another route to be assessed on the financial position they actually have today."

For the industry, the figures raise a broader question: how well do traditional credit models reflect consumers who may have income and tangible assets but a relatively limited history of conventional borrowing.

Learn more at: montanacapital.com

About Montana Capital Car Title Loans

Montana Capital Car Title Loans is a Los Angeles-based direct lender specializing in vehicle-secured title loans. The company provides an online application process and assesses each borrower based on their vehicle, income, and ability to repay, with the aim of offering a practical alternative for consumers who may have limited access to traditional forms of credit.

Resources

1. CFPB – Technical Correction and Update to the CFPB's Credit Invisibles Estimate
2. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/technical-correction-and-update-to-the-cfpbs-credit-invisibles-estimate/
3. CFPB – Credit Invisibles policy report https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/201612_cfpb_credit_invisible_policy_report.pdf/
4. CFPB – Geography of Credit Invisibility https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/blog/new-research-report-geography-credit-invisibility/

Contact