Reducing Costs for Consumers and Expanding Access to Homeownership
EQUIFAX IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE AMERICAN DREAM OF HOMEOWNERSHIP AND UNDERSTANDS THAT IT IS AN IMPORTANT GOAL for many U.S. consumers that can help build wealth that can last for generations. Equifax believes that more data drives better decisions, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) decision to approve VantageScore® for use in the mortgage scoring process was a significant step toward making this dream a reality for millions more Americans.
While FICO has continued to raise their mortgage credit score prices over the last several years, Equifax recently introduced competitive VantageScore 4.0 incentives designed to significantly reduce mortgage industry and consumer costs at a time when it is needed more than ever.
Equifax is offering VantageScore 4.0 mortgage credit scores at an over 50% reduction from FICO score 2026 prices, or $4.50, through the end of 2027. Equifax is also offering free VantageScore 4.0 credit scores to all Equifax mortgage, automotive, card, and consumer finance customers who purchase FICO scores from Equifax through the end of 2026. Given FICO’s recent price increases, conversion to VantageScore could result in upwards of over $500 million annually in mortgage industry savings.
VantageScore 4.0 is the first tri-bureau credit-scoring model to incorporate trended and alternative credit data. Trended credit data is a type of credit data that includes historical information about a borrower’s credit behavior over time, rather than static, individual credit history records that reflect only one point-in-time. By incorporating alternative data, data not historically contained in traditional credit reports—including rental history, utility, and telecom payments—alongside trended data, VantageScore’s models offer lenders a more nuanced view of a borrower’s credit history, enabling them to offer more competitive rates and terms to qualified borrowers.
VantageScore’s industry-leading credit scoring models assess millions more consumers than traditional credit scores, combining advanced analytics with an enhanced suite of consumer data, providing lenders with deeper insights into borrower behavior while increasing lender safety and soundness. The organization’s innovative utilization of alternative and trended data has resulted in strong growth over the last three years, with utilization of VantageScore credit scores across industries rising by 55% to 42 billion credit scores used in 2024 alone.
Equifax is now offering VantageScore models for pilot testing, allowing mortgage lenders to assess performance within their own portfolios before full-scale implementation. VantageScore’s credit scoring models are adaptable across multiple credit products, supporting a seamless transition for lenders seeking to modernize their scoring strategies.
By offering free VantageScore 4.0 credit scores to all Equifax mortgage, automotive, card, and consumer finance customers who purchase FICO scores from Equifax through the end of 2026, Equifax will enable lenders to innovate with confidence, optimize their consumer credit strategies, and ultimately enable greater mainstream financial opportunities for more people.
Equifax is committed to responsibly supporting consumers and the mortgage industry with the fullest insights available. The organization strives to create unique solutions that will move the mortgage market forward by offering greater levels of visibility into a consumer's financial health, streamline the underwriting process and enable more consumers to achieve the American Dream of homeownership.