Are There Different Types of Credit Scores? Here’s What You Should Know
Stacey Sprain
Home.com Contributor
11/26/2021
If you’re used to checking your credit score through a free app or credit card account, you might be surprised to know that the number you see there doesn’t tell the whole story. There are several types of credit scores.
In fact, the credit scores you see online through free credit report and scoring sites are probably not the same credit scores a lender will use when you apply for a loan or credit.
“It is important to make a distinction between consumer credit scores and the FICO scores that lenders use,” said Dylan Hoffman, a senior mortgage consultant with Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (Fairway owns Home.com). “Consumer scores will generally be higher because they are on a larger scale. This can get confusing because there are also different FICO scoring models, depending on the type of lender.”
Below, we explain the three most common credit scoring models you’re likely to run across in the market.
