What FICO (Fair Isaac) Score Does Rocket Mortgage Use?

Rocket Mortgage typically pulls the FICO Score 8 for most conventional loans, but for FHA, VA, USDA, and some portfolio products it may use a later model such as FICO Score 9 or an older version depending on the lender's agreements with the credit bureaus;

the version is selected by Rocket, not by the borrower, so you cannot request a newer model like Score 10/10T, and the exact version pulled can be verified later in the 'how to find which FICO version Rocket pulled for you' section (see also Rocket Mortgage credit score policy).

Rocket Mortgage requests a soft pull of your FICO Score 8 (or the version your lender specifies) from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, then selects the middle, or median, of the three numbers as the score it evaluates. If the three scores are 720, 735, and 750, Rocket uses 735; if two are identical, that identical figure becomes the middle score.

Using the median protects you from an outlier - one unusually high or low bureau - so the decision reflects a balanced view of your credit. This middle score feeds directly into the minimum‑FICO thresholds discussed in the next section, and it's the figure you'll see when you check which version Rocket pulled for you later in the article.

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Rocket Mortgage typically requires the following minimum FICO Scores, based on the loan program you choose. These baselines apply before other credit factors are weighed.

• Conventional loans - generally a minimum FICO Score 8 of 620.
• FHA loans - typically a minimum of 580 (500 may be accepted with at least 10% down).
• VA loans - usually require a minimum FICO Score 8 of 620.
• USDA loans - generally need a minimum FICO Score 8 of 640.
• Jumbo loans - commonly demand a minimum FICO Score 8 of 700 (720 is often preferred).

Rocket shows the exact FICO® version it used right inside your online portal or loan documents, so you can verify it in a few clicks.

1. Log into Rocket Mortgage - Open the dashboard, select 'My Credit' or 'Credit Score'. The score box lists the version (e.g., FICO Score 8) beneath the numeric value.
2. Check your pre‑approval or loan estimate - The PDF includes a line reading 'FICO® Score 8 (Equifax)' or similar; this mirrors the version pulled for the initial soft pull.
3. View the credit‑pull report - After you accept the soft pull, Rocket provides a downloadable report that shows the bureau‑specific version used for each of the three pulls.
4. Call Rocket member services - Provide your application ID and ask, 'Which FICO version did you pull for me?' The representative can confirm the exact version for each bureau.

For a visual walk‑through, see Rocket's official guide to credit scores: Rocket Mortgage credit score guide.

Rocket Mortgage uses a soft inquiry for pre‑qualification, so the check pulls only the applicant's name, address and Social Security number. It does not generate a credit‑bureau record and therefore leaves the FICO Score 8 unchanged; this is why the 'minimum FICO Rocket expects for each loan type' discussed earlier still applies after you get a pre‑qualify offer.

When you move from pre‑qualification to a full application, Rocket runs a hard pull on all three major bureaus. This inquiry pulls the complete credit report, records a tradeline on your file, and can lower the FICO Score 8 by five to ten points for up to twelve months. The hard pull is required to verify the middle score that Rocket uses for underwriting, as explained in the section on 'how Rocket uses the middle score from three bureaus.' Rocket Mortgage credit‑check policy overview

Rocket's pre‑qualification runs a soft pull that reads the most recent score on file, sometimes weeks old; the final underwriting triggers a hard pull that captures every transaction posted up to that moment. Because the hard inquiry uses the latest data, any new credit card, loan payment, or balance increase can shift the FICO score up or down before approval.

Credit activity after the soft pull directly changes the middle score Rocket selects from the three bureaus. If one bureau updates a balance earlier than the others, the 'middle' value may move from, say, 720 to 695. Likewise, a newly reported missed payment or a corrected error will affect the score that Rocket sees at final approval.

Rocket also switches FICO versions depending on loan type - typically FICO Score 8 for conventional loans and FICO Score 5 for FHA. Different models weight factors uniquely, so the same credit file can produce a higher number in one version and a lower number in another. This version shift often explains why a borrower's pre‑qual score looks solid while the final number falls short, a point you'll explore further in the 'Fix credit errors before Rocket pulls your FICO' section. For more on soft versus hard pulls, see soft versus hard credit inquiries.

Fix every inaccuracy on your credit reports before Rocket pulls your FICO Score 8. Errors can depress the score Rocket reads during its hard pull, jeopardizing approval even if you meet the minimum thresholds discussed earlier.

• Request free reports from Annual Credit Report website, one from each bureau.
• Scan each file for wrong balances, duplicate accounts, or outdated personal info.
• File a dispute online with the reporting bureau; include supporting documents and a clear statement of the correction required.
• Monitor the bureau's response; most errors resolve within 30 days, and the bureau must send you an updated report.
• Verify the corrected score with a soft‑pull tool before submitting your Rocket application.

Raise your Rocket approval fast by applying these five proven actions.

1. Cut revolving utilization below 30 % - Pay down credit‑card balances so the ratio of debt to limit drops under the 30 % threshold. Lower utilization shows lenders you manage credit responsibly and can add 20‑40 points to a FICO Score 8. How utilization impacts scores
2. Dispute any inaccurate items - Review the recent soft‑pull report discussed in 'how to find which FICO version Rocket pulled for you.' If you spot wrong late payments or balances, file a dispute with the bureau; corrections often lift scores by 10‑15 points overnight.
3. Add yourself as an authorized user on a well‑maintained account - Join a family member's credit‑card with a long history and low balance. The account's positive payment record copies onto your file, instantly bumping the middle‑score Rocket uses.
4. Hold off on new hard inquiries for at least 30 days - Each hard pull can shave 5‑10 points. Waiting preserves the score you've just improved, especially important before the 'soft pull versus hard pull when Rocket checks your credit' stage.
5. Keep older credit lines open - Length of credit history weighs heavily in FICO calculations. Even if you no longer use a decade‑old card, keeping it active maintains the average age and can add 5‑10 points.

Apply these steps now, then revisit the 'how adding a co‑borrower changes the FICO Rocket evaluates' section to see how a partner's credit can further strengthen your application.

Adding a co‑borrower makes Rocket Mortgage pull both applicants' FICO Score 8 (or the version it used for each bureau), calculate each person's middle score from the three credit‑bureau reports, and then use the lower middle score of the two borrowers as the household's qualifying FICO.

If the primary borrower's middle score is 720 and the co‑borrower's is 660, Rocket evaluates the loan with a 660 score; a higher‑scoring co‑borrower cannot lift the primary's score above the primary's own middle score, but a lower‑scoring co‑borrower can pull it down and may push the household below the minimums listed in section 3. The added debt from the co‑borrower also feeds into the DTI calculation, further influencing final approval. Rocket Mortgage's credit‑score guidelines

John applied for a personal loan at Wells Fargo in early 2022 and received a denial; the bank likely used a pre‑FICO 9 model that still penalized his $500 paid collection from 2019, pushing his score below the 660 range it usually requires.

When Wells Fargo later pulled a FICO Score 9 on the same application in late 2023, the paid collection was ignored per FICO 9 model features, his score rose to 720, and the loan was approved within 24 hours.

• Rocket pulls one FICO score from each bureau and takes the lowest of the three for underwriting: a borrower with 740, 735, and 740 will have 735 used.
• If one bureau reports a lower score - say 680 - while the others show 720 and 725, Rocket will use the 680, pushing the loan closer to the minimum threshold.
• When a score changes after a recent payment, Rocket retrieves the updated number; a borrower who moved from 710 to 715 will have the 715 used, potentially improving approval odds.

The decision process is outlined on Rocket's credit policy page.