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The Credit Score's Shrinking Role in Getting a Mortgage

MarketDash Editorial Team
11 days ago
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are rethinking how they evaluate mortgage borrowers, shifting away from rigid credit score cutoffs toward a fuller picture of financial health that includes rent and utility payment history.

Your credit score has been the bouncer at the mortgage club for decades, deciding who gets in and who goes home. But that's starting to change in ways that could matter if you've ever been denied because your file looked too thin or your score sat just below some arbitrary cutoff.

The New Rules from Fannie and Freddie

Fannie Mae announced early last week that it's removing the minimum credit score requirement for most loans processed through its automated Desktop Underwriter system. Instead of the hard 620 floor, approvals will now lean on broader data—payment history, income patterns, the whole financial picture.

Freddie Mac has already been down this road. Its Loan Product Advisor can now approve borrowers with no usable credit score at all, as long as they can show strong alternative histories. On-time rent checks and utility payments count.

At the same time, federal regulators gave Fannie and Freddie the green light to upgrade from older FICO models to FICO 10T and VantageScore 4.0. These newer systems can pull in trended data—how your balances move over time—and some alternative information like rent and telecom bills.

Why the Shift?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency says the changes should paint a more accurate picture of risk and open the door for millions of consumers with thin credit files.

There's real evidence backing this up. Research using federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data shows that credit history and debt-to-income ratio are among the most common reasons lenders give for rejecting mortgage applications.

And traditional scoring has its flaws. A 2025 analysis from professors at Gies College of Business in Illinois found that women receive credit scores 6 to 8 points lower than comparable men, even though they have equal or better default rates. The researchers called it "widespread bias and inefficiency in credit scoring and mortgage lending."

What It Means When You Apply

More paths to approval. If you've been paying rent, utilities, or phone bills on time but have a sparse or imperfect credit card history, the new automated systems are designed to give you proper credit for that track record.

Thin-file borrowers get a fair shake. First-time buyers, immigrants, gig workers—people who often can't build a high traditional score—may face fewer automatic denials. Instead, lenders will look at verified income and actual cash flow.

Standards still exist. Don't mistake this for a free-for-all. Lenders must still follow ability-to-repay rules, and many will add their own requirements on top. You'll still need stable income, manageable debt, and some documented payment history. If your profile looks riskier, expect higher rates or extra paperwork rather than an automatic yes.

Back to News

The Credit Score's Shrinking Role in Getting a Mortgage

MarketDash Editorial Team
11 days ago
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are rethinking how they evaluate mortgage borrowers, shifting away from rigid credit score cutoffs toward a fuller picture of financial health that includes rent and utility payment history.

Your credit score has been the bouncer at the mortgage club for decades, deciding who gets in and who goes home. But that's starting to change in ways that could matter if you've ever been denied because your file looked too thin or your score sat just below some arbitrary cutoff.

The New Rules from Fannie and Freddie

Fannie Mae announced early last week that it's removing the minimum credit score requirement for most loans processed through its automated Desktop Underwriter system. Instead of the hard 620 floor, approvals will now lean on broader data—payment history, income patterns, the whole financial picture.

Freddie Mac has already been down this road. Its Loan Product Advisor can now approve borrowers with no usable credit score at all, as long as they can show strong alternative histories. On-time rent checks and utility payments count.

At the same time, federal regulators gave Fannie and Freddie the green light to upgrade from older FICO models to FICO 10T and VantageScore 4.0. These newer systems can pull in trended data—how your balances move over time—and some alternative information like rent and telecom bills.

Why the Shift?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency says the changes should paint a more accurate picture of risk and open the door for millions of consumers with thin credit files.

There's real evidence backing this up. Research using federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data shows that credit history and debt-to-income ratio are among the most common reasons lenders give for rejecting mortgage applications.

And traditional scoring has its flaws. A 2025 analysis from professors at Gies College of Business in Illinois found that women receive credit scores 6 to 8 points lower than comparable men, even though they have equal or better default rates. The researchers called it "widespread bias and inefficiency in credit scoring and mortgage lending."

What It Means When You Apply

More paths to approval. If you've been paying rent, utilities, or phone bills on time but have a sparse or imperfect credit card history, the new automated systems are designed to give you proper credit for that track record.

Thin-file borrowers get a fair shake. First-time buyers, immigrants, gig workers—people who often can't build a high traditional score—may face fewer automatic denials. Instead, lenders will look at verified income and actual cash flow.

Standards still exist. Don't mistake this for a free-for-all. Lenders must still follow ability-to-repay rules, and many will add their own requirements on top. You'll still need stable income, manageable debt, and some documented payment history. If your profile looks riskier, expect higher rates or extra paperwork rather than an automatic yes.