About Score Nerds
Score Nerds is a data-driven personal finance publication focused entirely on credit scores, credit strategy, debt payoff, and identity protection. We publish original research, real-world experiments, and algorithmic analysis — not recycled advice copied from other sites.
Why We Built This
Most credit score content online is the same 10 tips looped between hundreds of sites. Half of the advice is technically wrong, and almost none of it is backed by actual data. We got tired of it.
Score Nerds was built by people who have actually worked inside credit scoring systems — writing the code, running the models, interpreting the outputs. We know exactly how FICO and VantageScore work because we have built systems that operate on the same principles. Now we use that knowledge to test common credit advice, publish what we find, and show you the numbers.
Who We Are
Our founder and lead analyst, Adrian Nguyen, spent 15+ years as CTO at fintech companies building credit scoring infrastructure: data pipelines, logistic regression models, ML decisioning systems, and real-time bureau integrations with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Every article published on Score Nerds is either written or reviewed against official FICO, VantageScore, CFPB, and Federal Reserve documentation. Contact us at contact@scorenerds.com to verify editorial claims or suggest a topic.
Our Research Standards
- Data before drafting. We gather published data, bureau studies, CFPB reports, and FICO research papers before writing a single word. If we cannot cite a primary source for a statistic, we do not publish it.
- Experiments over assertions. Where claims are testable, we design and run real credit experiments — documenting methodology, sample profiles, and measured outcomes. We publish the results even when they contradict common advice.
- Peer-reviewed against official documentation. Every algorithmic claim is checked against official FICO Score disclosure documents, VantageScore technical guides, and CFPB consumer resources before publication.
- Independent rankings. Affiliate relationships are clearly disclosed. No provider pays to influence our rankings or ratings. Our methodology is documented at our Trust & Credibility page.
Our Credentials
- ✓ Built production credit scoring systems — data pipelines, ML models, and real-time decisioning APIs
- ✓ 15+ years as CTO in fintech — credit scoring, fraud detection, and identity verification
- ✓ Publish original credit data research and statistical analysis
- ✓ Run real-world credit experiments to test common advice claims
- ✓ Deep expertise in FICO, VantageScore, and custom scoring model internals
- ✓ Hands-on with credit bureau data from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion
- ✓ AI model explainability (SHAP, LIME) for fair lending and regulatory transparency
- ✓ Every article verified against official FICO, VantageScore, and CFPB documentation
Contact
Questions, corrections, or data contributions: contact@scorenerds.com
For editorial corrections, include the article URL and the specific claim you believe needs review. We respond to all factual corrections within 48 hours.