 TITLE: Why Is My Credit Score Different When Lenders Check My Credit? CONTENT: Why Do I Have So Many Different Credit Scores?\n----------------------------------------------\nIn addition to multiple score models and versions, there are also three credit bureaus—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax—that collect the information your credit scores are based on.\nFICO® develops scores specific to each bureau, so your FICO® Score 8 may be slightly different depending on the bureau. VantageScore, on the other hand, was developed cooperatively by the three credit bureaus, so scores that use the same VantageScore iteration will be the same no matter which agency you use.\nThere are some differences in the way VantageScore and FICO® calculate your score. For example, you likely will not have a FICO® Score if you don't have a credit account that's older than six months. You can get a VantageScore, however, if you have at least one account in your name—no matter its age.\nAdditionally, while both scoring models heavily weight credit utilization, or the amount of credit card debt you carry relative to your credit limit, the VantageScore 4.0 also takes into account your utilization over time. So if you usually pay your credit card bill in full—even if you carried a balance a few times—you'll be given credit for typically bringing your utilization to 0%. The most common versions of the FICO® Score, on the other hand, will assess your credit utilization based only on the time when your score was checked. The FICO® Score 10 T model does consider utilization over time, but it's yet to be widely adopted by lenders.\nDepending on the type of score, the scoring range may also differ. General FICO® Scores range from 300 to 850, and so do VantageScore 3.0 and 4.0 scores. But industry-focused FICO® Scores range from 250 to 900, and VantageScores 1.0 and 2.0 range from 501 to 990. Even though the precise number of the ranges might vary, in practice, the differences aren't major: The higher your credit score, the better. END