Equifax says tri-merge credit report makes up under 1.5% of mortgage closing costs

• Equifax analysis flagged tri-merge mortgage credit reports as a low-cost closing item with outsized impact on underwriting decisions.
• Total cost of owning a median-priced home rose by more than $526,000 from 2020 to 2025.
• Average monthly payments increased to $3,403 in 2025 from $1,940 in 2020.
• Closing costs climbed by more than $2,000 over 2020-2025; about $23 tied to the tri-merge report.
• Tri-merge represented under 1.5% of total closing costs, about 0.005% of total homeownership costs.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Equifax Inc. published the original content used to generate this news brief on September 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.