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Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??

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expatCanuck
Super Contributor

Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??

Which lenders/issuers use Score3?

I ask because it's a significant outlier compared with the rest of my scores (30 points or more lower than my other 850-scale scores).

2025 Goal: save 3 months' net income

Starting FICO8: 666 (give or take a FICO)
[ Last INQ 14-Sep-2025 ]
EQ8??0 INQ7y4m
EX8404 INQ (2 CC, 2 auto)7y
TU8??1 INQ (CC)6y8m
3/241/12AoYA 10m | AoOA 24y2m~1%

FICO 9 is 837.
Message 1 of 11
10 REPLIES 10
thornback
Senior Contributor

Re: Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??

 

USAA is the only one I know of (EX Bankcard Score 3).   It is also my lowest, currently at 711. 

Personal Aphorism:"Forget What You Feel, Remember What You Deserve"
Starting FICO 8s | 09/2017: EX 641 ✦ EQ 634 ✦ TU 647
Current FICO 8s | 04/2022: EX 796 ✦ EQ 793 ✦ TU 790
Current FICO 9s | 04/2022: EX 790 ✦ EQ 788 ✦ TU 782
2022 Goal Score | 800s

My AAoA:
4.6 years not incl. AU / 4.9 years incl. AU
My AoOA: 9.2 years not incl. AU / 11.2 years incl. AU
Inquiries: EX 0/12 ✦ EQ 0/12 ✦ TU 0/12
Report Status: Clean
Garden Status:  


Without patience, we will learn less in life. We will see less. We will feel less. We will hear less. Ironically, rush and more usually mean less.
Message 2 of 11
Trudy
Valued Contributor

Re: Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??

Mine had always been significantly lower than my other scores before my last late (30D) was removed.  After it was removed my EX3 score was/is higher than my EX MTG.

The 1st reason code always referenced the late payment and 2nd was outstanding MTG balance. 3rd reason code was you've recently been looking for credit and at that time I had 1 inquiry for a CLI 5M old and 1 inquiry at 1Y10M for my youngest account, same age.  This was mid 2018.  Opened a new account 9/2019 and late was moved to 2nd and new account was 1st.  30D late was removed 10/2019 and score jumped 27 pts to 803 which doesn't provide any reason codes.

 

Seems like lates, new accounts up to 2 years and INQ's are weighed heavily. 

FICO - 8: 05/05/23
Message 3 of 11
expatCanuck
Super Contributor

Re: Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??

Yeah, that tracks.  My EX mortgage score is 801.  The Score 3 complaints are shown below.

 

IMG_20200113_162715.jpg


2025 Goal: save 3 months' net income

Starting FICO8: 666 (give or take a FICO)
[ Last INQ 14-Sep-2025 ]
EQ8??0 INQ7y4m
EX8404 INQ (2 CC, 2 auto)7y
TU8??1 INQ (CC)6y8m
3/241/12AoYA 10m | AoOA 24y2m~1%

FICO 9 is 837.
Message 4 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??

No doubt number 3 is a very tough score.
Message 5 of 11
Revelate
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??

Are you sure USAA uses EX FICO 3?

 

Sounds not right, the entire industry up and skipped that score model and stuck with EX FICO 2 because the GSE's did.  Lots of lenders went straight to FICO 8, but unlike EQ FICO 5 the FICO '04 varient from EX just never caught on.

 

Also it's not a bankcard industry option, out of 850, not 900.




        
Message 6 of 11
thornback
Senior Contributor

Re: Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??


@Revelate wrote:

Are you sure USAA uses EX FICO 3?

 

Sounds not right, the entire industry up and skipped that score model and stuck with EX FICO 2 because the GSE's did.  Lots of lenders went straight to FICO 8, but unlike EQ FICO 5 the FICO '04 varient from EX just never caught on.

 

Also it's not a bankcard industry option, out of 850, not 900.


Sure as in 'absolutely postively and willing to bet my savings' sure?  No. 

 

Kinda sure as in the last 2 times they gave me my score pulled from EX, along with an approval, the only one it matched was EX 3. Yes.  Last time was in April 2019. 

 

Edit:  I actually updated my 11/2018 approval post once I received their FACTA with an Experian score of (boo!) 706 as an FYI at the time: 

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Card-Approvals/USAA-Cashback-Rewards-Plus-American-Express-A...

Personal Aphorism:"Forget What You Feel, Remember What You Deserve"
Starting FICO 8s | 09/2017: EX 641 ✦ EQ 634 ✦ TU 647
Current FICO 8s | 04/2022: EX 796 ✦ EQ 793 ✦ TU 790
Current FICO 9s | 04/2022: EX 790 ✦ EQ 788 ✦ TU 782
2022 Goal Score | 800s

My AAoA:
4.6 years not incl. AU / 4.9 years incl. AU
My AoOA: 9.2 years not incl. AU / 11.2 years incl. AU
Inquiries: EX 0/12 ✦ EQ 0/12 ✦ TU 0/12
Report Status: Clean
Garden Status:  


Without patience, we will learn less in life. We will see less. We will feel less. We will hear less. Ironically, rush and more usually mean less.
Message 7 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??

Rev What you mean?

"Also it's not a bankcard industry option, out of 850, not 900."
Message 8 of 11
Revelate
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??

Bankcard (BC) enhanced industry option has a max score of 900.

Both Experian and myFICO show the max to be 850 for their FICO 3. Pretty sure as a result it is classic and not BC.



        
Message 9 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which lenders use FICO Score 3 ??

Gotcha so they’re mislabeling it.
Message 10 of 11
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