 TITLE: Which Credit Scores Do Mortgage Lenders Use? CONTENT: Improve Your Credit Scores Before Applying\n------------------------------------------\nThe FICO® Score versions used in mortgage lending and the more recently released versions, such as FICO® Score 9 and 10, have the same 300 to 850 range. VantageScore, a competing maker of credit scores, also uses that range for its latest VantageScore 3.0 and 4.0 model credit scores.\nFor all these scoring models, which use the information from one of your credit reports to determine your score, a higher score is better. As a result, you may notice similar trends in all your scores. This is why making on-time payments can help raise all your credit scores, while missing payments could hurt all your scores.\nHowever, there are also differences between the scoring models. For example, the latest FICO® and VantageScore models ignore paid collection accounts and give less weight to medical collection accounts. But the older FICO® Score models continue to count collection accounts against you after you pay off the balance.\nIn general, whether you're looking to buy a home or take out a different type of credit, there are a few things that can help improve all your scores:\n*   Pay your bills on time.\n*   Pay down credit card balances.\n*   Don't apply for other types of credit in the months leading up to your mortgage application.\nIn addition to getting your credit ready for a mortgage application, you want to get your finances in order as well. Saving up for a larger down payment, increasing your income and paying off debts may all help you qualify for a mortgage with better terms. END