Guaranteed Rate Affinity's Scott Dana launches new team for homebuyers and real estate pros.

Guaranteed Rate Affinity has announced the launch of The Scott Dana Team, led by Senior Vice President of Mortgage Lending Scott Dana. Dana has 25 years of experience in the mortgage industry and is known for his commitment to fast closings and client-first approach. The team will enable Dana to expand his services beyond New Haven County and work with agents and attorneys across additional counties. Dana's focus will be on supporting homebuyers and real estate professionals across Connecticut.

Global analytics software leader FICO (NYSE: FICO) has announced a significant shift in the delivery of FICO® Scores to the mortgage industry. The company has launched the FICO® Mortgage Direct License Program, which allows tri-merge resellers to calculate and distribute FICO Scores directly to their customers, bypassing the three nationwide credit bureaus. This move aims to drive price transparency and immediate cost savings for mortgage lenders, brokers, and other industry participants FICO Launches Cost-Cutting Direct License Program for Mortgage Lending^[1].

The new program introduces two alternate pricing models. The performance model, which reflects the critical role of the FICO® Score in enabling mortgage liquidity and reducing lender costs, has a royalty fee of $4.95 per score, representing a 50% reduction in average per score fees. This reduction is achieved by eliminating credit bureau mark-ups. Additionally, a funded loan fee of $33 per borrower per score will apply when a FICO-scored loan is closed, recognizing the FICO Score’s downstream utility for various market participants. The current per score only pricing model, which maintains a $10 per score fee into the tri-merge resellers, is also available as an option FICO Launches Cost-Cutting Direct License Program for Mortgage Lending^[1].

The FICO direct license program empowers tri-merge resellers to optimize credit costs for both lenders and borrowers by streamlining distribution and enhancing cost transparency. According to Will Lansing, Chief Executive Officer of FICO, "Today marks a turning point in how credit scores are delivered and priced across the mortgage industry. Direct licensing of the FICO Score brings transparency, competition, and cost-efficiency to the mortgage lending process" FICO Launches Cost-Cutting Direct License Program for Mortgage Lending^[1].

FICO remains the only independent analytics provider and the only score with known, predictable performance through a complete economic cycle, including the stressed period of the Great Recession. The FICO® Score continues to be the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the US and has been made available in over 40 other countries FICO Launches Cost-Cutting Direct License Program for Mortgage Lending^[1].

FICO is currently working with mortgage tri-merge resellers to implement the new direct license program. For more information, visit [FICO's Mortgage Direct License Program](https://www.ficoscore.com/mortgagedirectlicense) FICO Launches Cost-Cutting Direct License Program for Mortgage Lending^[1].

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