What Mortgage Lenders Use TransUnion?

Most major mortgage lenders pull your TransUnion report when you apply for a loan. The lenders that commonly do this include:

• National banks such as Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America
• Regional banks and credit unions like U.S. Bank, PNC, and Navy Federal Credit Union
• Online lenders and mortgage marketplaces, for example Rocket Mortgage, Better.com, and LendingTree
• Mortgage brokers who use loan‑origination platforms (Ellie Mae, Calyx) on behalf of borrowers
• Portfolio lenders that keep loans in‑house, such as loanDepot and Quicken Loans' direct division

National banks that commonly pull TransUnion when you apply for a mortgage include the large, multistate lenders most borrowers encounter.

• Wells Fargo
• JPMorgan Chase
• Bank of America
• Citibank (Citigroup)
• U.S. Bank
• PNC Financial Services
• Capital One
• Ally Bank

These institutions typically use a TransUnion credit pull for both pre‑approval and final approval stages, though they may also cross‑check with the other bureaus depending on the loan program.

Regional banks and credit unions that commonly pull TransUnion include PNC, Regions, Fifth Third, US Bank, KeyBank, Huntington, Citizens Bank, and M&T Bank, as well as credit unions such as Navy Federal Credit Union, State Employees' Credit Union, and Pentagon Federal Credit Union. These institutions typically request a TransUnion credit report for both pre‑approval and final loan decisions, though they may also run a secondary pull from Experian or Equifax for verification.

Because regional lenders often serve borrowers with localized credit histories, they rely on TransUnion's detailed scoring models to set rates and underwriting criteria. Expect the same pull process described in the previous section on national banks, and see the next section for how online lenders and mortgage marketplaces handle TransUnion data.

Online lenders and mortgage marketplaces that commonly pull a TransUnion credit report include Rocket Mortgage, Better.com, LendingTree, Zillow Home Loans, LoanDepot, and SoFi Mortgage.

• Rocket Mortgage - Quicken Loans' digital platform runs a TransUnion hard pull for pre‑approval and final approval.
• Better.com - Uses TransUnion for its automated underwriting engine, often requesting a soft pull first, then a hard pull once you lock a rate.
• LendingTree - As a marketplace, it forwards applications to partner lenders that typically rely on TransUnion data.
• Zillow Home Loans - Integrates TransUnion into its online application flow, pulling the report after you submit basic info.
• LoanDepot - Offers a fully online process and regularly selects TransUnion for credit assessment.
• SoFi Mortgage - Leverages TransUnion when you move from pre‑qualification to a formal loan submission.

These platforms tend to use TransUnion because its scoring model aligns well with automated underwriting tools, and many of them allow you to see a soft‑pull preview before committing to a hard pull. When you start an application with any of them, expect a TransUnion inquiry soon after you confirm your intent to proceed.

Mortgage brokers and portfolio lenders that commonly pull your TransUnion report include large national firms and select regional specialists.

• Rocket Mortgage (formerly Quicken Loans) - a portfolio lender that relies on TransUnion for both pre‑approval and final underwriting.
• loanDepot - a full‑service lender and broker network that frequently uses TransUnion data to assess borrower risk.
• Fairway Independent Mortgage - a broker‑heavy lender that prefers TransUnion for credit pulls across its 400+ branches.
• Caliber Home Loans - a portfolio lender that routinely runs TransUnion reports for conventional and government‑backed loans.
• Guaranteed Rate - a broker‑focused lender that commonly accesses TransUnion to price rates and determine eligibility.

Lenders usually run a hard pull on your TransUnion report either to issue a pre‑approval letter or to lock in a final loan decision.

1. Pre‑approval request - The lender submits your name, SSN, and address to TransUnion and receives a snapshot of your credit score, recent balances, and payment history. This snapshot is used to calculate an estimated loan amount and interest rate.
2. Conditional approval - Based on that snapshot, the lender issues a pre‑approval letter that states 'subject to verification' of income, assets, and a repeat credit check before closing.
3. Final approval pull - Within 30‑45 days of pre‑approval, the lender repeats the hard pull. TransUnion provides an updated score and any new accounts or delinquencies that appeared since the first pull.
4. Impact on your credit - Each hard pull may dip your TransUnion score by 5‑10 points temporarily; the effect fades after 12 months. Multiple pulls from the same mortgage inquiry are usually consolidated into a single 'rate‑shopping' inquiry per the FICO model.
5. What you'll see - The lender reviews the updated TransUnion report for: total debt, debt‑to‑income ratio, recent late payments, and any new credit inquiries. If the numbers still meet their underwriting criteria, they issue a final loan commitment.

(For a deeper dive on how a hard pull affects a mortgage application, see the next section.)

Lenders usually rely on the TransUnion FICO Score 2 (also called FICO 2) to calculate the interest rate on a conventional mortgage, while FICO Score 5 is the standard for FHA, VA, and USDA loans. A few sub‑prime or private‑label programs may still reference the TransUnion FICO Score 8, but it's less common in 2023‑2024 underwriting.

For example, a borrower applying for a 30‑year conventional loan will see the TransUnion FICO 2 used by Desktop Underwriter to assign a rate tier; the same borrower applying for an FHA refinance will have the TransUnion FICO 5 pulled, which directly influences the FHA risk‑based pricing. Some online lenders that offer non‑conforming products still pull the TransUnion FICO 8 to gauge higher‑risk borrowers. FICO's mortgage scoring models overview details these conventions.

A TransUnion hard pull temporarily lowers your credit score, usually by five to ten points, and records an inquiry that other lenders can see, so the pull may influence both approval odds and the rate you receive; lenders commonly view a recent hard inquiry as a sign you are shopping for credit, which can push you into a higher‑interest‑rate bucket if the dip moves you from an 'excellent' (740 +) to a 'good' (720‑739) tier, and the inquiry remains on your report for two years, affecting future applications - this is why the previous section on pre‑approval timing stresses limiting pulls, and the next section on fixing TransUnion errors advises correcting any mistakes before a hard pull, because even a small score change can matter on a 30‑year loan where a 0.125% rate increase adds thousands over the life of the mortgage.

For more detail on how inquiries impact scores, see how credit inquiries affect scores.

Fix errors on your TransUnion report now so a mortgage lender sees a clean credit file.

1. Download the free 2023‑2024 TransUnion report at TransUnion's official credit portal.
2. Scan every line: personal info, account numbers, balances, payment status, and closed‑account dates.
3. Flag any mistake - misspelled name, wrong address, duplicate account, or outdated delinquency.
4. File a dispute online or by certified mail; include a copy of supporting documents (e.g., statement showing a paid‑off loan).
5. Track the dispute within 30 days; TransUnion must send you investigation results.
6. If the item is corrected, request an updated report and compare it to the original.
7. Notify any lender who has already pulled your report; a corrected file can lower the rate they offer.

Your VantageScore 4.0 can differ between bureaus because each bureau collects and updates credit information on its own schedule.

Key reasons include:

• Reporting frequency - lenders may send updates to Experian first, to Equifax weeks later, and to TransUnion on a different cycle.
• Exclusive data - some creditors report only to one bureau, so the underlying account mix varies.
• Timing of new activity - a recent payment or inquiry appears in one bureau's file before the others.
• Thin‑file handling - bureaus weight limited history differently, causing score drift for newer borrowers.
• Error resolution - a dispute resolved at TransUnion may still sit on another bureau's record.

These variations mean you should check each report before you start boosting your VantageScore 4.0 in 90 days, and they also explain why fixing incorrect data may require separate actions for each bureau.

When TransUnion disagrees with Equifax or Experian, lenders usually default to the lower number or ask for clarification.

If TransUnion lists a lower credit score or an extra derogatory item, a bank will often base the mortgage rate on that figure; for example, a borrower with 720 from Equifax, 740 from Experian, but 690 from TransUnion may receive a higher interest rate until the discrepancy is resolved.

If TransUnion reports a higher score or omits a negative mark, lenders still compare the three reports, may order a manual review, and can require an explanation before finalizing terms; a borrower with 750 from TransUnion but 720 from the other bureaus might see the loan officer request additional documentation and adjust the rate after verification.

CFPB guide on credit report discrepancies