What should a buyer know about VantageScore 4.0 mortgage loans? The Credit Scores page of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) says that on loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, approved lenders may choose between two credit score models, Classic FICO and VantageScore 4.0. The page says the lender determines which model to use on each loan.
That distinction matters for planning. The CFPB’s page says a borrower has many different credit scores. So a buyer who assumes the number on an app or an old report is the one a lender will use may plan around the wrong number. The step that helps is asking the lender which model it uses.
Ask a loan officer which model applies to your loan, then read that answer against these two pages. This article reports only what FHFA’s page and one CFPB page say. It doesn’t predict any score, and it doesn’t cover any one lender’s own rules.
What Does FHFA’s Credit Scores Page Say About VantageScore 4.0?
FHFA’s Credit Scores page is the agency’s policy page on the credit score models used on loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It describes an interim policy. Under that policy, approved lenders can use either Classic FICO or VantageScore 4.0 on the loans they deliver to the two companies.
The page’s opening refers to FHFA acting “along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises)”. From there the page uses that shorthand for the two companies.
On the choice itself, the page says this: “Lenders may continue to use Classic FICO credit scores or use VantageScore 4.0 in accordance with the requirements in the Enterprises’ Selling Guides.” That’s the page’s own summary of the choice.
The page dates the change. It says: “On September 9, 2026, the Enterprises expanded the availability of VantageScore 4.0 to all approved lenders, removing the requirement for prior written approval.” The page also shows the line “Last updated: October 2, 2026”.
The page frames the policy as a step toward newer score models, and it gives a reason: “These new models take into account additional sources of data, including rent payment history, to more accurately assess credit risk.” The page makes no statement about what that means for any one borrower’s score.
Who Chooses the Credit Score Model for a Mortgage?
On this page, the lender chooses. Not the borrower. The page describes the choice as the lender’s to make on each loan it delivers to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also says one model has to cover everyone on the same loan, so the two models aren’t mixed within a single loan.
The page says the Enterprises “will allow lenders to determine which credit score model (Classic FICO or VantageScore 4.0) to use on each loan they deliver.” That’s its wording for who holds the decision.
It adds: “Lenders will be required to use the same credit score model (Classic FICO or VantageScore 4.0) for all borrowers on a given loan.” The practical meaning is that the choice gets made loan by loan, and then it applies to every borrower named on that loan.
The sentences quoted here are about lenders. The page doesn’t describe a way for a borrower to request a particular model. So the borrower’s question isn’t which model to pick. It’s which model the lender will use.
The page also describes the policy as lenders being permitted “on an interim basis, to choose between two approved credit score models”. That’s its way of saying the arrangement isn’t final.
What Stays the Same Under the Interim Policy?
Quite a bit. The page says Classic FICO is still an approved model for loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and that no retirement date has been announced for it. It also says the credit reporting rules aren’t initially changed. VantageScore 4.0 sits beside the older model rather than replacing it.
On the older model, the page says “Classic FICO remains an approved credit score model for loans sold to the Enterprises”, that is, for loans sold to those two companies. So the older model stays on the approved list.
The page also looks ahead: “Classic FICO is expected to be retired at a future date, but no retirement date has been announced.” The page gives no date.
On credit reporting, the page’s answer is “Not initially.” It says the inclusion of VantageScore 4.0 scores “will not change the Enterprises’ current credit reporting requirements (e.g., tri-merge/bi-merge credit reporting).”
The page mentions one more model: “FICO 10T is not currently eligible for delivery, and the Enterprises will provide additional guidance when FICO 10T becomes available for loan deliveries.” That sentence is about a third model the page says isn’t eligible for delivery on these loans. It points to later guidance, and that’s all the page says about it.
What Does the CFPB Page Say About Mortgage Credit Scores?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a short consumer page on how a credit score affects a mortgage. Its description of lender practice is older than FHFA’s update, so read it as the earlier picture. It speaks about credit scores and mortgage lenders in general, and it predates the VantageScore 4.0 change.
The CFPB page starts broad: “You have many different credit scores, and there are many ways to get a credit score.” It then narrows: “However, most mortgage lenders use FICO scores.”
It adds that “most mortgage lenders look at scores from all three major credit reporting companies” and “use the middle score for deciding what rate to offer you.” Those are the CFPB’s words about lender practice, not FHFA’s.
On how much the number carries, the same page says: “Your credit score is only one component of your mortgage lender’s decision, but it’s an important one.” The page doesn’t go further than that.
One caution. The CFPB page shows “Page last modified Jan. 14, 2025”, which is before the FHFA page’s update, and it doesn’t mention VantageScore 4.0. So the policy here comes from FHFA’s page, and the CFPB page is used only for the general description of credit scores and mortgage lenders.
Where the Score Model Fits in Your Mortgage Plan
These two pages describe which score models a lender may use, and how lenders have looked at scores. They don’t say whether a loan is approved, what it costs, how long it takes, or how much to put down. And neither page says how a different model changes any borrower’s score.
Fellowship’s mortgage process page describes what its team looks at: “We holistically assess income, debt-to-income ratio, credit score, employment trajectory, and property type to determine eligibility.” It adds: “Each loan program has different sets of eligibility guidelines.”
Fellowship’s home purchase loans page starts from the same idea: “Depending on your circumstances, one home loan may be better than another.” That’s why a published policy page is a starting point for a conversation, not a verdict on any application.
If your question is about a minimum score instead, Fellowship has a post on what Fannie Mae’s guide says about the credit score needed to refinance.
And Fellowship has a post on what a 600 credit score means to a lender. Both are pointers, not answers for your own file.
Frequently Asked Questions About VantageScore 4.0 Mortgage Loans
Do mortgage lenders use VantageScore 4.0?
FHFA’s page says lenders may continue to use Classic FICO or use VantageScore 4.0 on loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and that the model’s availability was expanded to all approved lenders. Which one a given lender uses is that lender’s decision. Ask yours.
Can I choose which credit score model my lender uses?
The page says Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will allow lenders to determine the model on each loan they deliver. It describes no borrower option. So the question to put to a loan officer is simple: which model will be used on this loan? One model has to cover every borrower on it.
Is Classic FICO going away?
FHFA’s page says: “Classic FICO is expected to be retired at a future date, but no retirement date has been announced.” The page gives no date. It also says the model remains an approved credit score model for loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Does VantageScore 4.0 change the credit reports a lender pulls?
The page’s answer to that question is “Not initially.” It says the inclusion of VantageScore 4.0 scores will not change the current credit reporting requirements for loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Anything past that is a question for the lender handling your loan.
Does the CFPB page mention VantageScore 4.0?
No. That page shows “Page last modified Jan. 14, 2025”, which is before FHFA’s update, and it says “However, most mortgage lenders use FICO scores.” So it describes the earlier picture of lender practice, and the newer policy sits on FHFA’s page instead.
Will a different credit score model change my score or my approval?
Neither page says. FHFA’s page describes which models lenders may use on loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The CFPB page says: “Your credit score is only one component of your mortgage lender’s decision, but it’s an important one.” A loan officer can say how a lender weighs it.
Questions to Bring to a Loan Officer
These pages describe a policy, not a result for one borrower. They don’t say what any lender will do with your file. So the practical move is to bring a short list of questions to a loan officer and compare the answers against what the two pages say.
- Which credit score model does the lender expect to use on this loan?
- Would the same model cover every borrower on the application?
- Does the lender set any rule of its own beyond what these two pages show?
- How does a score from an app compare with the score the lender will use?
When you’re ready, you can talk with a Fellowship loan officer about which credit score model applies to your loan.
This is general education about FHFA’s Credit Scores page and one CFPB page, not individual lending, legal or financial advice, and not a commitment to lend.
