Credit Bureau, Fair Isaac Shares Retreat as FHFA Chief Pulte Slams Industry

By Elias Schisgall

Shares of major credit bureaus and Fair Isaac fell after a top federal housing regulator criticized their prices and the reliance on FICO scores in mortgage lending.

Shares of Fair Isaac, the company behind the FICO score, were down 18% to $922.67 in Friday morning trading. Equifax's stock was off 7.9% at $174.26, TransUnion was down 8% at $78.09, and shares in Experian retreated 4.8% to $37.91 in over-the-counter trading.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte took to X on Thursday night to accuse Fair Isaac of operating a monopoly over credit scores. He said he was directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to approve all lenders using the rival VantageScore model.

The agency had previously greenlit the use of VantageScore 4.0 last summer, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Pulte also accused the three credit bureaus--Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion--of "overcharging Americans for far too long" and stringing along regulators.

"We are seriously considering bi-merge, and stronger solutions (SAFER and SOUNDER)," Pulte wrote in one post. "We will not allow companies to take advantage of American consumers."

The companies named by Pulte did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"We have asked the CEOs of the Credit Bureaus for solutions but they seem more intent on "happy talk", tapping us along with meetings, and operating as "cartel-like", which is not in the best interest of American homeowners," Pulte said in another post. "Time for a change."

Write to Elias Schisgall at elias.schisgall@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 04, 2026 11:59 ET (15:59 GMT)