Large Differences in FICO Scores Between CRAs

[Anonymous]

Is it normal to see a 40+ point difference between CRAs?  Is it possible that the CRA reporting the lower score was used the last time my credit was run for an application?  I know that we recently purchased a car and the finance person said they only ran my credit with one of the bureaus, but I'd have to look and see which one.

Just curious if this is something I can fix or if its just the way they CRAs formulate scores differently.  I've compared all 3 reports and don't really see any glaring differences, so just wondering why one would be so much lower than the other two.  The low score is from TransUnion.  The other 2 are ~40 points higher and closer together.

Thanks,
Matt

[Junejer]

Hi Matt. The differences don't have to be glaring to make a difference. They can be very subtle. I would check all of my "current status" sections, if I were you. This is were lost points are known to hang out.

Even though there are differences in algorithms, 40 points is a bit steep, IMO.

[marty56]

My score differences are due to how the CRAs view my major derog.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the clarification.  I will review my reports to see if I can find what would be causing the large difference in scores.  Hopefully it is something I can find and resolve with TransUnion.

[Anonymous]

I've reviewed each section of all 3 reports and I don't see any differences.  I called TransUnion, and the representative basically said that they do not use FICO scores and that any discrepancy would be due to myFICO's calculations.  I asked him if there was anything I needed to check in the TransUnion report since myFICO is pulling the data for the FICO score from them (TransUnion). 

His basic tone was that a FICO score is not their responsibility, which I understand to a degree.  But if myFICO merely pulls the data from the CRAs to calculate the FICO scores, then wouldn't it seem like there is something wrong with the data that said CRA is providing....since my other 2 scores are much higher and similar?

Maybe I'm missing something here, I'm fairly new to these processes.

[Junejer]

Each of the three of them have their own algorithm that they (the CRAs) wanted. They have some things weighted heavier than others, which is why if your reports were absolutely identical in every way (highly unlikely BTW), you would still see some difference in scoring amongst the three.

Because you took out the magnifying glass and highlighter and compared them copiously, the only thing that I can tell you is that TU is weighting something very differently than the other two are.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply.  I've parsed through the reports again but this time I looked at the details.

I didn't explain that when I reviewed them before, I was just glancing at general info. 

Sorry for the confusion, my eye is still a bit untrained at this stuff.

For reference, my current scores are:

TU: 737

EX: 768

EQ: 777

The differences I found:

--Personal information is slightly different between the 3 (different spelling of names, missing employer name).  

--EQ reports 1 extra account than TU and EX.  Other than that, balances and status for all

  accounts in each report are the same.

--TU doesn't report my HELOC as a revolving account, Neither does EQ, but EX does.  Which 

  seems strange since my TU score is the lowest - I would think having a high revolving account balance

  would lower my score...yet this is the opposite with EX, which has a higher score than TU.

--EX has 5 recent inquiries (for a car purchase last month).  The other 2 don't have any recent inquiries.

Perhaps the discrepancy is how TU and EQ view my HELOC as a "Mortgage" account instead of a revolving account like EX does.  Still confusing though because my EQ score is the highest of the 3.

[Junejer]

Demographic information doesn't factor into scoring at all.

What is this one account that EQ is reporting? Revolving? Balance vs CL?

What is your util on each of the reports (page 2 on TU and EQ), or you can manually calculate it.

What is the bal/CL on the HELOC?

[smismar]

I have over a 100 point difference between Transunion and Experian. I HATE Transunion.

[Imua]

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@smismar wrote:
I have over a 100 point difference between Transunion and Experian. I HATE Transunion.

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wow - 100 point difference.  i thought mine was high at 79 points difference with TU being the lowest at 704.

i noticed that TU has me at 11% util (while my util is really under 5%)...  i think it's because TU doesn't have 3 TL's that are reporting on the other CRA's. 

i find it odd that  macy's store reports with a CL of $1500, but macy's visa  (with a $5000 CL) apparently doesn't report to TU.  anyone else have both the store and visa card from macy's - and does only one report to TU?