The Federal Housing Finance Agency approved VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T for use by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2022. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac opened VantageScore 4.0 to all approved lenders in September 2025 after a limited rollout.
VantageScore 4.0 uses trended credit data, tracking how balances, utilization and repayment behavior changed over time rather than taking a single snapshot. The model can also factor in rent and utility payments for borrowers with thin credit files. VantageScore estimates nearly four million renters could reach a 620 credit score with positive rental data included.
VantageScore says its model can score up to 33 million more adults than traditional models, with nearly five million consumers considered mortgage-ready. An Urban Institute analysis of 27.5 million Fannie Mae loans found all three models effective at ranking risk, with both VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T capturing more defaults in the riskiest decile than Classic FICO.
Rocket Mortgage announced in September that it would make VantageScore 4.0 its preferred model for eligible retail loans starting in the fourth quarter after testing across 1.4 million credit reports. Rocket reported that VantageScore helped more clients qualify, and borrowers who saved money saved an average of about $1,600 at closing.
VantageScore 4.0 does not replace underwriting. Income, debt-to-income, loan-to-value, reserves, employment stability and collateral still decide who gets a loan. The GSEs published guardrails including requiring one model across all borrowers on a loan and publishing pricing for each model.
Freddie Mac estimates the national housing supply shortfall at about 3.7 million homes, while Zillow puts it at roughly 4.7 million. From 2017 to 2022, Minneapolis grew its housing stock 12 percent while rents rose 1 percent after reforms including eliminating parking mandates, according to Pew Charitable Trusts research.