Experian has enhanced its Power Profile Plus for Mortgage solution, allowing lenders to request unlimited eligible follow-up soft inquiries during the mortgage application and qualification period without an additional charge for the underlying Experian credit profile. The updated offering combines a full Experian credit profile with VantageScore 4.0, giving mortgage lenders another way to evaluate prospective borrowers before initiating a hard credit inquiry.

Experian Updates Early-Stage Mortgage Credit Assessment

Experian is expanding the flexibility of its mortgage credit assessment tools as lenders evaluate alternatives to traditional credit-scoring models and look for ways to manage costs during early-stage borrower qualification.

The enhanced Power Profile Plus for Mortgage provides a full Experian credit profile alongside VantageScore 4.0 through a soft inquiry. Under the updated workflow, lenders can request unlimited eligible follow-up soft inquiries during the application and qualification period without paying another Experian credit-profile charge. They can also add eligible scores at their discretion, subject to applicable score fees.

The change is designed to let loan officers revisit a prospective borrower’s credit information as the mortgage application progresses without repeatedly paying for the underlying profile. Experian says the approach can help lenders assess consumers earlier in the process while making the adoption of modern scoring models more cost-effective.

The distinction between profile and score pricing is important. Although eligible follow-up soft inquiries do not incur another Experian credit-profile charge, additional scores may still carry separate fees. When a borrower and lender are ready to proceed, moving to a hard inquiry triggers the standard hard-pull credit-report and score pricing.

How the Updated Workflow Operates

Power Profile Plus begins with a full Experian credit profile and VantageScore 4.0 delivered through a soft inquiry. This allows a lender to review credit information without starting with a hard inquiry.

During the qualification period, the lender can request eligible follow-up soft inquiries as needed. If it chooses to assess a FICO Score 2, the applicable score charge still applies, but Experian says it will not charge again for the underlying credit profile.

The workflow separates early-stage assessment from the formal credit checks used as the mortgage process advances. It does not eliminate hard inquiries or replace the lender’s underwriting requirements. Standard hard-pull pricing applies when the lender moves forward.

For lenders, the potential operational benefit is greater flexibility to reassess applicants as their circumstances or application details change. The actual savings will depend on how often lenders use follow-up inquiries, which scores they request and their existing credit-data purchasing arrangements. Experian has not provided quantified savings figures for the enhancements.

VantageScore 4.0 and the Changing Mortgage Market

The announcement comes amid broader changes in the US mortgage industry’s approach to credit scoring. The Federal Housing Finance Agency has expanded VantageScore 4.0 availability to all approved Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lenders, according to Experian’s announcement. That expansion gives more lenders the opportunity to evaluate an alternative scoring model within the evolving mortgage finance framework.

Credit scores influence how lenders assess borrower risk, but scoring models can differ in how they evaluate available credit information. Experian’s announcement points to consumer interest in models that consider additional positive payment history, including rent and utility payments.

Experian-cited research found that one-third of surveyed consumers would actively seek a new lender if they learned their current lender relied on legacy scoring models that do not incorporate rent and utility payments. The company also reported that 52% would be more interested in pursuing homeownership if lenders considered additional positive payment history. These figures reflect the research cited by Experian; the announcement does not provide enough methodological detail to treat them as universal measures of borrower sentiment.

A broader range of scoring options may give lenders more flexibility in assessing applicants, but it does not guarantee that a borrower will qualify for a mortgage or that a particular score will produce a more favorable lending decision.

Pricing Flexibility and Score Choice

Experian is positioning Power Profile Plus alongside other pricing and scoring options in its mortgage portfolio. The company says VantageScore 4.0 is available as a standalone mortgage origination score for $0.99. Its Score Choice Bundle also allows lenders to access VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 2 in a single transaction, with VantageScore 4.0 available at no cost when a FICO score is obtained in 2026, according to the announcement.

These options give lenders different ways to compare scoring models and manage the cost of credit data. However, the pricing terms differ by product and transaction, so lenders will need to assess the full cost of their workflows rather than compare score prices in isolation.

For mortgage technology and operations teams, the practical question is how these options fit into existing origination systems, credit policies and underwriting processes. They will also need to communicate clearly with borrowers about the difference between a soft inquiry used for early assessment and a hard inquiry used as the application advances.

Experian’s enhancement does not change mortgage underwriting requirements by itself. Instead, it adjusts the economics and flexibility of early-stage credit assessment as lenders consider broader scoring choices and seek to make the path from initial qualification to a formal mortgage application more efficient.

Market Landscape

Mortgage lenders are balancing credit-assessment costs, underwriting requirements and growing interest in modern credit-scoring models. Experian’s enhancement focuses on the qualification stage, where lenders may need to revisit borrower information before proceeding with a hard inquiry. Its commercial distinction is the removal of repeat credit-profile charges for eligible follow-up soft inquiries—not the elimination of all scoring or credit-report fees.

Top Insights

• Lower repeat profile costs: Unlimited eligible follow-up soft inquiries during application and qualification carry no additional Experian credit-profile charge.
• Initial score flexibility: The workflow begins with a full Experian credit profile and VantageScore 4.0.
• Score fees remain relevant: Additional score charges, including applicable FICO Score 2 fees, may still apply.
• Hard inquiries retain standard pricing: Normal credit-report and score charges apply when the lender moves to a hard inquiry.
• Wider VantageScore access: The announcement follows expanded availability of VantageScore 4.0 to all approved Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lenders.

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