I DID NOT think that Credit Karma score was real until I applied for a car loan

I had a 720 on Credit Karma for like a year and I was totally sure it was fake. Like, I figured they just make up a number to get you to sign up for their ads. Then I went to a local credit union in Austin for a used Honda loan and they pulled my actual FICO. It came back at 698 which is close enough I guess. Has anyone else had that moment where you trusted an app and it actually worked out?

2 comments

2 Comments

karenw2319h ago

My Equifax score through Credit Karma was 688 and my actual FICO came back at 672 when I bought my truck last year. That's a 16 point difference, so I get what you're saying about it being close enough to matter. I dont think Credit Karma is pulling numbers out of thin air, I think they just use a different scoring model that can shift a bit. People act like if it's not exactly the same number then the whole app is useless, but 20 points either way is still a solid indicator of where you're at. It's like checking the weather on your phone - it wont tell you the exact temp every hour but it gives you a good idea if you need a jacket.

xenar141d ago

Wait wait wait, hold up. You're telling me your actual FICO was only 22 points off from Credit Karma's number? That's honestly way closer than I thought it would be, I always assumed they were just pulling numbers out of thin air lol. I had a similar thing happen with my score, only mine was lower by like 40 points which kinda stung a bit. I just figured Credit Karma was like a horoscope, entertaining but not real.