Which FICO 8/9 scores are most accurate?

[Jarheadmajor]

Wondering which scores are most accurate for looking at FICO 8/9.  I'm a platinum MyFICO member and see all those scores which are pretty good.  However, when I look at NFCU the Vantage score is ~50 points lower.  I can look at Discover/Chase free credit scores but am just not sure which tend to be most accurate especially when considering applying.  Thoughts?

[mfinsmi1]

@Jarheadmajor myfico is more accurate I believe

[simplynoir]

FICO 08/09 scoring models are the ones banks use the most, not all of them but close enough to where you can use those scores as a reference point on where you stand. For application purposes it's best to look up which scoring model and bureau the bank uses so you can plan your strategy accordingly

[OmarGB9]

Well they're ALL accurate technically. It's just that different lenders use different score versions, as mentioned above.

[Mdowning30]

Bankcard scores would be different, also Chase only shows Vantage score.

[SouthJamaica]

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@Jarheadmajor wrote:

Wondering which scores are most accurate for looking at FICO 8/9.  I'm a platinum MyFICO member and see all those scores which are pretty good.  However, when I look at NFCU the Vantage score is ~50 points lower.  I can look at Discover/Chase free credit scores but am just not sure which tend to be most accurate especially when considering applying.  Thoughts?

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The FICO scores are meaningful. The Vantage scores IMHO are not that important, and are more volatile and unpredictable. The Chase free credit score is a Vantage score, therefore not meaningful. The Discover free credit score is a TU FICO 8, which is meaningful.

I'm not sure this thread belongs under "Credit Card Applications".  Seems to me it would be more appropriate for "Understanding FICO Scoring".

[Anonymalous]

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@Jarheadmajor wrote:

Wondering which scores are most accurate for looking at FICO 8/9.  I'm a platinum MyFICO member and see all those scores which are pretty good.  However, when I look at NFCU the Vantage score is ~50 points lower.  I can look at Discover/Chase free credit scores but am just not sure which tend to be most accurate especially when considering applying.  Thoughts?

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They're all accurate, but FICO scores are used by most major lenders, and Vantage Scores are rarely used. Also, the version matters. Not all financial institutions pull FICO 8 or 9, and there are also speciality versions like bankcard and auto scores. For credit cards, FICO 8 then 9 are the most common, sometimes the bankcard versions. Also, how often they update matters. A lot of FIs only provide updates 1/month, so things might have changed in between when they pulled the report, and when you applied for credit.

NFCU provides TU VS 3 on their dashboard, but if you have a credit product with them, they also provide EQ FICO 9, which is updated 1/month (typically on the 3rd or 5th, but last month was about a week late).

[FireMedic1]

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@Jarheadmajor wrote:

Wondering which scores are most accurate for looking at FICO 8/9.  I'm a platinum MyFICO member and see all those scores which are pretty good.  However, when I look at NFCU the Vantage score is ~50 points lower.  I can look at Discover/Chase free credit scores but am just not sure which tend to be most accurate especially when considering applying.  Thoughts?

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Two totally diferent scoring models. In most cases Vantage will always lag behind your FICO scores. Its been said NFCU has their own internal score also. FICO is the way to go. Disco is FICO TU score.

[TheKid2]

Getting thrown off by your use of the word 'accurate'. All the scores are technically accurate and tell the story of your creditworthiness based on the varying scoring model. If you do a little research you will see that lenders use different models depending on what type of credit you are seeking. Additionally, different lenders have different arrangements for which credit bureau they pull your score from since it costs them money for a pull. If you're going for a CC they often will just pull 1 score version from 1 bureau, while if you are going for a mortgage, they will pull your mortgage version from all 3 bureaus.

So, for you to figure out what score will be applicable (versus accurate), you can research what score version and what bureau the lender uses to approve an app. I always do this when I apply for credit because that is where the MF subscription helps since you will see the exact score that they pull when you apply.

Hope that helps.

[D10001]

American Express offers Experian FICO, but it's buried in the website.  On the bottom of your profile under account services.

Citibank provides Equifax FICO.

Experian gives a free FICO.

Your scores will almost always vary depending on the details reported to the bureaus and the timeliness of the updates.