@K-in-Boston wrote:
@Jnbmom wrote:I don't know why this is such a surprise, they used TU FICO 8 which is the score they provided to us and based their CLIs on, now they switched to Vatage 4.0 which they provide to us , hence that is what they will be using..
It's a surprise (if the chat agent was not mistaken) because other lenders that provide Vantage scores do not actually use them for lending decisions. This would likely be a big boost for those with marginal FICO scores and hurt those with above average scores from the data points we have seen, at least with VS3.
For TU, my current FICO 08 score is 802, while my VS3 score is 754 (about the closest it has ever been; it's sometimes 100+ points lower) and my VS4 score is only 742.
Because of the way the VS algorithms work, there are probably a lot of people here with FICO scores in the mid-600s that might have an easier time getting approvals and CLIs due to inflated VS scores than some people with 770-800 or higher FICO scores.
I see your point
Just with all the recent changes and talks regarding the Vantage 4.0 and who may start to use it, I just figured this was to happen down the road, and now with synch it may be ust a matter of time?
I have a hard time believing an institution like Synchrony would vest into an unvetted scoring system to make credit decisions. Banks like certainty and for such to be proven over time before moving to a different model. Heck they are still using Fico 8 now 11 years old and some 04 even older.
I'm thinking VS 4.0 doesn't penalize paid collections - I have one CO from 2016 and my VS 4.0 is a 790 per the PPMC site. That's awfully close to my EX Fico 9, which is an 801 as of today. TU and EX Fico 8 scores are in the low 700s, understandably.
Interestingly, negative reason code 2 of 2 (after lack of mortgage accts) is that my average credit limits are too low. Didn't think that stuff mattered for scoring purposes.
Vantage 4 sure seems to like cryptic messages about mortgage loans and/or lack thereof. Here's my message:
Notice the heading "no recently opened real estate loan" and then it the body it tells me my oldest real estate loan was opened "too recently". Um, so which is it: I have too recently opened RE loans or I have none at all??? 
Answer: Actually, neither. I have a Home Equity LOC opened Aug. 2017 with Penfed. But both TU & EX lump it in with revolving accounts, only EQ lists it separately as a Real Estate loan.
And as opposed to Fico detailing items affecting your score as a percentage:
Payment History 35%
Amount you owe 30%
Length of credit history 15%
New credit 10%
Types of credit 10%
Vantage 4 gives you much more vague impacts:
Total Credit Usage, Balance and Available Credit - "Exremely Influential", also noting "Focus on keeping revolving balance low, under 30%"
Credit Mix and Experience - "Highly Influential"
Payment History - "Moderately Influential"
Age of Credit History - "Less Influential"
New Accounts - "Less Influential"
On my PPMC VS4 score I get dinged for "Too many bankcards with a high balance", I am committing the mortal sin of having a couple CCs in the 40-48% util. They're 0% APR and not large balances, so my attitude is "get over it".
