Beyond FICO: 6 Credit Scores You Should Know About

When you get your credit score, you may be surprised to learn that the score you receive is not a FICO score. That doesn’t mean that the score you received is “wrong,” or somehow inferior, though. There are a variety of credit scores that lenders can use to make credit decisions, and the ones they choose depend on which ones they believe are right for their business.

Think about it this way: a business may choose to use PC or Mac computers. Or its office staff may use PCs while the design team may use Macs, for example. Neither one is a “bad” choice (except to the die-hard fans in both camps!) as long as it helps them get the job done.

The same can be said of the different types of credit scores. Even among FICO scores, for example, there are many different variations. And while the majority of credit scores used by lenders are FICO scores, there are other “non-FICO” credit scores that lenders and insurers use to make decisions, or that have been developed to educate consumers about their creditworthiness. (The latter are called “educational scores.”)

Other Credit Scores Out There

Plus Score – One of the three major national consumer reporting agencies, Experian sells consumers a score called the PLUS Score™. This score is an educational score, which means it is designed to help consumers understand their creditworthiness.
TransRisk New Account Score – Also one of the big three credit reporting agencies, TransUnion has created a score called the TransRisk New Account Score. It is specifically designed to predict risk on new accounts, rather than new and existing accounts, according to a report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This score is available through at least one website that provides consumers with a free credit score.
Equifax Credit Score – As the name states, this credit score is sold by Equifax. It is a proprietary educational score that can be calculated using credit information from Equifax, Experian or TransUnion.
VantageScore – VantageScore credit scores were developed by the three major credit reporting agencies to help lenders make credit decisions, but they are also available to consumers to help them understand their credit. (Credit.com offers consumers a free VantageScore, for example, through its Credit Report Card.) The newest version is called VantageScore 3.0.
CreditXpert Credit Score – This educational score is provided to consumers through partnerships with other companies that provide credit monitoring services to consumers. In addition, lenders often use CreditXpert products to help identify ways client’s credit scores can be improved.
CE Credit Score – This is used by lenders and is provided to consumers through several websites.

Credit score ranges vary, depending on which type of score is being used. FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850, with 850 representing the highest possible credit score. Other credit score ranges may go higher than that. If you are looking at your credit score through one of those services, an 850 credit score may still indicate you have very strong credit, but not as high as it would be if that were a FICO score.

Here are the score ranges for some of the non-FICO scores:

PLUS Score – 330-830
TransRisk Score – 100-900
Equifax Credit Score – 280 – 850
VantageScore 1.0 and 2.0 – 501 – 990
VantageScore 3.0 – 300 – 850
CreditXpert – 350-850
CE Credit Score – 350 – 850

When you get your credit score, it’s helpful to understand what type of score you are seeing, and to understand the range. But don’t obsess too much about the specific number. Instead, look at how your score ranks in comparison to other consumers (most services that provide credit scores to consumers will tell you that), as well as what areas of your credit may need some work. Credit.com’s Credit Report Card breaks down the segments that affect your credit scores — such as payment history, credit mix, credit age, debt utilization, new credit — and tells you how strong you are in each one, and what you can do to work on those items.

Since all credit scores look at the same type of information, taking steps to build and keep strong credit will benefit you no matter which scoring model is being used.

Image: Zoonar