topic Re: TransUnion the Worst? in Understanding FICO® Scoring

TransUnion the Worst?

RicHowe — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 20:25:51 GMT

I don't know if this is the right forum to ask, but I notice that typically TU gives the lowest score of the top 3 bureaus. Seems like they are the "black hat" of CRA's for most people. Am I correct in this observation? My scores are in the 700's, but TU is always a few points lower even though they have the exact same info as the other two.

Maybe I need to "go ask the owl"?

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 20:34:21 GMT

There are variances in how all 3 bureaus pick various FICO score areas to measure.

So 3 identical reports won't give you 3 identical scores because of those different areas.

My TU was higher than EX and EQ many times in the past with identical reports. Today it's the lowest because it's the only derogatory one.

List all 3 of your bureaus in a reply and list how many inquiries you have on each. I'm curious.

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

marty56 — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 21:02:46 GMT

TU is seems sensitive to # CCs reporting a balance. Also my 3 CRs have different info on them which also could explain differences.

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

HeavenOhio — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 03:28:40 GMT

In my case, Equifax is the most sensitive, even though it's my highest score. I get dinged when more than one card reports a balance. And I got dinged a point each time I closed a card this year, possibly because that caused me to have a higher percentage of cards reporting a balance.

Experian has consistently been my lowest score.

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

Aprile421 — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:15:46 GMT

TU for me is always my highest score even sometimes by just a few points. Equifax seems the one that I always have trouble figuring out their scoring on. Reports are the same on all 3 but EQ is always lower than the other scores.

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:42:21 GMT

Everyone's feelings on this subject will be influenced strongly by which bureau data results in their top score (and lowest score). Almost by definition, 1/3 of the population is going to agree with the OP, while 2/3 are going to disagree. This same thread could be started with either of the other 2 major CRA names and the responses would likely be very similar, just from different members.

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 03:06:47 GMT

^^^ you're on the money with that one ☺ I think there's somebody out there who would agree with any of those, be it substituting EQ or EX or leaving it as TU I think we all have one of em as our own special nemesis lol (heck, maybe even 2 of them)

Mine's more like @Aprile421, TU is always my highest, EQ is always my lowest (I have an extra inquiry and 2 extra collections on EQ though which explains that), and for some reason although all the information on my TU and EX is exactly the same the scores fluctuate, sometimes EX is a little lower than TU, other times they're exactly the same, TU is never lower though - at the very worst it'll be tied as my best score

Not sure the reasoning behind any of this (and actually now that i think of it that's all based on vantagescores - I haven't had a fico score long enough to uncover the underlying patterns yet - but come to think of it my FICO EX is currently higher than my FICO TU... eh, either way it's all a bit mysterious to me lol but maybe with enough data points somebody'll be able to figure it all out 🤔)

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 03:23:21 GMT

Experian is the most indicative of my actual credit history. Most complete.

Transunion is second place, but has a disputed Derog on there that I have been fighting for almost a year. (both EX and EQ removed it)

Equifax is my only clean report, but they do not list my legitimate derog that Experian and TU do (not the one mentioned in the TU blurb above)

Fortunately that derog will fall off in about 15 months. The one I am fighting with TU over is relatively new (2 years old)

My scores reflect this, though EX is my lowest by a little due to having the majority of my most recent inquiries. In 3-6 months it should jump back ahead of TU.

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

marty56 — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 11:27:52 GMT

Interesting result is that my TU FICO 9 is 826 while my EQ, EX Fico 9 is 850. I'm not complaning but as far as I know I don't fit in a category that would be affected but the new scoring method. I still supect TU is sensitive to # CCs reporting a balance but who knows. LOL anyone want to have all their CC's report a $1 balance and see what their scores do? I'll pass.

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

gsxraddict — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 20:54:19 GMT

I've never lost a dispute with TU and my credit report is perfect with them because of it.

I love TransUnion, all my disputes were done through CK

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 02:45:49 GMT

@marty56 wrote:
LOL anyone want to have all their CC's report a $1 balance and see what their scores do? I'll pass.

At some point I'll do this again. Back when I just had 4 CCs I noticed no scoring change at all under FICO 08 when I had 1, 2, 3 or 4 (all) cards reporting a balance. The only time I saw a score change (drop) was when all cards reported a 0 balance; scores dropped 16-22 points. I now have 8 cards though and have not tried this again, but would like to just to see if I get a different result for some reason.

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

Moneyklutz — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 03:47:40 GMT

...just remember, sometimes TU can be the best-est and not your worst-est!

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 03:52:03 GMT

Not for nothing, but you're comparing apples to oranges when you're talking one score on a clean file verses 2 scores from dirty files.

It has nothing to do with bureau when you're talking clean vs dirty.

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

Moneyklutz — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 03:58:50 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Not for nothing, but you're comparing apples to oranges when you're talking one score on a clean file verses 2 scores from dirty files.

It has nothing to do with bureau when you're talking clean vs dirty.

Totally agree BBS...

EE was recently good to me and that explains the wide discrepency between my scores. I still find it humorous to see such a wide range though, and honestly I'm kinda bummed I didn't achieve a color trifecta on this round. Dang you EX!

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 23:24:54 GMT

TU has always been my worst - currently ~25pts before EQ and EX, both of which are within 1pt of each other. TU has my most detailed history, some 15+ addresses and old phone numbers, and states I've been on file since 2002. EQ and EX have only my last 5 or so addresses.

TU also seems most sensitive to changes for me too. Will see what happens once I get all 3 remaining paid medicals deleted.

Re: TransUnion the Worst?

trusty — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 15:44:53 GMT

Objectively, Equifax is currently the worst.

Anecdotally, I remember the days when you could call Equifax up and just ask them to delete each of your inquiries. - Those were the days when Equifax was all fun.

Lately, Equifax cannot seem to refrain from losing data, whether it be split files, or outright data loss.

They also cannot seem to complete disputes timely; and they'll give you the runaround if you try to dispute any inquiries, anymore.

Also, their Personal Solutions website has been the most sluggish of the three, for almost a decade running, now. - With all sorts of glitches when dealing with their products.

Trans Union would have to be my first runner up, behind Equifax. They also seem to have several online issues, over the years. - Locking people out from online access, arbitrarily, and what not.

Incidentally, I also remember when Trans Union was my personal favorite. They would delete literally anything and everything, just like clockwork. But, eventually they changed, and then became completely unrecognizable... and started balking at anything and everything.

The most scurrilous thing I've seen from any credit bureau is when Trans Union will simply refuse to address a consumer dispute. I've even tested this with multiple people I've assisted, and Trans Union is like the, "Great Benefit," (Rainmaker) of credit bureaus. Deny all claims, and in many cases, consumers have to file with the CFPB in order to get Trans Union to comply with the law.

Experian, is not all fun and games either. But, in my experience, they are the most all around fair credit bureau to deal with... once you understand their innerworkings. - There isn't anything that they won't fix, so long as it's being addressed under the correct pretenses.

However, you can also be relegated to their quasi blacklist, if you go overboard, with them.

But, their online experience has always been relatively straightforward. The one downside is the expiring report numbers, for online access. That's unhelpful. Consumers shouldn't have to feel like they are hacking into backdoors in order to get access to their reports. But, at least you don't get banned as easily as you do with Trans Union, utilizing these backdoors.

As far as anyone's individual experience; it will inherently vary from one to the next, creating biases that we keep... at least until they start cooperating with us again.

But, I've tried to take my biases out of the equation, insofar as possible, in this analysis... when looking at long term dealings with each major credit bureau.