FICO Scores on B&C Pools Nudge Upward, S&P Reports The credit profile of securitized subprime mortgages has improved this year while the use of mortgage insurance as a credit enhancement tool has gained steam, a new report by rating agency Standard & Poor’s suggests. In an update on trends in the residential mortgage-backed securities market, S&P said the average FICO score on fixed-rate subprime pools it rated during the third quarter increased to 634, from