TransUnion: The Bottom Line. While both TransUnion and Experian have some similarities, Experian offers a more robust suite of consumer services. It also reveals your FICO Score 8—the score most lenders use—which can give you a better idea of what lenders see than the VantageScore that TransUnion provides.
The most accurate credit scores are the latest versions of the FICO Score and VantageScore credit-scoring models: FICO Score 8 and VantageScore 3.0.
This is due to a variety of factors, such as the many different credit score brands, score variations and score generations in commercial use at any given time. These factors are likely to yield different credit scores, even if your credit reports are identical across the three credit bureaus—which is also unusual.
Experian vs. Credit Karma: Which is more accurate for your credit scores? You may be surprised to know that the simple answer is that both are accurate.
If you simply want more control over your credit report and credit score, Experian offers the most bang for your buck in terms of personal credit monitoring and identity protection. However, TransUnion offers the most business-related products.
Credit scores help lenders evaluate whether they want to do business with you. The FICO® Score☉ , which is the most widely used scoring model, falls in a range that goes up to 850. The lowest credit score in this range is 300. But the reality is that almost nobody has a score that low.
A: As a general matter, no one credit bureau report is “more important” than the others. In today's economic environment, they are all vitally critical to your personal finances.
If you have an installment loan that reports only to Experian, your Experian credit score may be very different Equifax and TransUnion. Delinquencies reported on a loan reported on one credit report, but not the others, is the most common reason why you'll see wide credit score discrepancies, like 100 points.
For a score with a range between 300 and 850, a credit score of 700 or above is generally considered good. A score of 800 or above on the same range is considered to be excellent. Most consumers have credit scores that fall between 600 and 750.
Experian is the largest credit bureau in the United States. Still, it's not the only entity that houses consumer financial data. Equifax and TransUnion are the other major credit reporting agencies lenders, and creditors turn to for credit reports and scores used to make lending decisions.
Some credit cards that use Experian only reportedly include Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Citi Premier Card, among others.
If a collection shows up on Experian, but not the other two bureaus, you Experian credit score will be lower than your TransUnion and Equifax scores.
Credit Karma touts that it will always be free to the consumers who use its website or mobile app. But how accurate is Credit Karma? In some cases, as seen in an example below, Credit Karma may be off by 20 to 25 points.
This is mainly because of two reasons: For one, lenders may pull your credit from different credit bureaus, whether it is Experian, Equifax or TransUnion. Your score can then differ based on what bureau your credit report is pulled from since they don't all receive the same information about your credit accounts.
Payment History Is the Most Important Factor of Your Credit Score. Payment history accounts for 35% of your FICO® Score.
Both TransUnion and Equifax are reliable credit reporting agencies that compile reports and calculate your credit scores using different scoring models.
Is Experian Accurate? Credit scores from the credit bureaus are only as accurate as the information provided to the bureau. Check your credit report to ensure all the information is correct. If it is, your Experian credit scores are accurate.
A 750 credit score generally falls into the “excellent” range, which shows lenders that you're a very dependable borrower. People with credit scores within this range tend to qualify for loans and secure the best mortgage rates. A 750 credit score could help you: Qualify for a mortgage.
What's A Good Credit Score To Buy A House? Generally speaking, you'll need a credit score of at least 620 in order to secure a loan to buy a house. That's the minimum credit score requirement most lenders have for a conventional loan.
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.
Experian's advantage over FICO is that the information it provides is more thorough than a simple number. A pair of borrowers could both have 700 FICO scores but vastly different credit histories.
Generally speaking, scores between 690 and 719 are considered good credit on the commonly used 300-850 credit score range. Scores above 720 are considered excellent, while scores between 630 and 689 are considered fair. Scores below 630 fall into the bad credit range.
Your credit scores are calculated using information in your credit reports, so it's normal to see your score change as lenders provide updates to that information. A slight drop in your score may not be cause for worry, especially if you're consistently practicing good credit health habits.
Our Verdict: Credit Karma has better credit monitoring and more features, but Experian actually gives you your “real” credit score. Plus it offers the wonderful Experian Boost tool. Since they're both free, it's worth it to get both of them.
You can get your FICO® Score for free from hundreds of financial services companies, including banks, credit unions, credit card issuers and credit counselors that participate in the FICO® Score Open Access program and offer free scores to customers.