Experian® CreditCenter™, with support from FICO, Aims to Break Down Barriers to Homeownership by Offering Personalized Credit and Financial Insights

(Black PR Wire) LANDOVER, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- HomeFree-USA announces the Experian® CreditCenter™, a free tool, backed by FICO®, to empower potential homebuyers. This initiative is an extension of Experian's ongoing partnership with HomeFree-USA, aimed at promoting financial inclusion and supporting the path to homeownership in the United States.

The resource is available to 5,000 potential U.S. homeowners, at no cost to them. Through the Experian CreditCenter, users will be able to access their:

• Experian Credit Report,
• FICO® Score 2i,
• FICO® Score Simulatorii,
• FICO® Score Planneriii,
• FICO® Score Tracker

“Credit is a barrier for far too many prospective homeowners. The Experian CreditCenter may be able to help accelerate buyers’ path to mortgage readiness and offers housing counselors insight to better assist their clients. Many thanks to Experian for offering this in-kind donation,” said Milan Griffin, chief operating officer at HomeFree-USA.

“Homeownership is a crucial step in building generational wealth,” said Michele Bodda, president of Experian Employer Services, Verification Solutions and Housing. “By furthering our work with HomeFree-USA and offering the Experian CreditCenter, we can provide more consumers with tools and resources necessary to support their dreams of owning a home a reality.”

New Experian research shows that among U.S. adults who don’t believe or are not sure if homeownership is attainable to them, almost 70% say home prices are the biggest barrier followed by the amount of money needed for a down payment and a low credit score.iv The Experian CreditCenter puts potential homeowners in the driver’s seat to take control of their credit profile. The FICO® Score 2 presented by the Experian CreditCenter is provided by FICO at no cost to support the HomeFree-USA partnership.

"FICO is happy to partner with Experian and HomeFree-USA to help unlock more opportunities for potential homeowners,” said Geoff Smith, vice president and general manager of Consumer Scores at FICO. “The Experian CreditCenter will provide the FICO® Score as well as FICO® Score tools and content for free, enabling homeowners across the US to have insight into their FICO® Score and credit health to take better control of their financial future.”

Experian, a global data and technology leader, provides continuing education and resources to HomeFree-USA counselors and created the Experian Credit Academy, a credit education and financial literacy curriculum for its Center for Financial Advancement® which reaches hundreds of university scholars and culminates in the #IYKYK Pitch Competition.

The Experian CreditCenter will be available until June 30, 2026. To learn more, visit homefreeusa.org/experiancreditcenter.

About HomeFree-USA

HomeFree-USA is a nonprofit started by Marcia and Jim Griffin in 1994 with a vision to close the homeownership gap. The organization gives African Americans the guidance they need to achieve and sustain homeownership, and bridges the gap between financial strength and homeownership for people of color across America.

As a HUD-intermediary, HomeFree-USA serves the diverse interests of 6.3 million consumers through its nationwide network of over 50 affiliated community-based nonprofits that specialize in guiding people to first-time homeownership, sustainability and increased financial capacity.

For more information visit: https://homefreeusa.org/.

About Experian

Experian is a global data and technology company, powering opportunities for people and businesses around the world. We help to redefine lending practices, uncover and prevent fraud, simplify healthcare, deliver digital marketing solutions, and gain deeper insights into the automotive market, all using our unique combination of data, analytics and software. We also assist millions of people to realise their financial goals and help them to save time and money.

We operate across a range of markets, from financial services to healthcare, automotive, agrifinance, insurance, and many more industry segments.

We invest in talented people and new advanced technologies to unlock the power of data and to innovate. A FTSE 100 Index company listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN), we have a team of 23,300 people across 32 countries. Our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland. Learn more at experianplc.com.

About FICO

FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 200 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, insurance, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 80 countries do everything from protecting 4 billion payment cards from fraud, to improving financial inclusion, to increasing supply chain resiliency. The FICO® Score, used by 90% of top US lenders, is the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the US and has been made available in over 40 other countries, improving risk management, credit access and transparency. Learn more at www.fico.com.

i About FICO® 2 Score: Credit score is calculated based on FICO® Score 2 model, unless otherwise noted. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than FICO® Score 2 or such other base or industry-specific FICO® Score, or another type of credit score altogether. Learn More

ii About FICO® Score Simulator

The simulated score is an estimate based on your inputs and scenario assumptions and is for educational purposes only and is intended to approximate the impact of various scenarios on your FICO® Score - assuming all other factors stay the same. Using this tool, you can get a better understanding of how various positive and negative actions you can take could affect your FICO® Score.

Your actual score, and the impact of any action taken, results from a complex interaction of FICO’s scoring methodologies and the information on your credit report, some of which changes daily. Also, please note the results of simulating different scenarios are not necessarily cumulative. In other words, simulating two different scenarios, each of which individually could raise your FICO® Score by 40 points. Information on your authorized user accounts are not considered in the FICO® Score simulator.

iii About FICO® Score Planner

FICO® Score Planner results are provided for informational purposes only and are intended to approximate the impact of various actions on your FICO® Score 2 - assuming all other factors stay the same. Your actual score, and the impact of any actions taken, results from a complex interaction of FICO's scoring methodologies and the information on your credit report, some of which changes daily. FICO® Score Planner doesn't consider information from accounts where you are reported as an authorized user.

iv Experian commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 2,005 adults throughout the United States. The margin of error is +/- 2 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between May 15 and May 20, 2025.