
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley speaks to reporters after arriving to the Missouri GOP Get Out to Vote tour stop on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at Spirit of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Airport in Chesterfield.
Josh Hawley wants to talk about your FICO credit score — with the U.S. Justice Department.
Missouri’s senior U.S. senator, a Republican, has asked the to open an investigation into the Fair Isaac Corporation, aka “FICO,â€Â regarding its anticompetitive practices.
Hawley contends that FICO, as the only real player in the credit-score game with about 90% of the market, “has exploited working Americans with its monopoly power for too long.â€
Noting that FICO recently raised its rates, Hawley said the price increase is shouldered by borrowers, especially low-income ones “who now find it harder to purchase a home.â€
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In his letter to the DOJ, Hawley points out that in recent years, FICO has hiked the cost of its service by about 500%. During the same period, he notes, FICO’s stock price has more than doubled.
National Mortgage Professional, an industry publication, notes in an article Monday that FICO’s net income nearly tripled from 2019 to 2024.
Hawley also slammed the “sweetheart deal†between FICO and the federal government, which he said effectively makes its scores mandatory for loans backed by multiple government entities.
Hawley concluded by saying, “This is, in short, a company abusing its market power to pad its bottom line and make life worse for Americans.â€
In a response to Hawley, , FICO said its success isn’t the result of government action. And, even then, its mortgage-related fees are modest.
“The FICO Score represents less than 2/10 of 1% of the approximately $6,000 in average closing costs for a mortgage,†it said.
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