FHFA acknowledged receipt of an MBA letter and said it has been in communication with the credit bureaus. MBA members reported average credit reporting cost increases of 40–50% for 2026, including dramatic price increases for the GSE-mandated tri-merge credit product. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion compile consumer credit files while FICO supplies the scoring algorithm used in tri-merge reports. FHFA approval of VantageScore 4.0 spurred consideration of shifting to bi-merge reports. TransUnion plans $4 per VantageScore 4.0, Experian offered it free indefinitely, and Equifax detailed mixed pricing. MBA leadership criticized industry price increases.
"The MBA's concerns, which were expressed in a letter to Pulte on Dec. 12, 2025, include information from members who reported an increase in credit reporting costs for 2026. The hikes amounted to 40% to 50% on average and included dramatic price increases for the government-sponsored enterprises' mandated tri-merge credit product. The three major bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion collect financial and personal data to create consumer credit files."
"But there have been talks about a shift from the long-standing tri-merge report to a bi-merge version, especially after FHFA's July 2025 approval of VantageScore 4.0. TransUnion said in November that beginning in 2026, it would charge $4 per VantageScore 4.0, compared with FICO's $10. Experian said it would offer the product free indefinitely, pledging future prices at least 50% below FICO's. And Equifax said it would charge $4.50 per score through 2027 while providing it free to FICO customers through 2026."
Read at www.housingwire.com
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