FICO® Score 10T: the Mortgage Industry’s Most Predictive Credit Score

FICO® Score 10T: the independent, most predictive credit score on the market.

FICO® Score 10T uses a powerful set of predictive characteristics generated from both traditional and trended credit bureau data, as well as reported rental payment history — providing deeper insights into borrower history. Built on the same trusted FICO® Score blueprint, FICO Score 10T carries forward the same odds-to-score relationship as prior versions.

FICO operates independently from the credit bureaus, and the FICO® score is designed for accuracy and fairness — not corporate interests. That means upholding proven minimum scoring criteria — because models that rely on sparse or outdated data are not only less reliable, they can trap the very borrowers you're trying to help in scores too low to qualify for affordable credit.

The result is a score built for today's borrower landscape — and the evolving mortgage market shaping it.

Expand approval rates

Expand your mortgage approval rates by up to 5% and grow your borrower pool without adding incremental risk.

Leverage trended data

Borrower behaviors are dynamic. Trended data adds predictive lift in key consumer segments — including those who are new-to-credit or have very few tradelines.

Sharpen MSR pricing

FICO® Score 10T works for you whether you decision the loan on it or not. Sharing FICO Score 10T in the secondary markets alongside the Classic FICO® Score can help you get ahead of the competition with sharper MSR pricing, better execution, and the ability to offer more competitive rates.

Seamlessly transition with confidence

FICO® Score 10T is built on the same trusted FICO Score blueprint — no remapping, no recalibration, and no guesswork. Plus, dedicated FICO migration support gets you to value quickly, so you can start leveraging the most predictive score on the market without delay.

The Power of FICO® Score 10T

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Mortgage approval rates can be expanded by 5% without adding incremental risk relative to the current score in use.

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Reduce delinquency rates for mortgage originations by 17% to reduce your risk and investor risk.

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Join the industry leaders representing over $632.08 billion in annual mortgage originations and $2.637 trillion in mortgage servicing portfolios who have adopted FICO® Score 10T.

Independent Research Confirms: FICO® Score 10T Outperforms VantageScore 4.0 — Now Validated on the GSEs' Own Data

In mortgage lending, one question rises above the rest: which credit score is most predictive — and therefore best positioned to serve lenders, investors, and borrowers alike? In May 2026, independent research by leading actuarial firm Milliman analyzed historical credit data across multiple periods, and the result is clear: FICO® Score 10T is the most predictive credit score for mortgage lending.

That finding has now been confirmed a second time. On July 1, 2026, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac released expanded historical datasets for FICO® Score 10T for the first time — and Milliman's analysis reached the same result: FICO® Score 10T outperformed VantageScore 4.0 on every measure, every year.

Key findings:

FICO® Score 10T outperformed VantageScore 4.0 on all three GSE-specified measures — K-S statistic, bottom decile lift, and Gini coefficient — across every origination year studied, both individually and in aggregate
The predictive advantage was most pronounced for first-time homebuyers, with FICO® Score 10T delivering more than 10% greater predictive lift than VantageScore 4.0 for those borrowers
The advantage is strongest where it matters most: FICO® Score 10T's K-S statistic improvement over VantageScore 4.0 exceeds 8% on the most recent loan vintages, which carry the highest default rates in the dataset

Built on the robust, time-tested FICO® Score blueprint, FICO® Score 10T delivers the strongest predictive performance today — and can be trusted to deliver that predictive performance as market conditions evolve so that lenders, investors, and servicers can expand responsibly and manage risk with confidence.

Read the Findings

Mortgage Credit Score Version Comparison Chart	VantageScore 4.0	FICO® Score 10T	Classic FICO® Score (2/4/5)
Score range	300-850	300-850	300-850
Trended data included¹	√	√	N/A
Reported rental payment history included²	√	√	N/A
Reported utility and telco payment included³	√	√	√
No penalty for first-time homebuyers	X	√	√
Paid collections	Not factored	Not factored	Factored
Medical collections	Not factored	Unpaid only	Factored
Rate-shopping window⁴	14 days	45 days	45 days
Specific models tailored to the nuances of each credit bureau’s database	X	√	√
Model unchanged since GSE approval submission⁵	X	√	√
Built by an independent score provider with proven, stable performance across decades in mortgage lending, including the financial crisis	X	√	√
Verified on GSE loan performance data to provide the most predictive accuracy	X	√	N/A
FHFA GSE approval status	√	√	√

¹Trended credit data was first made available from all three credit bureaus in 2011.

²FICO® Score versions since 2015 have included reported rental payment history data, including FICO® Score 9, FICO® Score 10, and FICO® Score 10T.

³FICO® Scores have always considered utility and telco payment data that is furnished to the three nationwide U.S. credit bureaus.

⁴Rate-shopping window for inquiries for FICO® Scores 4 & 5 (TransUnion, Equifax) are 45 days and for FICO® Score 2 (Experian) is 14 days. In FICO® Score 10T it is standardized to 45 days for all versions, enabling consumers to search for a mortgage longer without score impact.

⁵VantageScore removed all medical collections from VantageScore 4.0 calculations in 2023

FICO® Score 10T Recommended for Use by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

FICO® Score 10T was the sole credit score model recommended for use by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the GSEs). Independent experts agree: lender choice would lead to higher costs for mortgage borrowers and loss risk for lenders and investors.

Ethan Dornhelm on Chrisman Commentary

FICO's Ethan Dornhelm joins Chrisman Commentary to discuss credit score modernization and what the newly released GSE historical datasets — now including FICO® Score 10T performance data — reveal about predictive accuracy and responsible credit access.

“FICO Score 10T exemplifies PRMG’s mindset, and we know that using scores from this credit model from FICO will take our service to the next level by utilizing the most innovative credit score technology.”

Kevin Peranio, Chief Lending Officer

PRMG

“By proactively issuing mortgage-backed securities exclusively based on FICO Score 10T, we’re helping to empower investors to make smarter decisions.”

Jennifer Stracensky, Chief Operating Officer

Cross Country Mortgage

“We’re eager to tap the power of FICO Score 10T to further analyze our book of business and unlock new origination opportunities to support our continued growth.”

John Bosley, President, Mortgage Lending

Planet Home Lending

“Guild Mortgage is proud to adopt FICO Score 10T as part of our continued effort to make homeownership more accessible. FICO Score 10T’s predictive power helps us better price and manage risk across the life of the loan which will be a critical advantage for both our business and our customers.”

David Battany, Executive Vice President of Capital Markets

Guild Mortgage

“In today’s market, we need tools that help us say ‘yes’ to more borrowers without taking on unnecessary risk, and FICO Score 10T delivers exactly that. Its predictive depth gives us more confident decisions across mortgage products, including HELOC. The result is better borrower outcomes, stronger portfolio discipline, and a lending experience that scales responsibly.”

Saket Nigam, Head of Partnerships

Spring EQ

Get FICO® Score 10T Free Now through the FICO Score 10T Free Access Program

Right now, through the FICO® Score 10T Free Access Program, lenders can get the industry’s most predictive credit score alongside the Classic FICO® Score they already use — at no additional fee. Dual processing enables seamless evaluation and transition.

Whether you’re a national lender, mortgage servicer, local community bank, or credit union, we’re ready to help you navigate the path to adoption of the latest FICO® Score — and make sure you’re set up for success.

Get Started

Get Started with FICO® Score 10T

Contact us to discuss migrating to the industry's most predictive mortgage score — with no additional fee, dedicated migration support, and a clear path to production.