FICO has added Fairway Home Mortgage, Movement Mortgage and Rate to its FICO Preferred Program, reinforcing the credit-scoring provider’s position in the US mortgage market as regulators widen the range of models lenders can use. The three lenders will continue pulling FICO Scores across their mortgage operations, with access to the company’s existing scoring products and its newer FICO Score 10T model. The announcement comes as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac expand access to VantageScore 4.0, increasing competition in a mortgage credit-scoring market historically dominated by traditional FICO models.

FICO has added Fairway Home Mortgage, Movement Mortgage and Rate to its FICO Preferred Program, reinforcing the credit-scoring provider’s position in the US mortgage market as regulators widen the range of models lenders can use.

Announced on October 30, the agreements mean the three lenders will continue pulling FICO Scores across their mortgage operations. Their participation also provides access to FICO’s existing scoring products and its newer FICO Score 10T model, which incorporates trended credit data to assess borrower risk.

The announcement comes during a significant transition in US mortgage underwriting. Federal housing regulators and government-sponsored mortgage enterprises are moving toward a more competitive credit-scoring framework, allowing approved lenders to use additional models alongside Classic FICO. For FICO, retaining major mortgage customers while introducing newer scoring technology is an important part of maintaining its role in the evolving lending ecosystem.

Three Mortgage Lenders Reinforce FICO Relationships

The three lenders represent different parts of the US mortgage market.

Fairway Home Mortgage, a nationwide retail mortgage lender, said it will continue evaluating FICO Scores across a range of eligible loan products and programs. Movement Mortgage, a national retail lender, has been evaluating FICO Score 10T since 2023, pulling and analysing it alongside Classic FICO scores.

Rate, which offers conventional, FHA, VA, jumbo, non-qualified mortgage and home equity line of credit products, will continue using FICO Scores across its mortgage operations. The company said consistent credit assessment remains important to its lending decisions and customer experience.

The agreements demonstrate that established lenders continue to rely on FICO’s scoring infrastructure even as the industry prepares for broader model choice. They also give FICO a customer base through which to support the adoption and evaluation of newer scoring products.

FICO Score 10T and the Shift Toward Newer Risk Models

FICO Score 10T is designed to incorporate trended credit data, which examines how a consumer’s credit behaviour changes over time rather than relying only on a snapshot of outstanding balances and payment history.

That additional information can help lenders assess patterns such as whether borrowers are consistently paying down revolving debt or increasing their balances. FICO positions the model as a more predictive approach to evaluating credit risk, although its effectiveness for individual borrowers depends on the information available in their credit files and the lender’s underwriting process.

Movement Mortgage’s evaluation of Score 10T alongside Classic FICO illustrates how lenders can prepare for model changes while maintaining continuity in existing workflows.

However, the distinction between a model being approved and being available for mortgage delivery matters. As of October 2026, FICO 10T has been approved by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) for future use by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the enterprises have not yet made it eligible for loan deliveries. Lenders can currently choose between Classic FICO and VantageScore 4.0 for eligible loans sold to the enterprises.

Mortgage Credit Scoring Becomes More Competitive

The broader regulatory transition is changing the competitive landscape for credit-scoring providers.

In September 2026, FHFA expanded VantageScore 4.0 availability to all Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-approved lenders, removing the previous requirement for prior written approval. The move followed an initial limited rollout. Both enterprises also adjusted upfront fees in September to align pricing across Classic FICO and VantageScore 4.0 models.

The changes stem from a longer effort to modernise mortgage credit assessment. In 2022, FHFA validated both FICO Score 10T and VantageScore 4.0 for future use by the enterprises. The newer models can incorporate additional information, including rent payment history, to provide a broader view of a borrower’s credit behaviour.

The Federal Housing Administration is also preparing to permit VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T for eligible FHA-insured mortgage underwriting. HUD’s published implementation guidance identifies January 1, 2027, as the date for the new models to become available for applicable FHA mortgages.

This shift creates opportunities for lenders to compare scoring models and potentially identify creditworthy borrowers who may not be fully represented by traditional scoring approaches. It also increases pressure on providers to demonstrate predictive performance, operational reliability and compatibility with mortgage underwriting systems.

Continuity and Model Choice Will Shape Lender Strategy

FICO’s Preferred Program announcement is therefore about more than customer retention. It reflects the importance of maintaining established scoring relationships while helping lenders prepare for a more diverse credit-risk environment.

Mortgage lenders must balance model innovation with compliance, underwriting consistency, technology integration and the operational demands of selling loans into secondary markets. Supporting multiple scoring approaches can require changes to credit-reporting workflows, loan-origination systems, internal risk policies and staff training.

For borrowers, the impact will depend on how lenders apply the available models and whether alternative scoring approaches change eligibility or loan pricing in practice. A newer score does not automatically guarantee mortgage approval or more favourable terms.

FICO’s latest agreements give the company continued access to three significant mortgage lending operations as the market evolves. The longer-term competitive test will be whether its newer models can deliver measurable value to lenders and borrowers while competing with alternatives such as VantageScore 4.0.

Market Landscape

The US mortgage credit-scoring market is moving from a model environment historically centred on Classic FICO toward a framework with multiple approved scoring options.

• VantageScore 4.0 expanded: FHFA made the model available to all approved Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lenders in September 2026, subject to enterprise requirements.
• FICO 10T remains in preparation: Although approved for future use, it is not yet eligible for delivery to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
• FHA adoption is approaching: HUD guidance identifies January 1, 2027, as the implementation date for the additional models on applicable FHA-insured mortgages.

The competitive question is no longer simply which provider has the most established position. Lenders will increasingly assess model performance, integration costs, borrower coverage, pricing and compatibility with secondary-market requirements.

Top Insights

• Fairway Home Mortgage, Movement Mortgage and Rate have joined FICO’s Preferred Program.
• Movement Mortgage has evaluated FICO Score 10T alongside Classic FICO since 2023.
• FICO 10T uses trended credit information to assess borrower credit behaviour over time.
• VantageScore 4.0 is now available to all Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-approved lenders under applicable requirements.
• FICO 10T is approved for future use by the enterprises but is not yet eligible for mortgage loan delivery.

Get in touch with our fintech expert