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

Log into SmartCredit using the Crowned Credit team credentials (provided by team lead — do not share these) Navigate to the client's shared report view You will see their 3-bureau report: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion 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:

Open the client's current SmartCredit report Search for the previously disputed item by creditor name and account number If the item no longer appears on the specific bureau's report — it has been deleted Take a screenshot or note the confirmation for the client's DisputeFox file 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:

FactorWhat It MeansImpact Payment HistoryLate/missed payments on recordHighest — 35% of score Credit UtilizationAmount of available credit being usedHigh — 30% of score Length of Credit HistoryAge of oldest account and average ageMedium — 15% of score Credit MixTypes of credit (revolving, installment)Lower — 10% of score New Credit InquiriesRecent hard inquiries from applicationsLower — 10% of score Derogatory MarksCollections, charge-offs, bankruptciesSevere 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

IssueResolution Client forgot SmartCredit passwordDirect 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 monitoringHave client call Experian: 1-888-397-3742 Equifax disconnected from monitoringHave client call Equifax: 1-888-378-4329 TransUnion disconnected from monitoringHave client call TransUnion: 833-806-1627 Inactive MFSN accountWalk client through login reset. If account is deactivated, they may need to re-enroll. Client on MFSN wants to switch to SmartCreditGuide them: Cancel MFSN → Enroll in SmartCredit Basic → Re-share access with Crowned Credit email Score on SmartCredit is very different from Credit KarmaExplain: 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:

SmartCreditMFSN Preferred?✅ Yes — current standardLegacy only 3-Bureau AccessYesYes DisputeFox IntegrationSupportedSupported (older API) Client PortalCredit Tracker app availableOwn 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