JagInsights › Glossary › FICO score
What is a FICO score?
A FICO score is one brand of credit score lenders use. How it relates to VantageScore, without a promise of points.
FICO is a brand of credit score built from your credit reports. Many lenders still buy a FICO score when they price a loan. Other companies sell other scores, including VantageScore.
Worked example
A free score in a banking app might be a VantageScore or an educational FICO. A mortgage lender might pull a different FICO model from a different bureau. The numbers will not match, and both can be real.
Why it matters
People treat 'the score' as one number. Lenders do not. The habits that move most models are still the same: pay on time, keep card balances low relative to the limits.
Questions people ask
Is FICO the only score that matters?
No. It is the one many lenders still use. Your own monitoring app may show a different model.
What is a good FICO score?
Lenders set their own cutoffs. Mid-700s and up are commonly offered better rates. This page is not a promise about your file.
Does checking my FICO hurt it?
A soft check that you initiate usually does not. A lender's hard inquiry can.
Educational information only. JagInsights is not a financial adviser, broker, or lender. See the Terms and Privacy Policy.