FICO score is suddenly AWOL ?

[codedoctor]

Experian recently reports that I no longer have a FICO score due to lack of recent credit experience. But TransUnion and Equifax continue to report my FICO score. I thought that this might have been due to my move from the USA to Canada, but this doesn't seem to be the case as all 3 credit reports continue to show my address as in the USA (they show my last mailing address). Tonight I noticed that Experian no longer reports my active American Express account in the US, whereas both TransUnion and Equifax continue to report this card. The American Express account has my Canadian address (they were just fine with this change) and is paid automatically each month from my US bank for the US charges made that month. Both credit bureaus show the Amex account in good standing for each month. I am at a loss as to why Experian has "lost" the American Express account. Any thoughts or insights? Or how to get Experian corrected on this point?

[GZG]

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@codedoctor wrote:

Experian recently reports that I no longer have a FICO score due to lack of recent credit experience. But TransUnion and Equifax continue to report my FICO score. I thought that this might have been due to my move from the USA to Canada, but this doesn't seem to be the case as all 3 credit reports continue to show my address as in the USA (they show my last mailing address). Tonight I noticed that Experian no longer reports my active American Express account in the US, whereas both TransUnion and Equifax continue to report this card. The American Express account has my Canadian address (they were just fine with this change) and is paid automatically each month from my US bank for the US charges made that month. Both credit bureaus show the Amex account in good standing for each month. I am at a loss as to why Experian has "lost" the American Express account. Any thoughts or insights? Or how to get Experian corrected on this point?

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you need to determine what your US credit reports are still reporting, if anything

you need both: 

• At least one account opened for six months or more, and
• At least one account that has been reported to the credit bureau within the past six months

to have a US? FICO score, so if neither of these are true anymore, it makes since why you wouldn't have an experian fico score

no idea how credit scores work in Canada though

[FicoMike0]

You don't say where you're getting your info from. That might help.

[codedoctor]

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@FicoMike0 wrote:

You don't say where you're getting your info from. That might help.

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It started with a recent email from Experian, my no-cost subscription to their site. This said "You no longer have a FICO® Score
This can happen for a variety of reasons. Here are your options for re-establishing credit and getting a new FICO® Score."
I logged into Experian and confirmed this was the case, my FICO was "- - -". I checked creditkarma.com and saw FICO scores over 800 for Equifax and TransUnion (okay, these are Vantage Score 3.0, not FICO).

Eventually I realized that Experian's credit report was not reporting my American Express Blue Cash card (USA) for the past 8 months, whereas the credit reports from Equifax and TransUnion (at creditkarma.com) show this account through the most current month (currently July). This card has active transactions each month. From a Google search, American Express reports accounts to all three credit reporting agencies (and a weird thing is that the Amex site provides account holders their information from Experian and this also shows no FICO score; the credit report obtained through this portal also omits the active Amex card account...which is the one I accessed that portal through!).

My next step will be to call Amex during the workweek and ask them to be make certain that information to pushed to Experian.

[FicoMike0]

Good thinking, I'd start with amex. 

[codedoctor]

An update. I just spoke with Amex, their special dedicated "Credit Bureau Unit". They were knowledgeable and helpful.

The rep indicated that my card account info is sent to the "big three" CRAs each month. Also indicated that Experian does not accept/address account addresses located outside of the US. Which would be me. My address is now in Canada. So I can't argue with Amex on this point.

It is interesting though:   I also have a Chase Bank Visa card (USA) and they also have accepted my Canadian residence (unlike Wells Fargo and Capital One credit cards; those cards had to be closed when I updated my address outside the US). The Chase Visa continues to be reported on the Experian credit report with any activity (not much on that card). So Experian is inconsistent on the treatment of the two accounts. This would be a good question for Experian.

As mentioned, TransUnion and Equifax continue to report both the Amex and Chase cards, and provide a credit score.

This isn't a real problem for me. I was surprised that Experian could no longer determine a FICO score and wanted to get to the bottom of this. The apparent lack of reporting of the Amex account by Experian was another surprise to be investigated.

In a way though this answers another question I had. I wanted to update my address at the CRAs to my Canadian address. This plan was intended to stop "spam" type postal mail going to my last US address and annoying the residents (who then complain to me). I suppose that plan will not fly. But maybe!

[Snook_on_the_Line]

Well if you're not going to maintain a mailing address in the us, check out credit boards .com          Whenever I head over there to use their credit pulls database I see that they have a forum dedicated to credit north of the border.   

[codedoctor]

@Snook_on_the_Line     Thanks for the tip. I checked it out. 

BTW, that part of those forums seems to be defunct, no action for several years and read-only, IIRC.

For anyone in a similar situation, check out the Red Flag Deals forums for similar credit scoring discussions (https://forums.redflagdeals.com/personal-finance-f41/). CreditKarma is also present in Canada (creditkarma.ca) and I utilize this free service as well. For whatever reason, Experian does not operate in Canada (used to but shut it down around 2010)

[codedoctor]

Another data point for anyone interested. Today, I got my "Chase Credit Journey" update, "powered by experian". This reports a credit score but it is a VantageScore 3.0 from experian. I go to my experian account and they still show the FICO as being unreportable.

The Chase Credit Journey (experian) also seems to omit my open Amex card, the same as the experian account (unlike TransUnion and Equifax)

While equifax seems to disregard my Amex card when I log in to my equifax account (the open Amex is not shown in the credit report shown on that site), I obtained the annual free credit report from equifax via AnnualCreditReport.com and that does report the open Amex account. 

Full of inconsistencies but that's how they work.