FICO vs VantageScore

FICO and VantageScore are the two major scoring brands. Both read your bureau file and produce a three-digit number on the 300 to 850 scale, but they weigh the ingredients differently.

Why it matters

The same file can produce two different numbers, which confuses people checking a free score app before a lender pulls a FICO. Knowing which score a decision uses keeps you from being surprised at the worst moment.

Key facts

• FICO says its scores are used by 90% of top U.S. lenders.
• VantageScore was created jointly by the three bureaus and is common in free score apps and monitoring services.
• FICO publishes its factor weights: payment history 35%, amounts owed 30%, length of history 15%, new credit 10%, credit mix 10%.
• Mortgage lending still relies on older FICO versions (FICO 2, 4, and 5) for most loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
• A free VantageScore is useful for tracking direction, even when it is not the exact number a lender will see.

In practice

1. Ask which score and which bureau a lender uses before a major application.
2. Track your free score for trends, but anchor big decisions to the score type the lender will pull.
3. Do not panic over a gap between two scores; different models, same habits.