What changed?
Fannie Mae added VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T as approved credit-score models in its April 2026 Selling Guide update. VantageScore 4.0 initially rolled out to approved lenders, and in September 2026 FHFA directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to accept VantageScore from all mortgage origination lenders.
Does that mean every lender uses it today?
No. Approval at the agency level does not necessarily mean every lender, LOS, credit provider and investor workflow changes on the same day. Borrowers may still encounter different scoring models depending on lender and program.
Why can mortgage scores differ from consumer scores?
The score shown by a bank, credit-card app or consumer monitoring service may be generated using a different scoring model or bureau dataset than the score used for a mortgage transaction.
What should borrowers do?
Focus on the underlying report: on-time payments, revolving utilization, accurate account data, recent credit activity and unresolved errors. Avoid opening or closing accounts solely to chase a particular score without understanding the mortgage impact.