Why is TransUnion higher than Equifax? (2023)

Why is my TransUnion score so much higher than Equifax?

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.

The main reason your TransUnion and Equifax scores may look different from one another is that the companies use different algorithms to compute your score.

Because there are varied scoring models, you'll likely have different scores from different providers. Lenders use many different types of credit scores to make lending decisions. The score you see when you check it may not be the same as the one used by your lender.

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.

Is TransUnion more important than Equifax? The short answer is no. Both TransUnion and Equifax are reliable credit reporting agencies that compile reports and calculate your credit scores using different scoring models.

For both the VantageScore and base FICO® score models, the lowest score is 300 and the highest credit score is 850. But even if you have pretty good credit habits, don't be surprised if you check your scores and find that you're below 850. Perfect credit scores can seem to be inexplicably out of reach.

An Equifax credit score isn't used by lenders or creditors to assess a consumers' creditworthiness. Instead, many lenders use FICO Scores® to help determine a potential borrower's creditworthiness. FICO uses credit scores from the three reporting agencies, including Equifax and Transunion, to determine their score.

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.

Do car dealerships use Equifax or TransUnion? Car dealerships use a VantageScore or FICO score. The three credit bureaus — Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian — all provide both scores to auto dealerships.

A very poor credit score is in the range of 300 – 600, with 601 – 660 considered to be poor. A score of 661 – 720 is fair. And an excellent score is in the range of 781 – 850.

Which credit score is most used by lenders?

FICO ^® Scores are the most widely used credit scores—90% of top lenders use FICO ^® Scores. Every year, lenders access billions of FICO ^® Scores to help them understand people's credit risk and make better–informed lending decisions.

This is because there are 3 credit bureaus and dozens of different scoring models. Differences in which report is pulled, which scoring model is used, and what information is reported to whom and when, can all have an impact on the credit score you are viewing.

TransUnion will provide you with your VantageScore 3.0 credit score when you sign up for its credit monitoring service. VantageScore was created in partnership among all three credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Your TransUnion VantageScore is, in fact, accurate — based on the VantageScore model.

Experian's free credit score is the FICO Score 8, the score most lenders use. TransUnion provides the VantageScore 3.0, which is used far less often. Although your scores in the two credit scoring models should be similar, it makes sense to check the score lenders are more likely to use.

But how accurate is Credit Karma? In some cases, as seen in an example below, Credit Karma may be off by 20 to 25 points.

Yes. An Experian study found that as of 2019, 1.2% of all credit-holding Americans had a FICO score of 850. A perfect score generally requires years of exemplary financial behavior, like making on-time payments, keeping a low credit utilization ratio, and maintaining a long history of credit accounts.

Experian vs. Credit Karma: Which is more accurate for your credit scores? You may be surprised to know that the simple answer is that both are accurate. Read on to find out what's different between the two companies, how they get your credit scores, and why you have more than one credit score to begin with.

In any case, the card issuer can pull your credit report with any of the three major credit bureaus — or even all of them. This means that your credit report could come from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion or any combination of these bureaus.

Which credit score is most important when buying a house?

The middle credit score is most significant when buying a house because mortgage companies ignore the highest and lowest number provided by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

One of the most common scores used by mortgage lenders to determine creditworthiness is the FICO^® Score (created by the Fair Isaac Corporation). FICO^® Scores help lenders calculate the interest rates and fees you'll pay to get your mortgage.

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.

Equifax scores range from 0-700. 380-419 is considered a fair score. A score of 420-465 is considered good. A score of 466-700 is considered excellent (reference: https://www.finder.com/uk/equifax).

The three largest bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The highest credit score you can get is 850, although there's not much difference between a "perfect" score and an excellent score when it comes to the rates and products you can qualify for.

What Is the Minimum Score Needed to Buy a Car? In general, lenders look for borrowers in the prime range or better, so you will need a score of 661 or higher to qualify for most conventional car loans.

In general, you'll need a credit score of at least 600 to qualify for a traditional auto loan, but the minimum credit score required to finance a car loan varies by lender. If your credit score falls into the subprime category, you may need to look for a bad credit car loan.

Equifax and Experian are the most commonly used credit bureaus by auto lenders. They offer services that are directed specifically at the auto industry, and each gets a portion of their revenue from the industry.

What is a good credit score with TransUnion? The credit reference agency, TransUnion, provides the data TotallyMoney uses to build your Free Credit Report. Their credit scores are out of 710, and they define a good credit score as anything that's 604 or more.

Is a 620 TransUnion score Good?

A FICO credit score of 620, as reported by the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Transunion and Experian, is considered “fair.” A score of 670 puts you in the “good” range, but any score below 670 typically falls into the bad credit range or is considered a poor credit score.

You can borrow as much as $40,000 - $100,000+ with a 650 credit score. The exact amount of money you will get depends on other factors besides your credit score, such as your income, your employment status, the type of loan you get, and even the lender.

Some lenders create their own custom credit scoring programs, but the two most commonly used credit scoring models are the ones developed by FICO^® and VantageScore^®.

When purchasing a car, most car dealerships run your credit score to determine if you are eligible for a loan. These scores come from a variety of different credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian) that collect data from creditors.

TransUnion offers CreditVision, which is tailored for auto lenders, financing companies, and dealers. The score ranges from 300 to 850 and helps predict the likelihood of 60-day delinquency within the first 24 months of a new auto loan.

“In general, lenders have a preferred credit report between Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. However, they may pull more than one credit report if they can't determine if you qualify for a loan based on one. If you're unsure, ask which one they pull.

Understanding credit score ranges

A very poor credit score is in the range of 300 – 600, with 601 – 660 considered to be poor. A score of 661 – 720 is fair. And an excellent score is in the range of 781 – 850.

Based on our analysis, Experian provides the best service for the money. The actual service level is comparable with Equifax, but the subscription price is $10 per month lower than Equifax. That applied to both individuals and family plans. TransUnion is bringing up the rear among the three.

Do car dealers look at TransUnion or Equifax?

Do car dealerships use Equifax or TransUnion? Car dealerships use a VantageScore or FICO score. The three credit bureaus — Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian — all provide both scores to auto dealerships.

While there's no exact answer to which credit score matters most, lenders have a clear favorite: FICO® Scores are used in over 90% of lending decisions. While that can help you narrow down which credit score to check, you'll still have to consider the reason why you're checking your credit score.

Who's this for? FICO scores are used in over 90% of lending decisions making the FICO® Basic, Advanced and Premier services the most accurate for credit score updates. All plans offer access to 28 versions of your FICO score, including scores for credit cards, mortgages and auto loans.

If your Credit Karma score isn't accurate, the problem is probably elsewhere. That is, one of the bureaus made an error or omitted information. Or, the information might have been reported to one bureau but not others.

Experian vs. Credit Karma: Which is more accurate for your credit scores? You may be surprised to know that the simple answer is that both are accurate. Read on to find out what's different between the two companies, how they get your credit scores, and why you have more than one credit score to begin with.