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The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points

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Asilomar
Frequent Contributor

The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points

S'up, MyFico'ers.  

 

Since I always check my scores via the free sites (Experian's main site and Credit Check Total) when something changes, I've noticed my inquiry pattern has been 100% consistent the last half dozen or so times I've gained or lost one.  So at least for my profile, Experian values each inquiry at 5 points and Equifax values each inquiry at 1 point.  

 

EQ and EX's DP's are nearly identical:  Same AAoA, AofYA, AoOA, same baddie (one 30-day late that's a little over 5 years old), all the same accounts reporting all the same balances/utl percentages.  BUT, with Experian I have 5 total inquires with 3 impacting the score and with Equifax I have 3 total inquiries with 2 impacting the score. 

 

I've always wondered why my FICO 8 EQ was 12 points higher than my EX.  Now I'm thinking it's the value of those inquiries -- EX simply weights them more.

 

Now, I know how it goes in Credit World -- there are no absolutes and different profiles may see different point gains/losses. But, I thought I'd share and see if anyone else was seeing the same values. 

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EX 809 TU 806 EQ 810

Message 1 of 14
13 REPLIES 13
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points


@Asilomar wrote:
...

So at least for my profile, Experian values each inquiry at 5 points and Equifax values each inquiry at 1 point.  

...

Now, I know how it goes in Credit World -- there are no absolutes and different profiles may see different point gains/losses. But, I thought I'd share and see if anyone else was seeing the same values. 


Here on myFICO forums, where the majority have profiles with decent aging, that '5 points' or 'a few points' seems pretty common.

 

But for me, with only 1 account total on my file for a year ( credit builder loan ), my first inquiries at EX and EQ cost 19 and 20 points respectively. (Citi pulled both to approve me for a $6500 Visa Signature card, one of my first 2 cards ever.)

 

Over on reddit.com, where the demographic skews more toward late teens early 20's, they commonly reference inquiries costing 'between 10-20 points'. So here it's a big surprise, but there it's just a commonly known thing.

Message 2 of 14
sarge12
Senior Contributor

Re: The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points


@Asilomar wrote:

S'up, MyFico'ers.  

 

Since I always check my scores via the free sites (Experian's main site and Credit Check Total) when something changes, I've noticed my inquiry pattern has been 100% consistent the last half dozen or so times I've gained or lost one.  So at least for my profile, Experian values each inquiry at 5 points and Equifax values each inquiry at 1 point.  

 

EQ and EX's DP's are nearly identical:  Same AAoA, AofYA, AoOA, same baddie (one 30-day late that's a little over 5 years old), all the same accounts reporting all the same balances/utl percentages.  BUT, with Experian I have 5 total inquires with 3 impacting the score and with Equifax I have 3 total inquiries with 2 impacting the score. 

 

I've always wondered why my FICO 8 EQ was 12 points higher than my EX.  Now I'm thinking it's the value of those inquiries -- EX simply weights them more.

 

Now, I know how it goes in Credit World -- there are no absolutes and different profiles may see different point gains/losses. But, I thought I'd share and see if anyone else was seeing the same values. 


OK....Here is the issue I have with this....A) Inqueries do not have a set value, so the points an inquiry has is largely profile dependant, and often changes as the data in the report changes.   B) The Fico 08 is alogorithm that is applied to the data in a persons credit report, and if the data entered is in fact identical, the fico 08 scores are suppose to be identical as well, so if in fact your score drops 5 points due to an inquiry at Experian, and the same exact data is entered from Equifax, the score drop should be 5 points there as well. It is like entering a math problem into calculators made by different manufacturers, 25/5 entered into both a panasonic calculator and one made by Texas Instruments will both return 5 as the answer.   C) In nearly every case, the data at each CRA will be slightly different. Some Creditors do not report to all 3, and most inqueries do not pull from all 3 either, even though some do...talking to you Capital One...so coming to a conclusion about the actual realised point drop due to an inquiry based on an observation is not a reliable assumption.   D) It is my understanding that even the employees at the CRA's do not know the actual code of the alogorithm as it is a closely guarded secret of FICO. Just as most of us have no idea how a calculator works, even though most of us do know how to use one. If however we accidentally enter 25/4 in one of them, it will result in a different answer, and likewise if the CRA enters some data wrong, the fico 08 score might differ.

TU fico08=812 07/16/23
EX fico08=809 07/16/23
EQ fico09=812 07/16/23
EX fico09=821 07/16/23
EQ fico bankcard08=832 07/16/23
TU Fico Bankcard 08=840 07/16/23
EQ NG1 fico=802 04/17/21
EQ Resilience index score=58 03/09/21
Unknown score from EX=784 used by Cap1 07/10/20
Message 3 of 14
Revelate
Moderator Emeritus

Re: The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points

Actually no FICO 8 still skews even with precisely identical data, but +1 to the rest of the post sarge.

FICO 9 is the one where if the data is identical the scores will be identical or darned closed. I was +/- 1 point on all 3 FICO 9 scores for a while, and actually isn’t that much divergence now between my three given they are all on 3 completely different scorecards

For me even when my files were basically tradeline identical EX was higher than EQ even with more inquiries, so can’t really compare it that way at all; however, given that more inquiries is “worse” all other things being equal it is reasonable the score is lower.



        
Message 4 of 14
Remedios
Credit Mentor

Re: The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points

The only difference on my CR is number of inq

TU has 3 scorable (755) , EX 2 (753) and EQ 0 (769)

 

🤷

 

 

Message 5 of 14
NRB525
Super Contributor

Re: The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points

OP what is the age of each of those INQ? In which month/year did each occur?
High Bal Jan 2009 $116k on $146k limits 80% Util.
Oct 2014 $46k on $127k 36% util EQ 722 TU 727 EX 727
April 2018 $18k on $344k 5% util EQ 806 TU 810 EX 812
Jan 2019 $7.6k on $360k EQ 832 TU 839 EX 831
March 2021 $33k on $312k EQ 796 TU 798 EX 801
May 2021 Paid all Installments and Mortgages, one new Mortgage EQ 761 TY 774 EX 777
April 2022 EQ=811 TU=807 EX=805 - TU VS 3.0 765
Message 6 of 14
Asilomar
Frequent Contributor

Re: The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points

CassieCard, thanks for sharing your DPs.  I assumed different profiles would garner different point losses but I had no idea young/thin profiles like yours would see just a precipitous drop.  19/20 points is brutal.  It's funny, I spend my time on the fasting/intermittent fasting subs on Reddit, it never occured to me to check out the credit boards.

 

Sarge, thanks for the schooling.  For some reason I thought each individual CB weighted factors differently, as in their own proprietary algorithm.  I have no idea why I thought that but after reading your primer I feel like a dope.  

Also, when I said my EX and EQ were nearly identical I realized that was wrong on that, too.  On closer inspection they differ just enough to (obviously) weight the same event (a new inquiry) differently.  And, technically, Equifax is the stronger report of the two.

So again, thanks for taking the time to sort me out.  Smiley Happy

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EX 809 TU 806 EQ 810

Message 7 of 14
Asilomar
Frequent Contributor

Re: The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points


@NRB525 wrote:
OP what is the age of each of those INQ? In which month/year did each occur?

 

 

 


Screen Shot 2019-06-18 at 3.21.51 AM.png

 

 

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EX 809 TU 806 EQ 810

Message 8 of 14
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points

Yes each CRA has certain tweaks they can make to the algorithm such as when you get dinged for number of accounts reporting and various other things there are small tweaks that can be made and have been made to the algorithm between bureaus. That’s the whole reason we do all the testing on each algorithm and on each bureau because there are differences.
Message 9 of 14
Asilomar
Frequent Contributor

Re: The value of inquiries: EX vs. EQ data points


@Anonymous wrote:
Yes each CRA has certain tweaks they can make to the algorithm such as when you get dinged for number of accounts reporting and various other things there are small tweaks that can be made and have been made to the algorithm between bureaus. That’s the whole reason we do all the testing on each algorithm and on each bureau because there are differences.

So are you saying Sarge is incorrect?  That EX and EQ do indeed weight inquires differently?  Or you do think the 1 point / 5 point differential is due to the slight differences in the two reports?

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EX 809 TU 806 EQ 810

Message 10 of 14
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