HousingWire Details How FICO Score 10T Could Reshape Mortgage Access

HousingWire has published comments from Julie May on how FICO Score 10T, a newer credit-scoring model, could affect which borrowers qualify for a mortgage, according to the outlet's report. The outlet's piece focuses on how the model could change mortgage underwriting as lenders weigh newer scoring tools against the classic FICO formula most loan officers still use.

The specifics of May's remarks, including her full analysis of borrower impact, are detailed in the original HousingWire story. What follows is context on the scoring model itself and what it could mean for someone applying for a mortgage.

What is FICO Score 10T, and why is it in the mortgage conversation?

FICO 10T is part of a newer generation of credit-scoring models built to look at a borrower's payment behavior over a longer stretch of time, rather than a single snapshot. The "T" stands for trended data, meaning the model can weigh patterns such as whether a credit-card balance has been rising or falling over months, not just what the balance is on the day a lender pulls the report. Mortgage lenders have historically relied on an older version of the FICO formula, and the industry has been discussing a shift toward trended-data models for several years. HousingWire's report places May's comments inside that ongoing shift.

How could a newer scoring model change who qualifies for a mortgage?

A model that factors in trends, rather than a single moment, can score some borrowers differently than the classic formula does. A borrower who has been steadily paying down debt could see that trajectory reflected in a trended-data score even if the account balance isn't at zero. The reverse is also possible: a borrower whose balances have been climbing could see that captured by the model as well. For mortgage lending specifically, that matters because a shift in scoring methodology can move a borrower above or below the thresholds lenders use to set interest rates, required down payments, or loan approval itself. HousingWire's report centers on this mechanism as the reason the scoring change is drawing attention from the mortgage industry rather than just the broader credit world.

What did Julie May's comments to HousingWire focus on?

HousingWire attributes its reporting on FICO Score 10T's mortgage implications to commentary from Julie May. The outlet's own article is the primary place to read the specific points she raised about borrower access and lender adoption. HousingWire has covered mortgage credit policy closely as the industry works through how and when newer scoring models get folded into loan underwriting, and this report is part of that continuing coverage.

What should borrowers do before lenders adopt a new model?

For someone planning to apply for a mortgage in the near term, the practical takeaway is less about panic and more about habits that tend to hold up under any scoring model: paying down revolving balances, keeping payments current, and checking a credit report for errors before a lender pulls it. A San Francisco survey on how people perceive credit scores, reported separately, found many consumers already distrust the scoring system they're measured against — a reminder that confusion about how scores work is common even before a new model enters the picture. Borrowers weighing how credit fits into a broader financial plan may also want to look at how fixed-income or dividend-paying holdings, such as those tracked in utilities-sector ETFs, factor into overall household cash flow while mortgage underwriting standards are in flux.

What to watch

• Whether mortgage lenders set a timeline for using FICO 10T alongside or instead of the classic FICO model.
• Whether HousingWire or other trade outlets publish lender-specific adoption plans tied to May's comments.
• Whether borrowers with long trended-debt histories — rising or falling balances — see noticeably different scores under the newer model once lenders begin testing it.
• Any guidance from major mortgage investors on how trended-data scores will be used in loan approval decisions.

Readers following the underwriting shift should check HousingWire's ongoing coverage directly, since the outlet is the primary source tracking lender-by-lender adoption of the newer model.