Overview
- Federal housing officials said Wednesday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will accept loans scored with VantageScore 4.0 through a limited pilot with about 21 approved lenders, while others must keep using Classic FICO.
- Freddie Mac has already received roughly $10 million in VantageScore 4.0 loans in an operational test, with securitization expected next.
- HUD said the Federal Housing Administration will permit VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T for insured loans in the coming months, with timing details still to come.
- Both models incorporate rent and utility payments plus trended credit data, which can score more people with thin files and may widen access to mortgages without changing underwriting rigor.
- Officials set next steps that include releasing FICO 10T historical data this summer and pushing score fees toward about $0.99 per pull, as industry groups welcomed the shift but stressed careful execution to avoid secondary‑market uncertainty.