When my wife and I were deciding where to buy our first home, Livingston County was at the top of our list. We wanted a community that was safe, stable, and built for families. We saved carefully, did our homework, and trusted that the system guiding our mortgage had been held to the same standard. That trust matters and right now, Washington is testing it.
The federal government recently approved VantageScore 4.0 as a new credit scoring model for mortgages backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHA. As someone who has spent his career in government — from the Michigan Attorney General’s office to Livingston County — I know that decisions framed as technical upgrades often carry consequences that are anything but technical.
This rollout should give every Mid-Michigan homebuyer reason to pay attention. VantageScore is owned by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, the same three bureaus whose data it depends on. Meanwhile, FICO, the proven standard that has governed responsible lending for decades, is being sidelined with no clear explanation. That is not competition. And without proper oversight, it raises real questions about who this change is actually designed to serve.
Expanding homeownership access is a goal worth pursuing. But the families buying their first homes in communities like Livingston County deserve a mortgage system that has been fully vetted, not one that was rushed through before anyone asked the hard questions.
Congress should be asking them now.
Sean Jackson
