Credit report prices for mortgage lenders are already set to rise by 50 percent by 2026, brokers say.
These moves come amid intense competition among credit providers after the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) approved Fannie Mae again Freddie Mac start shopping for an underwritten loan VantageScore 4.0, offers an alternative to the long-held classic FICO The result.
Another change is a national ban on abusive leads that is set to come into effect this week. Pre-screened credit reports are a product sold by credit bureaus, particularly Experian.
Three main offices – Equifax, Experian again TransUnion – he did not answer HousingWirerequests for comments. There is still confusion over how the law will work, the sources added.
An Experian spokesperson told HousingWire that the company recently communicated with lending partners about a “new pricing structure,” which will provide “additional Experian value-added services and maintain current pricing.”
“The pricing structure is designed to bring a comprehensive set of capabilities across the lending lifecycle to our partners, and we work diligently with them to implement it. Any external impact opinion is not based on this collaboration or informed by us,” said a spokesperson.
According to a spokesperson, Experian has reduced the price of a stand-alone VantageScore 4.0 score to one-third of the price of a FICO score by 2026 – compared to about 50% previously – while VantageScore 4.0 continues to be free in 2026 when combined with legacy scores.
The moves are designed to “accelerate scoring competition through the acquisition of VantageScore,” which is “the best and most responsible way to deliver meaningful savings to the industry,” a spokesperson said.
But VantageScore’s price cut came with “price adjustments to credit reports,” which may “remove strategic partnership obligations,” the company said last week in a letter sent to clients reviewed by HousingWire. The changes will take place in April.
In October, Experian announced that it would offer VantageScore 4.0 for free to mortgage customers. This move followed similar decisions Equifax again TransUnionit, along with Experian, jointly owns VantageScore.
Brokers also argued that Experian’s recent increase unfairly affects mortgage lenders because they are required to issue credit reports to all three bureaus.
“On the consumer side, you have to pull only one bureau. But in the mortgage, we need to pull all three. That’s why they put it on the housing side. This increase lies at the feet of Experian only,” said a sales executive.
According to the sellers, the latest change may force them to renegotiate with the lenders after a few months of signing the annual contracts. In some cases, contracts prohibit further increases within 12 months, meaning additional costs may be absorbed by retailers and squeeze margins.
“We’re working on this very thoughtfully and with full awareness of the broader market,” Leonard said. “Our commitment remains the same: supporting our customers with transparency, stability, and a proactive approach to change management.”
An Experian spokesperson added that the company’s “commitment to transparent credit reporting rates remains unchanged, and we remain focused on delivering accurate, secure and reliable data that helps lenders make informed decisions and consumers access credit responsibly.”
