Rates by credit score
Mortgage and car-loan rates come from the myFICO Loan Savings Calculator, which publishes national average rates by FICO Score band. The underlying data is from Curinos, a firm that surveys lender pricing. We read the published figures once a day and keep each day's set with its date, so every page shows the date of the rates it uses. The current set is dated October 29, 2026.
| Loan | Bands published | Scenario we use |
|---|---|---|
| 30-year fixed mortgage | 9 bands, from 620 to 850 | $350,000 loan, 360 monthly payments |
| New car loan, 60 months | 8 bands, from 640 to 850 | $35,000 loan, 60 monthly payments |
The source quotes its mortgage rates for a single-family, owner-occupied home with 20% down, and its car-loan rates for a larger balance than our $35,000 example. Rates are averages across lenders. A real offer also depends on the down payment, income, existing debts, the property or vehicle, and the lender.
Below the published bands
Published mortgage bands start at 620 and car-loan bands at 640. For car loans below that, we use Experian's State of the Automotive Finance Market, which reports average rates by VantageScore 4.0 tier each quarter. The current figures are from the Q2 2026 report, published August 2026. VantageScore and FICO are different models: the same person can have a different VantageScore and FICO Score, so these figures are a guide to the tier, not to an exact score. For mortgages below 620 we describe the FHA route, which has no published rate table by score.
Choosing a rate basis in the comparator
The comparator keeps both scores within one dataset. Choose daily FICO bands for mortgages or new cars, quarterly Experian VantageScore 4.0 averages for new or used cars, or enter two rates yourself. Quarterly data covers scores from 300 to 850. It is never spliced onto the daily FICO bands, and entering a FICO score does not convert it to VantageScore.
Quarterly car APRs cover loans with different terms. Applying them to your chosen amount and term creates an illustrative payment scenario, not a term-specific quote. Custom rates are your own assumptions and are not inferred from a credit score. A missing reference rate remains missing; it is not reported as zero interest or zero savings.
FHA cash examples below 620
The down-payment calculator compares program minimums at a stated home price. A decision score below 500 is outside this FHA rule; 500-579 requires at least 10% down, and 580 or higher can allow 3.5%, subject to lender and other program requirements. The example assumes the price equals the adjusted value used by FHA. A lower appraisal, closing costs, mortgage insurance and other requirements can change the cash needed.
Less down payment is not an interest saving. For the same home it means a larger amount borrowed if the buyer uses the lower minimum.
The dollar figures
Monthly payments use the standard fixed-rate amortization formula: payment = loan × r / (1 − (1 + r)−n), where r is the annual rate divided by 12 and n is the number of payments. Total interest is the monthly payment times the number of payments, minus the loan amount. Savings compare the band a score sits in with the band at the next threshold, on the same loan.
The figures leave out points and lender fees, mortgage insurance, property taxes, home insurance, and any loan-level price adjustments that are not already reflected in the averages. They are meant to show the difference between score bands, not to quote a loan.
The next threshold
A score's next rung is the closest higher score at which either a published rate band starts or a federal loan rule changes. The loan rules are HUD's FHA lines at 500 (10% down) and 580 (3.5% down). FICO's range labels (Fair at 580, Good at 670, Very good at 740, Exceptional at 800) are shown, but a label change alone does not count as a rung, because it does not change a price.
Score ranges and population figures
- FICO ranges as published by myFICO: Poor below 580, Fair 580 to 669, Good 670 to 739, Very good 740 to 799, Exceptional 800 and above.
- VantageScore tiers as published by VantageScore: Subprime 300 to 600, Near prime 601 to 660, Prime 661 to 780, Superprime 781 to 850.
- The share of Americans in each FICO range is Experian's, from its 2025 data published in March 2026.
Loan rules
FHA minimums come from HUD's Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 and Mortgagee Letter 2026-11. Conventional-loan rules come from the Fannie Mae Selling Guide (B3-5.1-01) and Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2025-09, and loan-level price adjustments from Fannie Mae's published matrix. Each score page lists the sources it uses, with dates, at the bottom of the page.
Your score
The score lookup sends you to the page for the number you type. It does not ask for your name, does not store the score and does not check your credit.