Loan impact
From the announcement text · verifiedApplies to: All loans submitted to Essent for mortgage insurance rate quotes or MI coverage; VantageScore 4.0 eligibility applies to DU Approve/Eligible and LPA Accept/Eligible loans that meet Essent's updated Guideline Summaries.
Scope differs by change; see each change below.
- Investor
- EssentFrom the publisher, not quoted from the text
- Programs
- ConventionalFrom the publisher, not quoted from the text
- Affected areas
- Credit score model; Eligibility
- Affected documents
- MI rate quote; MI submission request
- Applicability confidence
- Verified: every row taken from the source text is supported by it; rows marked "from the publisher" are not quoted
Supporting quotes from the announcement
- affected areas“Use the same credit score model for all borrowers on the loan.”
- affected areas“Effective immediately, Essent is aligned with the recently announced Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac expansion of VantageScore 4.0 availability.”
- affected documents“Submissions must: • Identify the credit score model used for the transaction in the rate quote and/or MI submission request.”
What changed
From the announcement text| Requirement | Previously | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Same credit score model for all borrowersNewRequired | New requirement | All borrowers must use the same credit score model; Classic FICO and VantageScore 4.0 may not be combined |
| Identify credit score model in MI quote/submissionNewRequired | New requirement | Identify the credit score model used in the rate quote and/or MI submission request |
| VantageScore 4.0 eligibility for Essent MIRelaxed | Not stated | Essent aligned with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac expansion of VantageScore 4.0 availability |
| Applies when: Recommendation is approve_eligible or accept_eligible · Score model is vantagescore_4_0 | ||
What to do
AWACS interpretation · not source languageWhat to review: First check that all Essent MI submissions name the credit score model and use one model for every borrower, with no mix of Classic FICO and VantageScore 4.0; after that, note that lenders may now use VantageScore 4.0 for Essent MI on DU Approve/Eligible or LPA Accept/Eligible loans that meet Essent's updated Guideline Summaries.
Starting immediately, make sure every borrower on a loan going to Essent for mortgage insurance uses the same credit score model, and never combine Classic FICO and VantageScore 4.0 scores across borrowers.
Starting immediately, state which credit score model the transaction uses in each Essent MI rate quote and/or MI submission request.
Starting immediately, let Essent MI rate quotes and/or MI submission requests carry the credit score model used, and keep that model the same for all borrowers on the loan.
QC implications
- Sample loans submitted to Essent for MI and check that all borrowers on each loan used the same credit score model, with no mix of Classic FICO and VantageScore 4.0.
- Check that the Essent MI rate quote and/or MI submission request names the credit score model used for the transaction.
- For loans that got Essent MI using VantageScore 4.0, check that the loan had DU Approve/Eligible or LPA Accept/Eligible.
Source and record
Version 1 · archivedChecks
Source verified: Passed
The document ID, link and publication date match the official source.
Quotes match the source: Passed
Every quoted passage appears word for word in the official document.
Requirements backed by the source: Passed
Anything marked required is backed by the requirement language and dates in the source.
In scope: Passed
The document is about residential mortgage lending.
Format and labels: Passed
The record follows the AWACS format and uses its standard labels.
Source
- Announcement VantageScore® 4.0 Eligibility (2026-09-28) (official) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Archived copy, SHA-256 80a10976216d…
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