TrendScape™ FAQ

What is trended credit data?

Trended credit data is historical information provided for each tradeline beyond the typical history contained in credit reports. This includes monthly listings of: balance (amount owed), credit limit, minimum or scheduled payment due, and actual payments made for up to 24 months (on Equifax and Experian) or 30 months (on Transunion).

Is trended data used in credit scores?

No, because the scoring models currently used in the mortgage industry were created prior to the existence of trended data. New scoring models using the trended data have been developed, but they are not accepted for general use in the mortgage industry.

Why are there different timeframes used in the forecasts?

The TrendScape™ Forecast alerts you when a mid-score is forecast to cross a significant boundary (e.g. 620, 640, etc.) within the next three months. This boundary crossing (if any) could happen at different times for different people, so TrendScape alerts you to the earliest change for each person.

Why does it forecast the score to drop even though all of the other information is positive?

The Forecast is based on all the information in the credit reports and not just what you can see in TrendScape™. Score changes are often non-intuitive, as mortgage inquiries within the past 30 days have not yet impacted the score, old items fall off of the credit report, etc. This means that even though the information in TrendScape is positive, the score may be forecast to decline.

Does TrendScape™ evaluate credit the same way as Fannie Mae’s DU?

TrendScape™ is not based on DU or affiliated with Fannie Mae. TrendScape was developed independently to provide you with insights and interpretation of the information in trended credit reports. You can use this information to better understand each person’s overall credit picture.

How is the score forecast determined?

The forecast is based on the passage of time and assumes that the behavior (based on trend data) will continue. Score changes are often non-intuitive, as mortgage inquiries within the past 30 days have not yet impacted the score, old items fall off of the credit report, etc. This means that even though the information in TrendScape is positive, the score may be forecast to decline, as only a small portion of the information within the credit report is presented in TrendScape. The forecast does not reflect the possible score improvements that may be achieved if account balances are reduced or other actions are taken.

Why don’t links work on my PDF credit report in Encompass?

Encompass disables links in PDFs. Click on the “View in Original Format” button and the links will work.

What does “Some trend data was not reported” mean?

When this footnote is displayed, a creditor did not fully report all months of the trend data used to calculate the information presented.

Why does it say “Not enough trend data reported”? How much is needed?

TrendScape™ requires certain trend data elements for at least three of the last 12 months to provide results for this section. This message appears when not enough required trend data is available on the credit report. Keep in mind that trend data, just like other account data, is not always reported by creditors.

Why is the default timeframe 12 months, when accounts can have up to 30 months of trended data?

The last 12 months (whenever available) is used for the balance trend, revolving payment behavior, and installment payment behavior because this is the timeframe considered the most reflective of the borrowers’ recent behavior.

If the borrower is “Not scorable”, how can they have a revolving balance trend?

TrendScape™ can provide a revolving balance trend with as little as three months of recent balance history. Scoring models generally require at least one account to be six months old to generate a score.

What does “No consistent balance trend” mean?

This means a trend could not be determined because the balance is not changing in a similar direction, nor remaining stable, for at least the three most recent months. Note that this may be common for someone who pays their balances in full each month, since the balance is the amount of new charges, which can vary greatly.

Does an increasing (or decreasing) balance trend mean that every account’s balance increased (or decreased) every month?

No, the balance trend is based on the total balance of all revolving accounts (except authorized user accounts). This means that some account balances can decrease even when there is an increasing overall balance trend or vice versa. Also, the balance trend is the overall trend for a period of time. This does not mean that the total balances behaved the same every month.

How can someone pay less than minimum (or scheduled), but not be reported as 30+ days late?

There are several explanations:

Although they paid late in a certain month, they were not a full 30 days late, and therefore were not reported as such.

Although they were more than 30 days late, the lender may not have reported it as late. Lenders often forgive isolated late payments for otherwise good customers who catch up on their payments.

The trend data about the actual payments made may not be accurately reported. For example, $0 may be listed when, in reality, the lender did not report the actual payments made.