Recent developments in the pricing of credit solutions for the mortgage industry have raised concerns about rising costs negatively impacting financial institutions and ultimately home buyers. We understand why lenders and trade groups are frustrated and we share in the concern. The system is complex yet there are also blatant attempts by some to take advantage of that complexity by spreading misinformation that makes it difficult to understand the drivers of cost and their implications.
Here are the facts:
- Fact #1: Experian is not increasing the price of its credit reports for mortgage. In fact, the price of an Experian credit report for mortgage in 2026 will be exactly the same compared to 2025. Any accusations that we are raising the price of our credit reports by 50% are simply false.
- Fact #2: We made a marginal adjustment to the price of our data being used for processing scores in 2026. This reflects increasing complexity in consumer support, continued investments in data security, data accuracy, and regulatory compliance. This includes efforts to include more modern data sources, such as rent, utilities, buy now, pay later, short-term loans and cashflow advancements, among other sources, to more accurately reflect a consumer’s history and use of emerging financial utilities.
- Fact #3: National credit bureaus do not determine the price of tri-merge credit reports. The cost of these reports are based on a combination of inputs priced independently by multiple parties. Credit bureaus – Experian being one – make up only a portion of that equation. Tri-merge providers contract directly with originators, that pricing reflects our data usage/services, score algorithm costs and fees for services the reseller themselves provide. Sometimes those combined costs are reflected as “credit reports”, which is at best an oversimplification, at worst a misrepresentation. Experian is committed to transparency in our pricing.
- Fact #4: In October, FICO increased its royalty fees for its credit score from $4.95 to $10, an increase of approximately $5 per borrower, essentially doubling the cost of the FICO credit score in tri-merge credit reports. FICO also introduced their direct license program, which introduces unnecessary technological, operational and regulatory complexity for lenders and other market participants (including Experian), placing an even greater financial burden on the industry and inevitably, consumers.
Mortgage decisions and credit scores are only as impactful and informed as the data that powers them. And simply put, scores do not exist without credit data powered by the credit bureaus.
Credit reporting agencies like Experian operate under rigorous regulatory oversight, unlike score providers like FICO, because the accuracy, security, and fairness of the data we power is critical to the health of the U.S. financial system. Our costs reflect that responsibility, and the continued investments we are making to ensure data accuracy, security, and regulatory compliance to drive value for lenders and consumers alike.
We share in the overall goal of making homeownership more accessible and affordable, but that can only happen through pricing transparency and collaboration, not deception and rhetoric.
I’ve been in this industry for more than two decades, and I believe our industry only moves forward when it moves together. It’s time we focus on fairness and innovation to make meaningful progress toward a more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable mortgage ecosystem that brings financial power to all.
