Core Insights - Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE: FICO) shares surged by 20.5% following the announcement of new pricing models that allow mortgage lenders to bypass traditional credit bureaus and obtain scores directly from Fair Isaac [1][2] Pricing Models - Fair Isaac introduced a direct-to-lender program with two options: 1. Lenders can pay $4.95 per FICO score plus an additional $33 fee if the loan closes 2. Alternatively, lenders can opt for a lower fee of $10 per score, regardless of loan closure [2] Competitive Landscape - The new pricing strategy represents a significant price increase for Fair Isaac, but it effectively reduces overall costs for lenders by eliminating credit bureau intermediaries [3] - The Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte has shown support for Fair Isaac's new approach, which may be a response to credit bureaus beginning to compete with Fair Isaac by allowing the use of VantageScore 4.0, a competing scoring model [4][5] - Fair Isaac's move is both a proactive strategy and a reaction to emerging competition, indicating a shift in the competitive dynamics of the credit scoring industry [5][6]