Credit scores

The move their regulator Bill Pulte announced introduces competition for one metric but charges from three credit bureaus will remain in place.

Bill Pulte, regulator and conservator of entities that buy and securitize many mortgages, also reaffirmed he's 'not happy with" lenders' main score provider.

Although credit bureaus have collected this data for three years, it's only now being factored into assessments of consumer creditworthiness.

A federal housing official pledged to take near-term action on credit score costs as two legislators have urged him not to allow fewer credit reports.

Fair Isaac Corp.'s shares saw their worst day since March 2020 on Wednesday, falling alongside credit bureau stocks after the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency questioned credit report pricing. 

Equifax Inc.'s first-quarter profit beat estimates, although the credit-reporting agency declined to raise its guidance, citing the tariff-induced uncertainty in the economy and falling consumer confidence.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley sent a letter urging the Justice Department to investigate FICO's price increases, which he said have "been borne by borrowers, especially lower-income borrowers."

The private market is increasingly testing credit metrics aimed at growing originations without adding risk as a larger effort to this end has slowed.

The removal of the fourth-quarter implementation date also impacts the planned addition of a bi-merge report option.

Without admitting wrongdoing, Equifax agreed to pay $725,000 because of a three-week error which lowered credit scores for 77,000 New Yorkers.