Which credit agency is better?
Of the three main credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion), none is considered better than the others. A lender may rely on a report from one bureau or all three bureaus to make its decisions about approving a loan.
However, this does not influence our evaluations. The primary credit scoring models are FICO® and VantageScore®, and both are equally accurate.
The Big 3 Credit Rating Agencies
The top firms include Moody's Investor Services, Standard and Poor's (S&P), and Fitch Group. Moody's and S&P are located in the United States, and they dominate 80% of the international market.
| Credit Score Type | Credit Score Range |
|---|---|
| TransUnion (TransRisk) | 300 - 850 |
| Experian National Equivalency Score | 360 - 840 |
| Equifax Credit Score | 280 - 850 |
Neither your TransUnion or Equifax score is more or less accurate than the other. They're just calculated from slightly differing sources. Your Equifax credit score is likely lower due to reporting differences. Nonetheless, a “fair” score from TransUnion is typically “fair” across the board.
Although Experian is the largest credit bureau in the U.S., TransUnion and Equifax are widely considered to be just as accurate and important. When it comes to credit scores, however, there is a clear winner: FICO® Score is used in 90% of lending decisions.
With multiple options available, you may be wondering which of these sources is the most accurate. Simply put, there is no “more accurate” score when it comes down to receiving your score from the major credit bureaus.
For the majority of lending decisions most lenders use your FICO score. Calculated by the data analytics company Fair Isaac Corporation, it's based on data from credit reports about your payment history, credit mix, length of credit history and other criteria.
Although ranges vary depending on the credit scoring model, generally credit scores from 580 to 669 are considered fair; 670 to 739 are considered good; 740 to 799 are considered very good; and 800 and up are considered excellent.
The three main credit bureaus (also called credit reporting agencies) in the U.S. — Experian™, Equifax® and TransUnion® — are all used widely by credit card issuers , lenders and consumers for a variety of purposes.
Why is TransUnion so much lower?
That is because the TransUnion credit scoring model is usually stricter than other ones. They take into consideration many credit factors such as your personal information, employment history, credit history, credit limits, financial story, and so on, which further makes it lower.
What is the lowest credit score possible? Most of the credit scores that lenders use in the United States, including most versions of the FICO Score, range from 300 to 850. Therefore, most financial professionals generally accept that 300 is the lowest credit score a consumer can have.
Your Equifax score is lower than the other credit scores because there is a slight difference in what is reported to each credit agency and each one uses a slightly different method to score your data. Your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion credit reports should be fairly similiar.
As someone with a 650 credit score, you are firmly in the “fair” territory of credit. You can usually qualify for financial products like a mortgage or car loan, but you will likely pay higher interest rates than someone with a better credit score. The "good" credit range starts at 690.
When you are applying for a mortgage to buy a home, lenders will typically look at all of your credit history reports from the three major credit bureaus – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. In most cases, mortgage lenders will look at your FICO score. There are different FICO scoring models.
Auto lenders may rely more on Equifax and Experian for credit report insights, but TransUnion also sells consumer data to a number of automotive lenders. Credit scoring models such as FICO® Auto Score 9 generate a credit score based on the debt and payment information in a consumer's credit report.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: $450 annual fee (excellent credit) ...
- Citi Double Cash: $0 annual fee (good credit) ...
- Discover it: $0 annual fee (good credit) ...
- HSBC Premier World Mastercard: $95 annual fee, waived the first year (excellent credit)
The credit bureaus may have different information.
And a lender may report updates to different bureaus at different times. So, it's possible that Equifax and TransUnion could have different credit information on your reports, which could lead to your TransUnion score differing from your Equifax score.
Why is my FICO® score different from my credit score? Your FICO Score is a credit score. But if your FICO score is different from another of your credit scores, it may be that the score you're viewing was calculated using one of the other scoring models that exist.
When the scores are significantly different across bureaus, it is likely the underlying data in the credit bureaus is different and thus driving that observed score difference.
Is FICO score 8 good?
FICO 8 scores range between 300 and 850. A FICO score of at least 700 is considered a good score. There are also industry-specific versions of credit scores that businesses use. For example, the FICO Bankcard Score 8 is the most widely used score when you apply for a new credit card or a credit-limit increase.
Although there isn't a bank that exclusively uses Experian, some banks that typically use Experian data more commonly include American Express, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo.
The required credit score to buy a $300K house typically ranges from 580 to 720 or higher, depending on the type of mortgage. For an FHA loan, a popular choice among first-time homebuyers for its lower down payment requirement, the minimum credit score is usually around 580.
Yes. Assuming the rest of your finances are solid, a credit score of 700 should qualify you for all major loan programs: conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans all have lower minimum requirements, and even jumbo loans require a 700 score at minimum.
The most commonly used FICO Score in the mortgage-lending industry is the FICO Score 5. According to FICO, the majority of lenders pull credit histories from all three major credit reporting agencies as they evaluate mortgage applications. Mortgage lenders may also use FICO Score 2 or FICO Score 4 in their decisions.
