topic Re: Experian score is garbage in General Credit Topics

Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 11:13:06 GMT

I recently purchased the Experian FICO score and found it was not even close to accurate. What is the deal here? My Equifax score is dead on but Experian is so off its ridiculious. Let me give you an example. I had my scores pull by a lender and my FICO score for Experian according to MYFICO was 60 points lower than the what appears on this website. This makes no sense. There is no need of having the Experian score if its not in the ballpark. I wasted time and money for nothing.

Re: Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 14:00:32 GMT

Hi and welcome to the forums.

myFICO EX is not garbage, it is accurate for the score model it is, which is FICO 08, the newest model.

What mortgage lenders use for all three scores is the FICO 04 model.

Your EQ score from here is the exact same as mortgage lenders use. It is the only one of the 3 that is. TU is the older model, 98.

That being said, there are 49 different versions/models of FICO scores. There are only 3 that can be purchased by a consumer and it is the 3 you can get here. myFICO does not decide which scores to sell, that is up the each of the CRAs.

You can apply for 3 different types of credit and say they all use EX. You are still likely to get 3 varying scores due to the model/version they may use.

Re: Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 12:41:08 GMT

So what is the point of having the Experian Score if there are sub-models being used especially when one is looking to get a mortagage? For that matter why pay for the credit score if it is useless. By your definition the score is inaccurate. If a new model is being used and no one in the mortgage industry is using it why have it? As I said this score is useless. Apparently no one else is using it as well. Case in point every creditor that has pulled my credit has shown the score lower than what is shown here. However, the EQ score is accurate. Lets face it the EX score is useless. No need to have it on the website if its not being used.

Re: Experian score is garbage

tony46231 — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 15:07:31 GMT

If mortgage lenders use FICO 04 for all three scores and the EQ score from this website is FICO 04, shouldn't TU and EX that the lender pulls be very very close to what the EQ score is from here? Assuming that you've reivewed the details of your reports and they are all three reporting the same thing?

Re: Experian score is garbage

kkapdolee — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 16:20:06 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
So what is the point of having the Experian Score if there are sub-models being used especially when one is looking to get a mortagage? For that matter why pay for the credit score if it is useless. By your definition the score is inaccurate. If a new model is being used and no one in the mortgage industry is using it why have it? As I said this score is useless. Apparently no one else is using it as well. Case in point every creditor that has pulled my credit has shown the score lower than what is shown here. However, the EQ score is accurate. Lets face it the EX score is useless. No need to have it on the website if its not being used.

EX FICO here is FICO 08 Classic and is the one I've seen most lenders use for credit cards.

If you're looking for mortage, then it's useless. For me, its the most useful ones because I'm only looking for credit cards.

Edit: For clarification, I'm not saying EX FICO 08 classic specifically, is the one most lenders use for cc's. I'm saying the FICO 08 Classic model is the one I've seen lenders use the most but could be any of the three CBs (EX, EQ, TU).

Re: Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 16:17:31 GMT

Another question, auto dealers use a different version that tends to score higher but you can not see the score (they will NOT share it). Of course if there is a loan it is secured which tends to allow more flexibility in underwriting standards. Also, my home loan scores for all three CBs was pretty close to the myfico scores.

Re: Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 16:59:28 GMT

@tony46231 wrote:
If mortgage lenders use FICO 04 for all three scores and the EQ score from this website is FICO 04, shouldn't TU and EX that the lender pulls be very very close to what the EQ score is from here? Assuming that you've reivewed the details of your reports and they are all three reporting the same thing?

No, your scores from the different CRAs will always be different. I have never seen them exactly the same. One reason is not every creditor will report to all 3 CRAs. You may have things on one CR not on the others.

Even if all three credit reports are exactly identical, your scores will not be the same. The reason is that each CRA has a different way of scoring things.

Re: Experian score is garbage

kkapdolee — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 17:19:11 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@tony46231 wrote:
If mortgage lenders use FICO 04 for all three scores and the EQ score from this website is FICO 04, shouldn't TU and EX that the lender pulls be very very close to what the EQ score is from here? Assuming that you've reivewed the details of your reports and they are all three reporting the same thing?
No, your scores from the different CRAs will always be different. I have never seen them exactly the same. One reason is not every creditor will report to all 3 CRAs. You may have things on one CR not on the others.

Even if all three credit reports are exactly identical, your scores will not be the same. The reason is that each CRA has a different way of scoring things.

Based on my short experience though, although they won't be exactly the same, they should be pretty close as long as your CRs are identical.

True, the three CRAs have a different way of scoring things but it probably can't be as different as a different model year of the scoring model. ex) 04 vs 08. The way I look at it is that the model years are like different versions of android while which CRA is using them is like different tweaks each phone companies make to the android in their own devices. (Samgsung's android is a little different from that of LG's even in the same model number but they are much closer to each other than say a Samsung's android 3.1 is to 4.1.

Anyways, the scores that I'm referring to from my personal experience is that my EX 08 classic score was 5 points lower than my TU 08 classic score on the same day or almost the same day (can't remember clearly from my recent app spree). And EX and TU CRs were identical except that EX had a few more inqs in it.

EDIT: For the record, I have not seen my scores exactly the same either but I've seen my 04 score 96 point lower than my 08 score while on the same day another 08 score from a different CRA was only 5 points lower with identical CR but more inqs.

Also to OP, I definitely would not call EX FICO 08 classic garbage. If I had to give up one of the three FICO scores they sell here, it would definitely be the TU 98 Classic as I don't know of anybody still using that. It's such an old model... Everyone surely must have upgraded to a new version by now. That's like still using Windows 98 on company computers...

It is probably easier for me than some other people to make comparisons of my scores from different CRAs because I have a relatively short credit history and all my CCs are reporting to all three CRAs + all CRs look identical except for inqs. But this is just me and YMMV.

Re: Experian score is garbage

tony46231 — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 19:53:10 GMT

I think that answered my question. I thought FICO 04 or any other model for that matter was the actual algorithm being used to compute the data on a credit report. Are you saying that each CRA has their own algorithm that is based off of 1 of the 49 different models?

Re: Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 20:48:54 GMT

@tony46231 wrote:
I think that answered my question. I thought FICO 04 or any other model for that matter was the actual algorithm being used to compute the data on a credit report. Are you saying that each CRA has their own algorithm that is based off of 1 of the 49 different models?

Yes, each CRA scores every model differently.

Enhanced scores are going to be a a bit different anyway because it is based on what it is for. For an autoloan, any auto TL will be scored heavier than non auto TLs. If you never had an autoloan that will play a big part in the score.

Re: Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 20:55:49 GMT

@kkapdolee wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@tony46231 wrote:
If mortgage lenders use FICO 04 for all three scores and the EQ score from this website is FICO 04, shouldn't TU and EX that the lender pulls be very very close to what the EQ score is from here? Assuming that you've reivewed the details of your reports and they are all three reporting the same thing?
No, your scores from the different CRAs will always be different. I have never seen them exactly the same. One reason is not every creditor will report to all 3 CRAs. You may have things on one CR not on the others.

Even if all three credit reports are exactly identical, your scores will not be the same. The reason is that each CRA has a different way of scoring things.
Based on my short experience though, although they won't be exactly the same, they should be pretty close as long as your CRs are identical.

True, the three CRAs have a different way of scoring things but it probably can't be as different as a different model year of the scoring model. ex) 04 vs 08. The way I look at it is that the model years are like different versions of android while which CRA is using them is like different tweaks each phone companies make to the android in their own devices. (Samgsung's android is a little different from that of LG's even in the same model number but they are much closer to each other than say a Samsung's android 3.1 is to 4.1.

Anyways, the scores that I'm referring to from my personal experience is that my EX 08 classic score was 5 points lower than my TU 08 classic score on the same day or almost the same day (can't remember clearly from my recent app spree). And EX and TU CRs were identical except that EX had a few more inqs in it.

EDIT: For the record, I have not seen my scores exactly the same either but I've seen my 04 score 96 point lower than my 08 score while on the same day another 08 score from a different CRA was only 5 points lower with identical CR but more inqs.

Also to OP, I definitely would not call EX FICO 08 classic garbage. If I had to give up one of the three FICO scores they sell here, it would definitely be the TU 98 Classic as I don't know of anybody still using that. It's such an old model... Everyone surely must have upgraded to a new version by now. That's like still using Windows 98 on company computers...

It is probably easier for me than some other people to make comparisons of my scores from different CRAs because I have a relatively short credit history and all my CCs are reporting to all three CRAs + all CRs look identical except for inqs. But this is just me and YMMV.

I have a fairly long history. For the same model, pulled the same day, all of my scores were nowhere near the same. TU was the higher and EX the lowest. They varied by about 50 points. In my eyes, that is not close.

There are still some who do use TU98. I think Prosper does.

IMO, I think the 04 version is still most popular except for some CCCs.

As for the mortgage, I don't see them changing to anything newer anytime soon as Freddie Mac and Sallie Mae decide that.

FICO 08 scores things much differently than the 04 version. Due to that, it seems those scores are usually higher.

Re: Experian score is garbage

kkapdolee — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 03:15:13 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@kkapdolee wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@tony46231 wrote:
If mortgage lenders use FICO 04 for all three scores and the EQ score from this website is FICO 04, shouldn't TU and EX that the lender pulls be very very close to what the EQ score is from here? Assuming that you've reivewed the details of your reports and they are all three reporting the same thing?
No, your scores from the different CRAs will always be different. I have never seen them exactly the same. One reason is not every creditor will report to all 3 CRAs. You may have things on one CR not on the others.

Even if all three credit reports are exactly identical, your scores will not be the same. The reason is that each CRA has a different way of scoring things.
Based on my short experience though, although they won't be exactly the same, they should be pretty close as long as your CRs are identical.

True, the three CRAs have a different way of scoring things but it probably can't be as different as a different model year of the scoring model. ex) 04 vs 08. The way I look at it is that the model years are like different versions of android while which CRA is using them is like different tweaks each phone companies make to the android in their own devices. (Samgsung's android is a little different from that of LG's even in the same model number but they are much closer to each other than say a Samsung's android 3.1 is to 4.1.

Anyways, the scores that I'm referring to from my personal experience is that my EX 08 classic score was 5 points lower than my TU 08 classic score on the same day or almost the same day (can't remember clearly from my recent app spree). And EX and TU CRs were identical except that EX had a few more inqs in it.

EDIT: For the record, I have not seen my scores exactly the same either but I've seen my 04 score 96 point lower than my 08 score while on the same day another 08 score from a different CRA was only 5 points lower with identical CR but more inqs.

Also to OP, I definitely would not call EX FICO 08 classic garbage. If I had to give up one of the three FICO scores they sell here, it would definitely be the TU 98 Classic as I don't know of anybody still using that. It's such an old model... Everyone surely must have upgraded to a new version by now. That's like still using Windows 98 on company computers...

It is probably easier for me than some other people to make comparisons of my scores from different CRAs because I have a relatively short credit history and all my CCs are reporting to all three CRAs + all CRs look identical except for inqs. But this is just me and YMMV.
I have a fairly long history. For the same model, pulled the same day, all of my scores were nowhere near the same. TU was the higher and EX the lowest. They varied by about 50 points. In my eyes, that is not close.

There are still some who do use TU98. I think Prosper does.

IMO, I think the 04 version is still most popular except for some CCCs.

As for the mortgage, I don't see them changing to anything newer anytime soon as Freddie Mac and Sallie Mae decide that.

FICO 08 scores things much differently than the 04 version. Due to that, it seems those scores are usually higher.

Thanks as always for the good info.

I think with long history, usually comes divergence among CRs.

All three of my CRs have literally exactly the same TLs, limits, dates, the same AAoA and same credit history right now. The only difference I see among my CRs is the number of inquiries. I guess this isn't the case for your CRs? If so, the large difference could be coming from your CR difference not the model itself.

Did you mean Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae not Sallie Mae? I think Sallie Mae deals with student loans.

Re: Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 03:30:02 GMT

@kkapdolee wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@kkapdolee wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@tony46231 wrote:
If mortgage lenders use FICO 04 for all three scores and the EQ score from this website is FICO 04, shouldn't TU and EX that the lender pulls be very very close to what the EQ score is from here? Assuming that you've reivewed the details of your reports and they are all three reporting the same thing?
No, your scores from the different CRAs will always be different. I have never seen them exactly the same. One reason is not every creditor will report to all 3 CRAs. You may have things on one CR not on the others.

Even if all three credit reports are exactly identical, your scores will not be the same. The reason is that each CRA has a different way of scoring things.
Based on my short experience though, although they won't be exactly the same, they should be pretty close as long as your CRs are identical.

True, the three CRAs have a different way of scoring things but it probably can't be as different as a different model year of the scoring model. ex) 04 vs 08. The way I look at it is that the model years are like different versions of android while which CRA is using them is like different tweaks each phone companies make to the android in their own devices. (Samgsung's android is a little different from that of LG's even in the same model number but they are much closer to each other than say a Samsung's android 3.1 is to 4.1.

Anyways, the scores that I'm referring to from my personal experience is that my EX 08 classic score was 5 points lower than my TU 08 classic score on the same day or almost the same day (can't remember clearly from my recent app spree). And EX and TU CRs were identical except that EX had a few more inqs in it.

EDIT: For the record, I have not seen my scores exactly the same either but I've seen my 04 score 96 point lower than my 08 score while on the same day another 08 score from a different CRA was only 5 points lower with identical CR but more inqs.

Also to OP, I definitely would not call EX FICO 08 classic garbage. If I had to give up one of the three FICO scores they sell here, it would definitely be the TU 98 Classic as I don't know of anybody still using that. It's such an old model... Everyone surely must have upgraded to a new version by now. That's like still using Windows 98 on company computers...

It is probably easier for me than some other people to make comparisons of my scores from different CRAs because I have a relatively short credit history and all my CCs are reporting to all three CRAs + all CRs look identical except for inqs. But this is just me and YMMV.
I have a fairly long history. For the same model, pulled the same day, all of my scores were nowhere near the same. TU was the higher and EX the lowest. They varied by about 50 points. In my eyes, that is not close.

There are still some who do use TU98. I think Prosper does.

IMO, I think the 04 version is still most popular except for some CCCs.

As for the mortgage, I don't see them changing to anything newer anytime soon as Freddie Mac and Sallie Mae decide that.

FICO 08 scores things much differently than the 04 version. Due to that, it seems those scores are usually higher.
Thanks as always for the good info.

I think with long history, usually comes divergence among CRs.

All three of my CRs have literally exactly the same TLs, limits, dates, the same AAoA and same credit history right now. The only difference I see among my CRs is the number of inquiries. I guess this isn't the case for your CRs? If so, the large difference could be coming from your CR difference not the model itself.

Did you mean Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae not Sallie Mae? I think Sallie Mae deals with student loans.

Lol. Yep, I sure did. Good catch. Don't know where that came from.

There may have been an account or 2 that weren't on all 3 reports. But nothing I would consider to make that much of a difference in scores. You never can tell though.

Re: Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 14:25:41 GMT

Yes they are three reporting exactly the same information. EQ when pulled is perfect, EX is way off. Not even in the ball park.

Re: Experian score is garbage

tony46231 — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 15:50:41 GMT

I realize that your EQ score was right on and EX was way off with what you pulled from here in comparison to what the lender pulled. But that makes sense due to the fact that the EX score pulled from here isn't FICO 04, which is what the lender pulled. How far apart was the EQ and EX score that the lender pulled? That's what I'm curious about since it was mentioned above that even in the event that all three CRA's are reporting the same info, scores will vary using the same model, because each CRA will calculate the score differently.

Re: Experian score is garbage

kkapdolee — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 16:40:38 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Yes they are three reporting exactly the same information. EQ when pulled is perfect, EX is way off. Not even in the ball park.

For a full list of all 49 different FICO scores, you can see my signature #1. But for simplicity, there are 9 different "classic" FICO scores.

FICO 98 TU, EX, EQ

FICO 04 TU, EX, EQ

FICO 08 TU, EX, EQ

The EQ you pulled here was FICO 04 EQ.

The EX you pulled here was FICO 08 EX.

The ones your mortgage lender pulled were FICO 04 TU, EX, EQ.

Of course the EQ you had matched the EQ they pulled. They were exactly the same model.

However, for EX, you are comparing two different models: FICO 04 EX vs. FICO 08 EX. Of course they are different. MyFICO never said the EX they sell is going to be the one mortgage lenders use. They are simply selling the ones that CRAs let them which for EX, happens to be the FICO 08 classic.

Therefore, it is completely unfounded to call EX garbage in your case.

@tony46231 wrote:
I realize that your EQ score was right on and EX was way off with what you pulled from here in comparison to what the lender pulled. But that makes sense due to the fact that the EX score pulled from here isn't FICO 04, which is what the lender pulled. How far apart was the EQ and EX score that the lender pulled? That's what I'm curious about since it was mentioned above that even in the event that all three CRA's are reporting the same info, scores will vary using the same model, because each CRA will calculate the score differently.

+1. Sounds like you have the EQ and EX scores from mortgage lenders. How close was your EX to EQ? I'm curious to know as well..

Re: Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 02:40:19 GMT

The EQ score was exact, the EX score was way off. I mean way off. Some 60+ points off. They were pulled at the same time. I say its garbage because I also had a few inquiries from credit card pulls and got rejection letters showing once more that the EQ score was very very close as displayed here on MYFIC while the EX score was once again way off.

So my point is this, why is this score being offered when the EQ score is dead on and the EX score is way off. It appears that the EQ score model being used is the model that everyone I experienced applying for credit seems to have.

I understand that MYFICO has nothing to do with the scoring that is being presented to them by EX. However, MYFICO can simply go back to not using this score. They have that right. Finally, I understand that there are some 49 models so then why are we using MYFICO? My argument is that we as consumers will never get to know our true score no matter who we use. It is a waste of time an effort to play this dance. Personally I think its a complete waste of time. The best thing that any of us can do is simple:

1) Get your credit report

2) Work on educating yourself about how your credit is evaluated by creditors

3) Do all you can to improve your credit score through the education you acquired

4) Get your credit pulled by a lender and let them tell you your score

Re: Experian score is garbage

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 02:42:12 GMT

Oh TU was right on as well. Very very very close a few points off.

Re: Experian score is garbage

kkapdolee — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 02:51:42 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
The EQ score was exact, the EX score was way off. I mean way off. Some 60+ points off. They were pulled at the same time. I say its garbage because I also had a few inquiries from credit card pulls and got rejection letters showing once more that the EQ score was very very close as displayed here on MYFIC while the EX score was once again way off.

So my point is this, why is this score being offered when the EQ score is dead on and the EX score is way off. It appears that the EQ score model being used is the model that everyone I experienced applying for credit seems to have.

I understand that MYFICO has nothing to do with the scoring that is being presented to them by EX. However, MYFICO can simply go back to not using this score. They have that right. Finally, I understand that there are some 49 models so then why are we using MYFICO? My argument is that we as consumers will never get to know our true score no matter who we use. It is a waste of time an effort to play this dance. Personally I think its a complete waste of time. The best thing that any of us can do is simple:

1) Get your credit report
2) Work on educating yourself about how your credit is evaluated by creditors
3) Do all you can to improve your credit score through the education you acquired
4) Get your credit pulled by a lender and let them tell you your score

EX08 wasn't used where you were looking for credit but that doesn't apply to everyone.

I for one, had a very successful recent app spree and most of the credit card companies pulled a variation of an 08 scoring model which is much closer or the same to the EX 08 score sold here than to my EQ 04 score sold here (the point difference for me on the same day was 96 points).

The only CCCs that pulled EQ 04 on me were Cap1 and US Bank. Everyone else, Chase, Amex, FIA, BOA, Citi all pulled 08 classic or 08 bankcard enhanced.

If you understand that there are 49 different FICO scores, why are you keep saying that EX 08 is garbage? Out of 16 different EX FICO scores, a lender pulled one version and the one you pulled didn't match. It is not correct in saying EX is way off: it's because it's a different version of the model. No one said the EX sold here is going to be the exact same one you're lender will pull on you and they weren't in this case.

Edit: redacting post, tread the line of ad hominem attack which isn't appropriate on this forum. --CareBear

Re: Experian score is garbage

FinStar — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 02:52:02 GMT

@kkapdolee wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
The EQ score was exact, the EX score was way off. I mean way off. Some 60+ points off. They were pulled at the same time. I say its garbage because I also had a few inquiries from credit card pulls and got rejection letters showing once more that the EQ score was very very close as displayed here on MYFIC while the EX score was once again way off.

So my point is this, why is this score being offered when the EQ score is dead on and the EX score is way off. It appears that the EQ score model being used is the model that everyone I experienced applying for credit seems to have.

I understand that MYFICO has nothing to do with the scoring that is being presented to them by EX. However, MYFICO can simply go back to not using this score. They have that right. Finally, I understand that there are some 49 models so then why are we using MYFICO? My argument is that we as consumers will never get to know our true score no matter who we use. It is a waste of time an effort to play this dance. Personally I think its a complete waste of time. The best thing that any of us can do is simple:

1) Get your credit report
2) Work on educating yourself about how your credit is evaluated by creditors
3) Do all you can to improve your credit score through the education you acquired
4) Get your credit pulled by a lender and let them tell you your score

EX08 wasn't used where you were looking for credit but that doesn't apply to everyone.

I for one, had a very successful recent app spree and most of the credit card companies pulled a variation of an 08 scoring model which is much closer or the same to the EX 08 score sold here than to my EQ 04 score sold here (the point difference for me on the same day was 96 points).

The only CCCs that pulled EQ 04 on me were Cap1 and US Bank. Everyone else, Chase, Amex, FIA, BOA, Citi all pulled 08 classic or 08 bankcard enhanced.

If you understand that there are 49 different FICO scores, why are you keep saying that EX 08 is garbage? Out of 16 different EX FICO scores, a lender pulled one version and the one pulled you didn't match. It is not correct in saying EX is way off: it's because it's a different version of the model. No one said the EX sold here is going to be the exact same one you're lender will pull on you and they weren't in this case.

Edit: redacting post, tread the line of ad hominem attack which isn't appropriate on this forum. --CareBear

Well, almost last post...