what credit score do i need for a conventional loan 
fannie mae says conventional loans typically require a minimum credit score of 620 but it can vary by lender banks may be more willing to lend to people with a significant down payment the bottom linea conventional mortgage or conventional loan is a homebuyer s loan that is not offered or secured by a government entity they are often compared to fha loans which are designed to allow low income families or those with low credit scores or little savings to access mortgage loans conventional mortgages are available via private lenders or the two government sponsored enterprises gses fannie mae and freddie mac potential borrowers need to complete an official mortgage application and supply the required documents credit history and current credit score conventional loan interest rates tend to be higher than those of government backed mortgages such as fha loans unless you have an excellent credit rating 