topic What are lenders using to evaluate Experian reports? in Understanding FICO® Scoring

What are lenders using to evaluate Experian reports?

Anonymous — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:27:38 GMT

Since FICO is not being used by Experian (at least the way I understand it), what are lenders using to score you off experian reports?

Re: What are lenders using to evaluate Experian reports?

MarineVietVet — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:46:25 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Since FICO is not being used by Experian (at least the way I understand it), what are lenders using to score you off experian reports?

Hello and welcome.

EX still sells a FICO score to lenders but they have not sold scores to consumers since 2/2009.

Re: What are lenders using to evaluate Experian reports?

Anonymous — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:52:56 GMT

Thanks for the response.

What can I use then for the best estimate of my Experian score?

Re: What are lenders using to evaluate Experian reports?

namvet — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:07:14 GMT

For free: Creditsesame.com and credit.com are close to a real EX Fico score.

Re: What are lenders using to evaluate Experian reports?

MarineVietVet — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:09:33 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for the response.

What can I use then for the best estimate of my Experian score?

IMO (In My Opinion) there is no reliable way to estimate what a score might be. Even if all the information in your three reports is exactly the same (which is quite rare) each CRA uses slightly different formulas to score that information.

As I said no one has been able to buy their own Experian FICO score since February of 2009. Creditors can pull Experian and also there is a CU (PSECU) in Pennsylvania that supplies that information to it's members only. You can only buy true FICO scores at a few places. One place is here at myFICO.

At one time you could also purchase your Transunion score at transunioncs.com but no more. Wal Mart now offers a TU08 score to those who have their store card and the Discover version.

Equifax will still sell you a FICO score found here: www.equifax.com/web-myfico-products/

Re: What are lenders using to evaluate Experian reports?

marty56 — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:59:03 GMT

If you have a copy of all 3 reports and they have the same data and you have your TU and EQ scores here, you should be able to come up with a rough score range. The better your report is in terms of derogs, INQs, and util, the better estimate you can come up with. I seem to remember that EX does not like high util on cards, but is not as sensitive on # of CCs reporting a balance like TU is.

The major thing is to focus on the content of your CRs, and the scores will take care of themselves,

Re: What are lenders using to evaluate Experian reports?

MattH — Fri, 25 May 2012 23:39:58 GMT

@marty56 wrote:
If you have a copy of all 3 reports and they have the same data and you have your TU and EQ scores here, you should be able to come up with a rough score range. The better your report is in terms of derogs, INQs, and util, the better estimate you can come up with. I seem to remember that EX does not like high util on cards, but is not as sensitive on # of CCs reporting a balance like TU is.

The major thing is to focus on the content of your CRs, and the scores will take care of themselves,

My recollection from when we could get all three was TU cared more about number of accounts reporting a balance, EQ more about total dollar amount owed, and EX more about percentage of credit limit. My wife and I use very little cash, have high limits in our cards, and pay in full every month, so our EQ scores fluctuated more than the others. Whenever I anticipate applying for credit, I'll start prepaying before statement date for a few months to goose my EQ score.