Chla Pushes Back Against Single-bureau Credit Pull

The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) is pushing back against proposals to allow a single-bureau credit pull in mortgage underwriting, as Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte presses for changes aimed at increasing competition in the use of credit scores.

In a white paper published Wednesday, CHLA argued that the three main credit bureaus rely on materially different datasets: Equifax has expanded its use of utility and telecom data; Experian has invested heavily in rental payment data; and TransUnion is focusing on alternative credit databases that include recurring consumer payments.

According to industry sources cited by the group, roughly 23% of consumer credit data is not reported to all three bureaus.

“We expect that alternative data in new scores may change data reporting,” CHLA wrote. “Disparities may increase, not decrease — for example, cellular phone data may only be available to one bureau.” 

Supporters of a single-bureau approach argue that it could simplify the mortgage process and reduce costs for borrowers. They add that potential data gaps could be addressed through other means, such as consumer-permissioned bank account data, without requiring a tri-merge credit report.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has publicly supported a single-merge requirement. In a December LinkedIn post, MBA president and CEO Bob Broeksmit said the organization was “renewing calls” for the administration to end the mandate that all mortgage lenders obtain three credit reports, arguing that it contributes to repeated price increases.

Broeksmit also said in June that early discussions with lenders and servicers “strongly suggested” a single credit report could be feasible without introducing undue risk to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Credit costs

The debate intensified following announcements of higher credit report prices for 2026. Mortgage resellers told HousingWire that credit report costs could rise by as much as 50% in 2026 for some lenders.

In response, the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA), which represents credit reporting agencies, defended the tri-merge system, calling it “an indispensable part of the work to help more prospective homebuyers safely enter the mortgage market.” 

“More data, not less, is required to protect lenders and taxpayers and open up more opportunities for borrowers,” CDIA said in the statement. “The solution to bringing down costs for consumers isn’t less data, it’s greater choice in the mortgage-scoring market.” 

TransUnion echoed these concerns in an October study, estimating that 4.4 million consumers who are currently considered creditworthy would become ineligible for a mortgage under a single-pull model due to report variance. About 300,000 currently ineligible borrowers could qualify, a shift that could increase default risk if these borrowers are unable to sustain payments.

The study also estimated that borrowers receiving lower scores under a single-bureau model would collectively pay $6.5 billion more in interest compared with a tri-merge approach.

CHLA concluded that a single-pull option is unlikely to lower costs for borrowers and could instead raise them — particularly for consumers who shop among lenders.

If different lenders rely on different bureaus, borrowers could be charged multiple upfront credit report fees. The group also warned that lenders might “score fish” to avoid less favorable reports, potentially increasing loan repurchase risk.