Pricing on a joint conventional loan runs off the lower of the two borrowers' middle scores, so the real question is whether you need the lower-score spouse's income to qualify. How the scores actually work: each borrower gets a representative score (the middle of their three), and the loan is priced off the lowest borrower's. One spouse at 742 and the other at 620 means the loan prices at the 620 tier, a higher rate than the stronger score alone would earn. Eligibility is a separate question from pricing: Fannie and Freddie can now use the average of each borrower's median score for eligibility, and Fannie's automated system dropped its flat 620 eligibility floor in late 2025 (620 lives on for manual underwrites and as a common lender overlay). FHA and VA use the lowest score for their minimums. Confirm current guidelines, but the short version is that a score in the low 600s is workable. So the decision tree is simple: - If the higher-score spouse can carry the loan alone and still reach your target home, leaving the other off saves real money on rate. - If you need both incomes, put both on and accept the pricing tier. A home you are happy in beats a slightly better rate on a home that is too small. Before deciding, do two things. Run both scenarios side by side, one borrower versus two, so you see the rate and cost difference in actual dollars. And review the lower credit report for quick, realistic wins; paying down specific balances or disputing errors can move a score past thresholds like 640, 680, or 720 in as little as 30 to 60 days. If you use a credit-repair firm, know that results depend on you doing the recommended steps. Plenty of people pay the fee, skip the work, and end up no better off. The side-by-side for your own numbers is exactly what the free Roadmap conversation walks through, in about 20 minutes.