The Margin Math of a 6.7% Market
Rates near 6.7% changed the arithmetic of mortgage lending. Three numbers now decide margin: pull-through, credit spend per closed loan, and tier proximity.
Credit Technologies · August 24, 2026 · 5 min read
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Guides, reference pages and industry updates for mortgage professionals, from the company that pioneered rapid rescoring in 1997.
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What Credit Score Do Mortgage Lenders Use? Accepted Models and Report Requirements, Updated September 2026
Mortgage lenders use one of three approved score models: Classic FICO, VantageScore 4.0, or FICO Score 10T. This tracker states what each loan program accepts today, with a source and an as-of date on every row.
Reviewed September 14, 2026
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UpdateFHFA Opens VantageScore 4.0 to All Lenders: What Changed September 3
FHFA directed Fannie and Freddie to accept VantageScore 4.0 from all lenders on September 3, 2026. What changed, what did not, and what lenders must do next.
TrackerWhat Credit Score Do Mortgage Lenders Use? Accepted Models and Report Requirements, Updated September 2026
Mortgage lenders use one of three approved score models: Classic FICO, VantageScore 4.0, or FICO Score 10T. This tracker states what each loan program accepts today, with a source and an as-of date on every row.
GuideRapid Rescoring vs. Credit Repair vs. Debt Settlement: What Actually Moves a Mortgage Approval
Rapid rescoring, credit repair, and debt settlement sound similar and work nothing alike. What each one does to a credit report, who pays, how long it takes, and what it means for a mortgage approval. From the company that invented rescoring in 1997.
UpdateCan Mortgage Lenders Collect Credit Report Fees Upfront?
For covered mortgage applications, a bona fide and reasonable credit report fee is the express exception to TRID's pre-Loan Estimate fee restriction.
GuideFICO Score Potential: Instant Score-Improvement Insight on Every Credit Report
FICO Score Potential, the newest capability in the FICO Score Mortgage Simulator, is now available on Credit Technologies credit reports, including BestQualify and SmartPay. Per-bureau score-improvement insight from the first moment of reviewing the report, backed by the analyst team that invented rescoring.
GuideSoft Credit Check vs. Hard Pull: A Lender's Guide
A soft credit check lets mortgage lenders prequalify borrowers without affecting their FICO score or alerting competitors. Here is how soft pulls work, when to use them, and what they cost compared to a tri-merge.
GuideWhat Is an Adverse Action Notice? A Mortgage Lender's Guide
An adverse action notice tells a declined applicant what happened, which credit score was used, and their rights under the FCRA and ECOA. Here is what lenders must include, and why the 2026 score model transition is changing the notice.
GuideWhat Is the Military Lending Act? A Mortgage Lender's Guide
The Military Lending Act caps the cost of consumer credit for active-duty servicemembers, but dwelling-secured loans are exempt. The SCRA is the law that actually reaches mortgage lenders, and both GSE servicing guides enforce it. Here is the map.
UpdateA Credit Score Strategy That Closes in a 6.7% Rate Market
With 30-year fixed rates holding near 6.5% and the Fed showing no urgency to cut, every basis point of borrower credit score carries more weight than it has in years. This post breaks down the credit strategy loan officers should be running right now to turn borderline files into closed loans.
GuideWhat Is a 4506-C? A Mortgage Lender's Guide
On most mortgage files, lenders verify income against the source of record by pulling tax transcripts from the IRS. The borrower authorizes it on a 4506-C. Here is what the form is, why it matters, how the process works, and the small mistakes that cause most rejections.
GuideWhat Is a Tradeline? A Mortgage Lender's Guide
A tradeline is any account on a credit report, from a credit card to a mortgage. This guide covers what tradelines contain, how they drive FICO and VantageScore results, why their impact is often counter-intuitive, and why accurate tradeline data is the foundation of any score improvement.
GuideWho Pays for the Mortgage Credit Report?
On most files the lender absorbs the credit report cost, and repeated bureau increases make that sting, especially on applications that never close. Borrower-paid ordering moves the cost to the borrower, handles the consent and disclosures at both ends, and lets lenders pre-qualify with a low-cost soft pull first. Here is how SmartPay works.
