Equifax is the largest credit bureau in the U.S., but TransUnion and Equifax are thought to be just as important. When it comes to credit scores, however, lenders prefer FICO Score by a wide margin.
Comparing Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.
Experian gives a more detailed picture of a person's financial history, including payment timeliness and debt utilization. TransUnion offers more insight into a person's job history, whereas Equifax provides more information about mortgage history.
Your credit reports from Experian, TransUnion and Equifax could have different information because creditors can choose which bureau(s) they want to report to, as well as what they report and when. As a result, the same scoring model could give you different credit scores based on each of your three credit reports.
The FICO scoring model is an algorithm that produces what is considered the most reliable credit scores. About 90% of lenders use FICO's model to evaluate candidates for credit.
Many dealers use a FICO Auto Score instead of a traditional FICO Score or VantageScore when evaluating your car loan application. Your FICO Auto Score can range from 250 to 900, depending on your previous auto loans.
Lenders may look at reports from either Equifax or TransUnion (or even Experian) when evaluating your creditworthiness.
Today, many mortgage lenders use classic FICO scoring models for mortgage applications. FICO created slightly different scoring models for each credit bureau—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax—and they are named: FICO® Score☉ 2, or Experian/Fair Isaac Risk Model v2.
Chase offers credit monitoring through Chase Credit Journey® with Experian™.
Many lenders, credit providers and financial institutions use Experian for their decisions.
For a score with a range of 300 to 850, a credit score of 670 to 739 is considered good. Credit scores of 740 and above are very good while 800 and higher are excellent.
An Equifax credit score isn't used by lenders or creditors to assess a consumers' creditworthiness. Instead, many lenders use FICO Scores® to help determine a potential borrower's creditworthiness. FICO uses credit scores from the three reporting agencies, including Equifax and Transunion, to determine their score.
FICO Scores are an industry standard
90% of top lenders use FICO Scores. So when you apply for a loan, it's likely your lender will be checking your FICO Scores to determine how much you can borrow and how much interest you'll pay.
There are three credit reference agencies - Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. All the credit reference agencies keep information about you and a lender can consult one or more of them when making a decision.
For me personally, Bank of America, Chase, FNBO, and Wells Fargo have pulled Experian only. If you Google "myfico pulls experian" you'll come across more data points.
When the scores are significantly different across bureaus, it is likely the underlying data in the credit bureaus is different and thus driving that observed score difference.
A 700 credit score is considered “very good” and opens doors to the best mortgage options available. Conventional loans offer highly competitive rates and terms at this credit level. Government-backed loans like FHA are available but may be less advantageous compared to conventional options.
Among the prominent agencies banks use are Equifax, illion, and Experian. Each agency has its privacy policy detailing how your information is handled.
What Credit Score Do You Need for a No Down Payment Home Loan? If you're hoping to purchase a home without a down payment, you'll have to prove a specific income and have a credit score that's at least in the mid-600 range.
The main difference is Experian grades it between 0 – 1000, while Equifax grades the score between 0 – 1200. This means that there is not only a clear 200 point difference between these two bureaus but the “perfect scores” are also different, which is 1000 as reported by Experian and 1200 as reported by Equifax.
Making on-time payments to creditors, keeping your credit utilization low, having a long credit history, maintaining a good mix of credit types, and occasionally applying for new credit lines are the factors that can get you into the 800 credit score club.
There isn't one specific score that's required to buy a car because lenders have different standards. However, the vast majority of borrowers have scores of 661 or higher.
Excellent (800 to 850): Lenders generally view these borrowers as less risky. As a result, individuals in this range may have an easier time being approved for new credit. Very good (740 to 799): Very good credit scores reflect frequent positive credit behaviors. Lenders are likely to approve borrowers in this range.