What to do if Equifax gave you an incorrect credit score
Credit bureau Equifax announced it sent out inaccurate credit scores earlier this year.
If you applied for a mortgage, a car loan, a credit card, or a job, and you're one of the people whose credit score was incorrect, it may have led to your being denied or paying higher interest rates.
Equifax says a coding error miscalculated credit scores between March 17 to April 6, 2022, by up to 25 points, either lower or higher, for 300,000 people.
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But credit expert Paul Oster with BetterQualified.com believes many more may have been affected and says even two points can mean the difference between good and poor credit, or good and excellent credit.
"I’m a certified FICO pro, I can tell you a five point shift can be the difference in getting approved or denied. And because of your interest rates being higher, you go from one tier to the next. A 739 is not a 740. A 679 is not a 680," explained Oster.
He says ask the lender which credit bureau they used and your score.
If impacted, Oster says ask your lender to let you reapply for the loan, and to waive application fees you've already paid.
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If you've been paying higher interest over the last five months, ask the lender to credit your overpayments.
And remember, the Fed has raised interest rates four times since March 16, 2022, for a total increase of 2.25%. Ask for the rate you would have qualified for when you applied.
"So let's say they take another look and the good news is your Equifax score was erroneously impacted by 30 points, so we’ll get you into new financing today. But interest rates are higher than they were back in March," warned Oster.
If your lender doesn't make you whole, consumers can also join class action lawsuits being filed against Equifax.