Yes, you too can join PSECU and find out your EX FICO score! --well, maybe

[laz98]

my EX stayed the same

[BungalowMo]

Got mine last evening...707!  I'm ok with that since I have 2 new accts since January & have been doing some purchasing on a couple cards for my bathroom restoration.

[smallfry]

787. Kind of hard to game this score since 3 out of 6 of my cards cut anywhere from the last day of the month to the 3rd. You never know when PSECU will pull and you can't be sure when all these cards will report. Still 787 is OK by me. 

[MrShush]

Got my score yesterday--disappointed, but not surprised. Actually, it's about 80 points lower than my TU and EQ which hover between 760 and 770. They cite a short history (14.8 years oldest account and my AA is about 4) and the remaining balances on non-mortgage installment loans is too high (student loans (45K) and auto loan(12K)).

What is surprising is my recent AMEX Blue acquisition with a 10K limit. That hasn't reported yet so it should beef up my AAoA. I'm now asking myself if ignorance was bliss?

[iDShaDoW]

Just got my first FICO ever yesterday (thank you PSECU!).

793

What Affects My FICO Score?

-You've recently been looking for credit.  (Both last month.  PSECU savings/checking & PenFed savings/credit card - credit card was denied due to not working since I've got 1 more year to go on my Bachelor's)

-The balances on your non-mortgage credit accounts are too high.  (Credit card balances are hovering around 17% which I'll bring to ~1% and hopefully reflect in the next FICO pull.  Plus I got some Stafford Loans that total around $24k)

I was thinking my Average Age of Accounts would be a factor too (think it's around 5 years +/- 1 year or so) but apparently it wasn't.

Here's to hoping lowering my utilization rate would bring me into the 800's. 

Does anyone know if TU and EQ tend to be lower or higher on average than EX scores?

[Like800]

Will I have to open a separate account with PSECU for my wife to get her EX score?

Or is there another way?

[smallfry]

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@iDShaDoW wrote:

Just got my first FICO ever yesterday (thank you PSECU!).

793

What Affects My FICO Score?

-You've recently been looking for credit.  (Both last month.  PSECU savings/checking & PenFed savings/credit card - credit card was denied due to not working since I've got 1 more year to go on my Bachelor's)

-The balances on your non-mortgage credit accounts are too high.  (Credit card balances are hovering around 17% which I'll bring to ~1% and hopefully reflect in the next FICO pull.  Plus I got some Stafford Loans that total around $24k)

I was thinking my Average Age of Accounts would be a factor too (think it's around 5 years +/- 1 year or so) but apparently it wasn't.

Here's to hoping lowering my utilization rate would bring me into the 800's. 

Does anyone know if TU and EQ tend to be lower or higher on average than EX scores?

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PSECU only reports the first two negatives.

[iDShaDoW]

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@smallfry wrote:

PSECU only reports the first two negatives.

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Oh, good to know.

Got my utilization down to ~7-8%.  About to go to the bank and pay off the rest so it's around 1% but probably too late to have that reflect in the next PSECU EX pull.

Hopefully ~7-8% will be low enough that it's not considered a negative and I'll see a different one in it's place.

[bichonmom]

Lots of very valuable info. Just read ALL 34 pages!

I'm wondering if I should attempt this now or wait. In March/April, I opened 3 new CCs, which are my ONLY CCs.

My EX report has 2 unpd collections: 1 from 2005, updated as of 1/2011 for $278. (This is dispute w/OC, and I am considering doing PFD.) and the second one just showed up on my CR, dated 1/2010, for $30, which I just DV'd.

There are also 6 inquiries in the last 18 mos, with 3 of them in Mar/April.

My EX FAKO was 605 a couple of weeks ago. (Lower than my EQ and TU FICOs, due largely to the $30 collection and more inquiries)

I'd REALLY love to join this CU and get my EX FICO monthly while I rebuild my credit, but I'd HATE to get yet ONE MORE inquiry and have them refuse to open an account for me. I read some posts where people were denied due to recent new accts and inquires, which is why I'm really questioning if I should do this or wait.

Also, I'm wondering if the people who were required to provide more info (e.g. utility bills, paystubs, etc.) were out-of-state, which I am. I wonder if their criteria is stiffer for us out-of-staters than local residents.

Any advice based on your experiences would be appreciated!

Thank you!

[jason86423]

I joined last week and went for the PSL / Combo today.  Had 15 total inquiries over 2 yrs, 9 of which last 12 months, 2 of which last 6 months on EX.  PSECU pulls EX for both checking / savings account and then again for the combo after the accounts are set up.  I didn't go for the full 20/20 combo but went for 10/10

My EX fako was 744 through USAA.. been rebuilding for a while.  I think the biggest thing for PSECU is the ability to repay, recent baddies (2 yrs) and new accounts.  You could always open a checking /savings now, start getting your actual EX fico score and when it goes up.. go for the combo.

So far my experience has been pretty positive with them except for the lag time from original app for checking / savings to activation.. took a week but when we are out of state joining a local CU for PA that's not bad...especially with the PRPS in.

Good luck on whatever you decide.