SmartCredit Guide

SmartCredit Guide — Crowned Credit

SmartCredit is the credit monitoring platform that Crowned Credit clients use to access their credit reports. The Dispute Processing Team uses SmartCredit to pull existing reports and monitor client credit changes. This guide explains exactly how to use SmartCredit — and critically, what you are and are not permitted to do.

⚠️ CRITICAL RULE — READ THIS FIRST

1. How SmartCredit Works

SmartCredit provides 3-bureau credit monitoring for the client. When a client enrolls, they automatically get a credit report pulled. That report is refreshed periodically (SmartCredit refreshes 3B reports based on their subscription tier). Crowned Credit views this shared report to:

• Import client credit data into DisputeFox
• Identify negative items to dispute
• Monitor credit score changes over time
• Confirm that deleted items have been removed from the bureau reports
• Check the results of dispute rounds

2. Accessing a Client's SmartCredit Account

2.1 How Clients Share Access

Clients share their SmartCredit reports with Crowned Credit during onboarding. They go to Settings → Account Sharing in their SmartCredit dashboard and add Crowned Credit's company email. This grants read-only view access to their reports.

If a client hasn't completed this step, the Onboarding team must follow up before dispute work can begin. Do not start disputes without confirmed report access.

2.2 Accessing via the Shared Portal

1. Log into SmartCredit using the Crowned Credit team credentials (provided by team lead — do not share these)
2. Navigate to the client's shared report view
3. You will see their 3-bureau report: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion
4. This view is read-only — you cannot make changes to the client's account

2.3 Pulling Reports via API (Dispute Team)

For the Dispute Processing workflow, SmartCredit reports are imported into DisputeFox directly. Here's what the technical integration does:

• An authenticated session is established using the client's shared credentials
• The existing 3-bureau JSON report is fetched from SmartCredit's member endpoint
• The data is parsed and imported into DisputeFox
• This does NOT order a new report — it retrieves the most recently available report

SmartCredit support: (877) 372-3895

3. Reading a Credit Report in SmartCredit

3.1 Credit Score Section

At the top of the SmartCredit dashboard, you'll see the client's credit scores from all three bureaus. Key things to note:

• VantageScore vs. FICO: SmartCredit typically shows VantageScore 3.0. This may differ from the FICO score lenders use. Clients should understand that the SmartCredit score is a monitoring score, not necessarily what a lender will pull.
• Score discrepancy between bureaus: Normal. Each bureau has different data. Score variation of 20–50 points between bureaus is common.
• Score vs. Credit Karma: Scores on SmartCredit may differ from Credit Karma. Different scoring models. Always use SmartCredit as the reference for dispute work — it shows the actual bureau data.

3.2 Identifying Negative Items

In the Accounts section, look for items marked with:

• Red indicators or derogatory labels — these are candidates for dispute
• Collections: Will show creditor name, original creditor, open/close date, balance, and status
• Late payments: Will show the payment history grid — look for red 30/60/90 day late marks
• Charge-offs: Account will show status as "Charged Off" or "Written Off"
• Public records: Bankruptcies, tax liens, civil judgments (if any)

3.3 Identifying Deletions (Confirming Dispute Results)

After a successful dispute round, the negative item should disappear from the client's SmartCredit report. To confirm a deletion:

1. Open the client's current SmartCredit report
2. Search for the previously disputed item by creditor name and account number
3. If the item no longer appears on the specific bureau's report — it has been deleted
4. Take a screenshot or note the confirmation for the client's DisputeFox file
5. Notify the CS team so they can update the client

Note: SmartCredit reports refresh on a schedule. If you just received a "Deleted" response from a bureau, give the SmartCredit report 3–7 days to reflect the change before confirming with the client.

3.4 Understanding Credit Score Factors

SmartCredit shows the key factors affecting the client's score. Common factors you'll see and what they mean:

Factor	What It Means	Impact
Payment History	Late/missed payments on record	Highest — 35% of score
Credit Utilization	Amount of available credit being used	High — 30% of score
Length of Credit History	Age of oldest account and average age	Medium — 15% of score
Credit Mix	Types of credit (revolving, installment)	Lower — 10% of score
New Credit Inquiries	Recent hard inquiries from applications	Lower — 10% of score
Derogatory Marks	Collections, charge-offs, bankruptcies	Severe negative impact

4. Monitoring Dashboard

SmartCredit's monitoring dashboard sends alerts when:

• A new account is opened in the client's name
• A hard inquiry is placed on the report
• A negative item is added or an existing one updates
• A previously disputed item is deleted (score improvement)
• Bureau data changes significantly

The CS team should check the monitoring dashboard when a client calls to report unexpected score changes. Pull up their report in SmartCredit and compare current vs. previous data to explain what changed.

5. Common Client Issues with SmartCredit

Issue	Resolution
Client forgot SmartCredit password	Direct them to the MFSN/SmartCredit password reset. Login link: smartcredit.com/login. If they are still on MFSN: guide them to switch to SmartCredit Basic plan. Support: (877) 372-3895 or MFSN: 1-888-548-2008
Experian disconnected from monitoring	Have client call Experian: 1-888-397-3742
Equifax disconnected from monitoring	Have client call Equifax: 1-888-378-4329
TransUnion disconnected from monitoring	Have client call TransUnion: 833-806-1627
Inactive MFSN account	Walk client through login reset. If account is deactivated, they may need to re-enroll.
Client on MFSN wants to switch to SmartCredit	Guide them: Cancel MFSN → Enroll in SmartCredit Basic → Re-share access with Crowned Credit email
Score on SmartCredit is very different from Credit Karma	Explain: different scoring models. SmartCredit uses VantageScore from actual bureau data. CK also uses VantageScore but has different refresh timing. Neither is a FICO score. For dispute tracking, SmartCredit is our reference.

6. SmartCredit vs. MyFreeScoreNow (MFSN)

Crowned Credit previously used MyFreeScoreNow (MFSN) before transitioning to SmartCredit. Some legacy clients may still be on MFSN. Key differences:

	SmartCredit	MFSN
Preferred?	✅ Yes — current standard	Legacy only
3-Bureau Access	Yes	Yes
DisputeFox Integration	Supported	Supported (older API)
Client Portal	Credit Tracker app available	Own portal

If a client is still on MFSN and having monitoring issues, recommend they transition to SmartCredit during their next check-in call.

7. What You Cannot Do in SmartCredit

• ❌ Order a new credit report (costs client money — NEVER do this)
• ❌ Change the client's account settings
• ❌ Cancel or modify the client's SmartCredit subscription
• ❌ Log in using the client's personal credentials (only use sharing/team access)
• ❌ Dispute items directly through SmartCredit — all disputes go through DisputeFox