confused about different scores

[karimichelle]

I'm new here and I've got a question. I've checked my scores through various free trials including Equifax Score Power Fico (509) and MyFico (509). I'm guessing those are the real Fico score. Other free trial sites give me three credit scores for each bureau and they're all the same TransUnion 509, Experian 513 and Equifax 565.

My question is, why is that Equifax score so much higher than the Equifax Score Power Fico?

[llecs]

Where exactly did you get your Equifax score from? Is it possible that you mismatched the TransUnion (TU) score with EQuifax's score (EQ)...they are the same at 509.

Any scores purchased directly from EX (Experian) or TU are not FICO scores. As you know, you can get your EQ score from this website or directly from Equifax.com. You can get your TU score from this site or transunioncs.com (note the -cs). And as of this past FEbruary, it is impossible to pull your own EX FICO score.

[Anonymous]

I'm having the same problem.  My FICO score on here is 409 (dreadful, I know), but I also have access to Truecredit.com (The Transunion site), which gives me my three bureau report and respective scores.  I got this and the Truecredit reports on the same day and as I said, my Equifax score on here is 409 but my Equifax score on Truecredit was 521.  Also, my other two bureau scores on Truecredit were 510 and 509.  So clearly my score on this is 100 points less than my lowest score on Truecredit.  I don't understand how they could be so different. 

[Junejer]

Hello ehm, and welcome to the forums. Please read Credit Scoring 101, if you haven't already.

You have just discovered the difference between FICO scores and FAKO scores. Ignore the scores and the advice that you get from CMSs like TC and others. Both the scores and advice are worthless. Your FICO score is the real deal. Keep reading here to learn how to improve your scores.

[Anonymous]

I've read all about FICO scores and the info on this site says that there are three FICO scores, one for each bureau.  When a creditor pulls my report for say, TU, they will see my TU report and therefore my TU FICO score?  Is my TU FICO score different than the 409 that I see on here?  Isn't the FICO score from this website just the score associated with Equifax?  I've looked everywhere on this site and on the Internet in general and asked numerous people and no one can definitively answer these questions.  I recently rented an apartment and they said my credit score HAD to be at least 500.  They checked my report and said I was fine, which leads me to believe they didn't check this FICO score because they clearly would not have rented to me if they saw a 409.  How can this FICO be the only one that matters if it isn't the only one that landlords/creditors/etc check?  And if you have three FICO scores, one from each bureau, how do you know what your FICO scores with TU and EXP are?  I'm sorry to be so questioning, but I have yet to receive an answer from anyone that actually makes logical sense.  Thank you for your previous quick response!!

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry- one more thing!  As for saying to ignore the scores and advice from other sites- isn't that a bit presumptuous?  The info on increasing your score on the TC website is nearly identical to the info on this website.  It's not like TC is an unreputable source- it is Transunion and this is Equifax. Why is one bureau "better" than another?  I don't mean to sound like such a pain, but improving my score is of dire importance to me and I just want to be sure that all of my bases are covered and that I understand all of this. 

[Anonymous]

Since Feb 2009 an individual has not been able to purchase their own Experian Fico score - only lenders etc can access that - therefore unless you apply for a mortgage (or car loan) and can get your loan officer to give you that score you are not going to know it.

The score that you purchase on here are your Transunion and Equifax FICO scores... these are (generally) the ones that lenders use.  They can be purchased directly from the CRA too but are not the normal scores that come up on their website (you have to use the transunioncs page for that FICO score and you have to use the score plus on their website to get the correct score for Equifax)

Generally it is easier to buy them from here to get those two FICO scores (if you just buy the regular non fico scores from the Bureaus themselves they are not going to be the same as the ones that lenders buy - you need to see the words FICO on the score)

You can look for a discount code online which will give you 25% off purchasing your scores from here.

For your rent - it's going to depend on what score they looked at - it is possible, in theory, that they did not use a FICO score, especially if a small private landlord, and therefore got a higher fako score for you

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I'm sorry- one more thing!  As for saying to ignore the scores and advice from other sites- isn't that a bit presumptuous?  The info on increasing your score on the TC website is nearly identical to the info on this website.  It's not like TC is an unreputable source- it is Transunion and this is Equifax. Why is one bureau "better" than another?  I don't mean to sound like such a pain, but improving my score is of dire importance to me and I just want to be sure that all of my bases are covered and that I understand all of this. 

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FICO is the method of scoring... it's still based on the same information from your credit report with each of the three Bureaus - hence why you get a TU Fico, Exp Fico (well lenders do) and Eq Fico... it is based on those reports with Fair Isaacs score computation - which is highly guarded and therefore not used by the credit bureaus directly - tey make up their own algorithms

[Anonymous]

Susyquk- Thank you so much for your replies.  Your insight is the first answer I've heard (in about a year!) that actually makes sense.  As I'm understanding it, your FICO score is what most creditors and lenders check (and it could be any one of your three).  You do have three other credit scores from the bureaus that are calculated in a method similar to FICO but not the same.  So to say that any score other than FICO is worthless is really not quite accurate, as some places (such as my landlord) may check those credit report scores instead.  I understand that generally, the true FICO score is what creditors look at, but regardless, I should still make sure that my three credit bureau scores AND my three FICO scores are all in the best shape they can be.  If that is what you're saying, then that totally makes sense.  Thank you again so much for your help!!

[Anonymous]

No worries - and yes, mostly.  FICO scores are the ones to primarily concern yourself with - any national institution is going to use one or all of those or at least something based very closely on it   There are so many different FAKO scores you can't monitor them all

Work on your FICO scores and spend a lot of time here and it'll all get better!

Good luck