For many looking to take out a loan, loan officers will compile information to see what a consumer’s creditworthiness is. This allows loan officers to have a greater understanding of one’s financial state and not only make more informed decisions but also be able to expand the options for financial opportunities. In recent years, there has been a push to only consider a single or bi-merge score, but this is not the best method. A tri-merge approval utilizes the median of three scores. Missing even just one bureau’s data can affect some applicants by at least 10+ points. Studies have shown that even 7% of consumers saw a difference of 40 or more points. When consumers opt for a non-tri-merge approach, they often end up “score shopping,” which can then artificially inflate their purported credit score by 20 or more points. Additionally, when lenders “pick” the best score that a consumer has, this in turn dilutes the overall risk performance, which leads to a higher approval threshold for everyone. Aside from this, the option for a tri-merge standard has many benefits. Capturing one’s full risk profile and ensuring that loan pricing is both fair and equal are just two reasons it can benefit you.
