Credit Score Models Mortgage Lenders Accept

Reviewed by Thomas Conwell, founder of Credit Technologies · Last reviewed 25 October 2026

By loan program

Status on 24 October 2026, from the agencies’ own announcements. Our credit score tracker keeps this current, with every source.

Program	Accepted today	What is changing	Credit report
Conventional (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac)	Classic FICO or VantageScore 4.0, one model per loan	FICO Score 10T is approved but not yet accepted for delivery	All three bureaus
FHA	Classic FICO	VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T added for case numbers assigned on or after 1 January 2027	All three bureaus, unchanged
VA	No specific model required	Nothing announced	Set by the lender and investor
USDA	Classic FICO	No guidance found yet on the newer models	All three bureaus
Jumbo, non-QM and portfolio loans	Set by each investor	Some programs already use VantageScore 4.0 or FICO 10T	Usually all three; set by the investor

Conventional loans: two models, one grid

Since September 2026, every lender approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may score a loan with Classic FICO or VantageScore 4.0. The lender picks one model for the whole loan, so every borrower on it is scored the same way. Manually underwritten loans stay on Classic FICO.

Since 1 October 2026, both models price on one loan-level price adjustment grid at both companies, so the same score lands in the same tier under either model. FHFA records the change as the upfront fees being aligned across the two models on 30 September. Through 30 September, a VantageScore 4.0 score was priced one tier lower than the same Classic FICO score. That offset no longer applies.

FHA from 1 January 2027

HUD’s Mortgagee Letter 2026-11, announced on 8 October 2026, adds FICO Score 10T and VantageScore 4.0 alongside Classic FICO for FHA forward mortgages with case numbers assigned on or after 1 January 2027. When more than one model is on the file, the lender takes the middle score under each model, and the lowest of those is the borrower’s score. The same model or models must be used for every borrower. FHA’s minimum score thresholds do not change, and FHA keeps the three-bureau report.

What has not changed

The middle of three. With three bureau scores, the lender uses the middle one. With two borrowers, it generally uses the lower of the two middle scores.
Three bureaus. FHFA has said it is considering a two-bureau report for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. As of 24 October 2026, no rule has been issued.
Classic FICO. It is still accepted everywhere. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have said it will be retired at a future date, with notice, and no date has been set. FHA keeps it alongside the new models.

What this means for you

Ask your loan officer which model they will use before you act on any score. A step that helps under one model can do nothing under another. Paying an old collection is the best-known example.
Plan on tiers, not the bigger number. On one grid, a higher score under one model is worth something only if it moves you into a better tier.
Corrections work under every model. A rescore updates the data a score is built from, so it applies whichever model your lender uses.

Questions people ask

Is VantageScore 4.0 accepted for a mortgage now?

Yes, for conventional loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, at every approved lender since September 2026. Your lender decides whether to use it on your loan.

Does FHA accept VantageScore 4.0 or FICO 10T?

From 1 January 2027, for FHA case numbers assigned on or after that date. Until then FHA uses Classic FICO, which it keeps alongside the new models.

Is a higher VantageScore a better deal?

Not by itself. Since 1 October 2026 both models price on one grid, so what matters is which tier your score lands in under the model your lender uses.

Will lenders use two credit reports instead of three?

Not as of 24 October 2026. FHFA has said it is considering a two-bureau report for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans, and no rule has been issued. FHA will keep requiring three.

Which credit score models do mortgage lenders accept now?