Is TransUnion more important than Equifax? The short answer is no. Both TransUnion and Equifax are reliable credit reporting agencies that compile reports and calculate your credit scores using different scoring models.
Neither score is more or less accurate than the other; they're only being calculated from slightly differing sources. Your Equifax credit score is more likely to appear lower than your TransUnion one because of the reporting differences, but a “fair” score from TransUnion is typically “fair” across the board.
No credit score from any one of the credit bureaus is more valuable or more accurate than another. It's possible that a lender may gravitate toward one score over another, but that doesn't necessarily mean that score is better.
Answer provided by. “In general, lenders have a preferred credit report between Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. However, they may pull more than one credit report if they can't determine if you qualify for a loan based on one.
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.
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.
The middle credit score is most significant when buying a house because mortgage companies ignore the highest and lowest number provided by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
This is because there are 3 credit bureaus and dozens of different scoring models. Differences in which report is pulled, which scoring model is used, and what information is reported to whom and when, can all have an impact on the credit score you are viewing.
Your payment history on loan and credit accounts can play a prominent role in calculating credit scores; depending on the scoring model used, even one late payment on a credit card account or loan can result in a decrease. In addition, late payments remain on your Equifax credit report for seven years.
Although ranges vary depending on the credit scoring model, generally credit scores from 580 to 669 are considered fair; 670 to 739 are considered good; 740 to 799 are considered very good; and 800 and up are considered excellent.
The scoring model used in mortgage applications
While the FICO® 8 model is the most widely used scoring model for general lending decisions, banks use the following FICO scores when you apply for a mortgage: FICO® Score 2 (Experian) FICO® Score 5 (Equifax)
The credit scores and reports you see on Credit Karma should accurately reflect your credit information as reported by those bureaus. This means a couple of things: The scores we provide are actual credit scores pulled from two of the major consumer credit bureaus, not just estimates of your credit rating.
A good score with TransUnion and VantageScore® 3.0 is between 720 and 780. As your score climbs through and above this range, you can benefit from the increased freedom and flexibility healthy credit brings. Some people want to achieve a score of 850, the highest credit score possible.
In conclusion, auto lenders use Equifax and Experian the most, while TransUnion is less used for auto loan credit checks, at least in some parts of the US.
Should I be concerned about both credit reports, Equifax's and TransUnion's? Since each lender can view your file from either credit bureau, it's important that both are up to date and at their best. Regardless of the agency, your file is your financial report card as a consumer and borrower.
A FICO score of 650 is considered fair—better than poor, but less than good. It falls below the national average FICO® Score of 710, and solidly within the fair score range of 580 to 669.
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.
Because there are varied scoring models, you'll likely have different scores from different providers. Lenders use many different types of credit scores to make lending decisions. The score you see when you check it may not be the same as the one used by your lender.
A FICO® Score of 670 falls within a span of scores, from 670 to 739, that are categorized as Good. The average U.S. FICO® Score, 711, falls within the Good range.
Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate, notes that Boost won't help your TransUnion or Equifax credit scores. And because the tool only works with newer versions of the FICO algorithm (specifically FICO Score 8), it won't help you get a home loan, as mortgage lenders typically rely on older FICO score models.
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.