IS YOUR CREDIT SCORE ACCURATE OR JUST IN DISPUTE?

ScoreNavigator
Jul 1
2 min read

Updated: Jul 2

How SmartScore's Simulator Reveals the True Picture

In mortgage lending, accuracy is critical. But what if the score your client sees isn’t the full story?

The Hidden Impact of "In Dispute"

When an account is marked “in dispute,” credit scoring models often ignore it during calculation. That means:

Negative accounts don’t hurt the score
Positive accounts don’t help either

This creates a temporary and misleading credit score: better or worse than reality.

Why It Matters for Home Loans

Disputed accounts often must be resolved before a mortgage can be approved. Once that “In Dispute” comment is removed:

Negative items return → score may drop
Positive items return → score may rise

The challenge? You don’t know what will happen until it’s too late unless you have the right tool.

SmartScore’s New Feature: Simulate Dispute Removal

With SmartScore Simulator's new enhancements, you can now test how removing “In Dispute” comments would impact a score without actually touching the credit report.

Here’s how:

Inside of the SmartScore Simulator, select an account with the DISPUTED comment.
Choose “Remove Disputes” from the Change Status dropdown menu.
Click Run to simulate and instantly see how the score changes.

No more guessing. No more surprises.

What If the Score Drops? SmartScore Can Help

If removing a dispute causes the score to fall, SmartScore Simulator may help by allowing you to simulate other actions that may compensate for the lost points.