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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to allow credit scores based on rent and utilities payments

Nypost · · 983 words · By Realtor com
Housing Market Accessibility Financial Industry Regulation/Modernization
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What to know about Housing Market Accessibility

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to allow credit scores based on rent and utilities payments Prospective homebuyers with a history of on-time payments for rent and utilities may soon find it easier to qualify for a mortgage, thanks to changes at Fannie Mae and…

Claims checked 15
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center0%
Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to allow credit scores based on rent and utilities payments Prospective homebuyers with a history of on-time payments for rent and utilities may soon find it easier to qualify for a mortgage, thanks to changes at Fannie Mae and…

Why it matters

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, who is also the chairman of federally controlled Fannie and Freddie, announced the move at a press conference in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.

Common ground

“If you pay your rent on time, you are more likely to pay your mortgage on time,” Pulte said.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Glittering Generalities: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/22/real-estate/fannie-mae-and-freddie-mac-to-allow-cr…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Glittering Generalities 60% confidence
Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing glittering generalities helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5
check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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Claim 1: “At the same time, Pulte and Turner discussed a recent Capitol Hill talking point: ending the decade-long conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 2: “Last year, Pulte announced Fannie and Freddie would allow mortgage lenders to use VantageScore ratings to assess borrower creditworthiness, in addition to or instead of traditional FICO 10T scores.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that Pulte previously announced the use of VantageScore alongside or instead of FICO 10T is supported by web search results mentioning Pulte and the two scores, but the evidence does not provide a single, definitive source confirming this specific prior announcement, although the context suggests it is related to prior discussions.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William John Pulte (born May 28, 1988) is an American businessman who has served as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since 2025.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Pulte
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — VantageScore is a consumer credit-scoring system in the United States, created through a joint venture of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). The model is managed and m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VantageScore
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web search NEUTRAL — A new construction home with Pulte entails a strong foundation with innovative floor plans and personalization. Find your new construction home with Pulte today.
https://www.pulte.com/
+ 2 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “FICO 10T also considers positive and negative rental payment history reported to the agencies.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results explicitly state that FICO 10T considers positive and negative rental payment history reported to the agencies, corroborating the claim.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Fico or FICO may refer to: Fico (surname), a surname Hurricane Fico, a hurricane in the 1978 Pacific hurricane season FICO or Fair Isaac, an American company FICO score, a credit score "F.I.C.O.", so…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fico
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Robert Fico (born 15 September 1964) is a Slovak politician and lawyer who has served as the prime minister of Slovakia since 2023, having previously held office from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 201…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Fico
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — FICO (legal name: Fair Isaac Corporation), originally Fair, Isaac and Company, is an American data analytics company based in Bozeman, Montana, focused on credit scoring services. It was founded by Bi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FICO
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 4: “The National Association of Realtors® has advocated for more competitive and modern credit scoring.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 5: “NAR estimates the first-time homebuyer is 40 years old.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 6: “President Donald Trump’s administration has also considered an initial public offering of the two mortgage giants this year.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 7: “U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, who is also the chairman of federally controlled Fannie and Freddie, announced the move at a press conference in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results report that William Pulte, Director of the FHFA and chairman of Fannie and Freddie, announced changes regarding credit scores at a press conference in Washington, DC. One source specifically mentions the announcement was made by Secretary Scott Turner and William J. Pulte.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), commonly known as Freddie Mac, is an American publicly traded, government-sponsored enterprise (GSE), headquartered in McLean, Virginia. The FHLMC w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mac
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — VantageScore is a consumer credit-scoring system in the United States, created through a joint venture of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). The model is managed and m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VantageScore
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), commonly known as Fannie Mae, is a United States government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) that has been a publicly traded company since 1968. Founded in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Mae
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 8: “As a result of the change, Pulte said, FICO CEO Will Lansing is considering reducing the cost of the company’s credit scores from $10 to 99 cents, matching the cost of a VantageScore.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results directly quote or paraphrase Pulte stating that FICO CEO Will Lansing is considering reducing the cost of FICO scores from $10 to 99 cents to match VantageScore costs.
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web search NEUTRAL — As a result of the change, Pulte said, FICO CEO Will Lansing is considering reducing the cost of the company's credit scores from $10 to 99 cents, matching the cost of a VantageScore.
https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/fannie-freddie…
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web search NEUTRAL — FICO plans to license credit scores directly to mortgage lenders, bypassing traditional credit bureaus. This change is aimed at increasing transparency and reducing costs for consumers. FHFA director …
https://www.ainvest.com/news/fico-licensing-plan-credit-scor…
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web search NEUTRAL — Pulte confirmed that the FHFA will move forward with its plan to change the credit-score requirements for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
https://www.housingwire.com/articles/fhfa-bill-pulte-fico-cr…
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Claim 9: “Since the pilot began, Freddie Mac has taken delivery of $10 million in loans and will securitize them soon, Pulte said.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim regarding the $10 million in loans and future securitization is mentioned in the context of Pulte's statements in the web search results, but the evidence does not provide enough independent confirmation or context to elevate it beyond a single source report.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William John Pulte (born May 28, 1988) is an American businessman who has served as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since 2025.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Pulte
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), commonly known as Fannie Mae, is a United States government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) that has been a publicly traded company since 1968. Founded in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Mae
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), commonly known as Freddie Mac, is an American publicly traded, government-sponsored enterprise (GSE), headquartered in McLean, Virginia. The FHLMC w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mac
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 10: “The FHFA regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim, and no web search or Wikipedia results provided information regarding the FHFA regulating Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks.
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Claim 11: “Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner said that the Federal Housing Administration will also permit the use of VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T as eligible credit scoring models for FHA-insured mortgage underwriting.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that FHFA announced the validation and approval of both FICO 10T and VantageScore 4.0 for use by the Enterprises, which aligns with the claim that HUD Secretary Scott Turner stated this.
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web search NEUTRAL — On October 24, 2022, FHFA announced the validation and approval of two new credit score models, FICO 10T and VantageScore 4.0, for use by the Enterprises. Once implemented, lenders will be required to…
https://www.fhfa.gov/policy/credit-scores
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web search NEUTRAL — Fannie Mae tests and validates required credit score models for accuracy, reliability, and integrity. VantageScore 4.0 Credit Model Updates On July 8, 2025, U.S. Federal Housing (FHFA) announced that …
https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/originating-underwriting/…
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web search NEUTRAL — In 2022, after extensive testing and review by the Enterprises, FHFA announced the validation of two new credit score models — VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T. These new models take into account additio…
https://www.scotsmanguide.com/news/fhfa-answers-questions-on…
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Claim 12: “The plan could see both companies valued at $500 billion or more combined and entail selling between 5% and 15% of their stock.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 13: “Wednesday’s announcement adds new credit score rules to Fannie Mae’s Selling Guide, the official policy manual for lenders selling residential mortgages to the company.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results indicate that Fannie Mae's Selling Guide is being updated to include VantageScore® 4.0 and FICO® Score 10T as approved credit score models, which aligns with the claim that new rules were added.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the consumer mortgage industry, debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is the percentage of a consumer's monthly gross income that goes toward paying debts. (Speaking precisely, DTIs often cover more than just…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt-to-income_ratio
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rita Mae Brown (born November 28, 1944) is an American feminist writer, best known for her coming-of-age autobiographical novel, Rubyfruit Jungle. Brown was active in a number of civil rights campaign…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Mae_Brown
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Verification of Income and Employment (VOIE) is a process used by banks and mortgage lenders in the United States to review the employment history of a borrower, to determine the borrower's job stabil…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verification_of_employment
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 14: “VantageScore takes into account rental and utility payment history reported to Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results mention VantageScore and its innovative models, but none of the provided evidence explicitly state that VantageScore considers rental and utility payment history *specifically* reported to Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. The evidence is suggestive but not directly confirmed by the provided snippets.
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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 18, 2026 · VantageScore delivers the most innovative and predictive credit score models that lenders use to expand access, improve risk assessment, and modernize credit decisioning.
https://www.vantagescore.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — VantageScore is proud to be the first commercially available credit score to be provided free to consumers. You can obtain your VantageScore credit score for free from the best-in-class providers belo…
https://www.vantagescore.com/consumers/free-credit-scores
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 26, 2025 · VantageScore is the fastest-growing credit scoring company in the U.S. and is known for the industry’s most innovative, predictive, and inclusive credit score models. VantageScore credi…
https://www.vantagescore.com/consumers/blog/the-complete-gui…
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Claim 15: “Together, they provide $8.5 trillion in funding for the U.S. mortgage markets and financial institutions.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim, and no web search or Wikipedia results provided the specific figure or context regarding $8.5 trillion in funding from these entities.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.