Is FICO score and credit score the same?

Public Comments

1. Yes, people use them interchangeably
2. Yes, but you have to understand that the three credit bureaus each have their own way of figuring your score. So they may be vastly different depending on which bureau you look at. I see spreads of as much as 150 points every month.
3. Yes. FICO stands for Fair Isaacs Corporation. Fair Isaacs developed the formula used to get your credit score. Each of the three credit reporting agencies uses a little different variation on the formula but all three are going to the VantageScore system, which supposedly will make all three scores the same.
4. yes they are
5. Yes and no... some places will try to sell you a VantageScore, which is calculated using a different algorithm. Generally, you can multiply the VantageScore by .86 to find your estimated FICO score. (Top VantageScore = 990; top FICO = 850... 850/990 = .86) Some lenders will weigh certain items in your credit history heavier and this will result in a different score, but it's still generally based off of the formula by the boys at Fair Isaac & Co.