I've read some different stuff around here about how only your FICO score means anything and all the rest is unreliable. So I got that freecreditreport.com service and got my score. They're telling me my Experian "Vanguard" score (or something). Surely, that's reliable right. I mean, isn't freecreditreport.com a creation of experian? So wouldn't that score be accurate at least as far as what my experian score is?
The only scores that truly matter are your FICO scores, and this score you're referencing is still not your Experian-based FICO score. In fact, you can't even get that score anymore since Experian decided they won't sell it consumers as of last year. If you want to know your real scores, get them from myFICO.
Yep. The only score worth a damn is FICO's own. Every other score will be nothing more than an approximation. My TrueCredit (TransUnion) "FAKO" scores are wildly off-target--my actual TU and EQ FICO scores are almost 100 points higher. myFICO.com Use "CPSSAVINGS" to get 20%? off your order.
And, even the scores you receive at myfico.com aren't what a lender may see insofar as Fair Isaac has so many different models. However, it is the closest a consumer can get.
Is it the "Vantage" score? In addition to what everybody else said, the Vantage score runs from 501 to 990, rather than 300 to 850 like FICO. So you can't even compare the numbers like you can compare a FAKO to a FICO, because they're on a different scale.
Experian uses the Vantage model which I don't know that any lender uses (although the credit reporting agencies are pushing for it). They also use the Plus Score which DSNB; i.e., Macy's & Bloomingdales, and Beneficial; i.e., HSBC subsidiary, use.
Damn, thanks everybody. It's my Vantage score. I should have known because it was about 70 points higher than I was expecting and it went up 24 points in the last 2 months.
