Customer Targeting & Segmentation

Measuring Financial Inclusion: A Lender’s Checklist

What goals should you set to make financial inclusion a reality? How can success be quantified? This checklist can help you become more inclusive.

Published: April 19, 2022 by Guest Contributor
Vision 2022 – Day 1 Recap

“Disruption has caused enormous amounts of innovation,” said Jennifer Schulz, CEO of Experian, North America. “We must continue to be the disruptors in our industry which takes effort, data, technology, bright minds and vision for what the future will be.” Schulz kicked off the 39th Vision conference with a future-focused keynote delivered to a crowd of more than 400 attendees. Alex Lintner, Group President, Experian Consumer Information Services, talked about the next phase of great, highlighting the digital transformation that has taken place in the generations of the past and the disruption and innovation happening today and in the future. Keynote speaker: Dr. Mohamed A. El-Erian Dr. Mohamed A. El-Erian, renowned economist and author, President of Queens’ College, Cambridge, Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, Chair of President Obama’s Global Development Council and Former CEO and Co-Chief Investment Officer of PIMCO, spoke about the Fed, inflation, negative interest rates and the labor market, as well as the importance of inclusion. El-Erian, who said he reads the Financial Times religiously, acknowledged that we will make mistakes on the journey as we work to be even more inclusive. To navigate what’s ahead, he said we will need resilience, optionality and agility. “It’s important to connect with information, acknowledge the insecurity, in a language people understand, in order to connect,” he said.     Session highlights – day 1 The conference hall was buzzing with conversations, discussions and thought leadership. Buy Now Pay Later A large audience was in attendance for a session that introduced Experian’s Buy Now Pay Later Bureau™ and explored how it’s the first and only solution of its kind — serving consumers, BNPL providers, financial institutions and regulators. Identity Identity is constantly evolving, and while biometrics and authentication may have become ubiquitous, there is much activity around the concepts of eIDs, identity wallets and identity networks. Experian is making identities personal and helping businesses to recognize, manage and connect customer identities in new ways using data, analytics and technology. Marketing In today’s hypercompetitive world, businesses need to engage the freshest data and increase velocity when it comes to time to market. An average of 120 days won’t cut it. Ascend Marketing speeds time to market and helps achieve higher ROI. Regulatory Landscape With so much happening at Capitol Hill, a panel of experts from DC discussed a number of topics and proposals (and their impacts), including the defense for risk-based pricing, the impact of suppressing negative data, and trending topics like Buy Now Pay Later and data portability. All the while, the tech showcase had a constant flow of attendees with demos ranging from data and decisioning to financial inclusion and technology. This is just the beginning. And as Schulz said, “There’s more to do.” More insights from Vision to come. Follow @ExperianVision to see more of the action.

Published: April 12, 2022 by Stefani Wendel
Promoting Fraud and Identity Protection in Credit Card Marketing

Rewards are among the most appealing features of any credit card. While upfront benefits, like sign-up bonuses and cashback, are most influential in card acquisition, ancillary benefits, like fraud and identity protection, can amplify a card’s overall value.1 Credit card fraud ranked as the second most common form of identity theft in 2021,2 and is expected to become even more frequent as consumers continue to bank and shop online.3 42% of consumers are concerned for the safety of their banking and shopping transactions. With digital identity theft and fraud on the rise, it’s no surprise that safety measures are “very” or “extremely” important to consumers when deciding between different credit cards.4 In response, many card issuers have started to market their security and protection-related benefits more frequently to better capitalize on their cards’ value to consumers. The ways they’ve highlighted these benefits include: A fraud protection campaign From spotlighting their fraud protection benefits in card welcome kits to providing privacy tips on social media, credit card issuers have crafted compelling campaigns to demonstrate their commitment to protecting their customers from fraud and identity theft. In turn, issuers can differentiate their cards from the competition and improve response rates. Reminders about their fraud prevention efforts Issuers have also sent out ongoing reminders outlining the protections their credit cards offer, such as credit monitoring services 5 that notify cardholders of suspicious activity on their credit report. By consistently promoting their efforts to keep their customers’ accounts and data safe, issuers can earn their cardholders’ trust, build loyalty and drive card usage. While benefits like cashback and travel points can help with card acquisition, fraud and identity protection benefits can help drive long-term customer relationships, especially now that card fraud is becoming a growing concern.6 To learn more about how businesses have worked to meet the consumer demand for secure interactions, check out our 2021 Global Identity and Fraud Report. Learn more 1Jonathan O'Connor. "Most Consumers Aren't Aware of Their Credit Cards' Ancillary Benefits. How Does This Impact Card Acquisition and Usage?" TSYS, January 2019 2FTC. "Consumer Sentinel Network" Data Book, 2021 3April Berthene. "Coronavirus pandemic adds $219 billion to US ecommerce sales in 2020-2021" Digital Commerce 360, March 2022 4"Consumers Consider as Many as Six Factors When Choosing Credit Card" PYMTS.com, December 2021 5David McMillin. "Identity theft is a major problem, but these 5 credit card protection programs can help keep you safe" Business Insider, June 2021 6"New FICO Survey Finds Overconfidence Could Put US Consumers at Risk From Scams" Business Wire, February 2022

Published: April 11, 2022 by Theresa Nguyen
How Expanded FCRA Data Is Revolutionizing the Credit Universe

Learn how expanded FCRA-regulated data can be used to gain a more powerful and complete view of consumers' financial situations. Read more.

Published: April 5, 2022 by Guest Contributor
Case Study: Increasing efficiency and funding rates with automated decisioning

  In today’s evolving and competitive market, the stakes are high to deliver both quantity and quality. That is, to deliver growth goals while increasing customer satisfaction. OneAZ Credit Union is the second largest credit union in Arizona, serving over 157,000 members across 21 branches. Wanting to fund more loans faster and offer a better member experience through their existing loan origination system (LOS), OneAZ looked to improve their decisioning system and long-standing underwriting criteria. They partnered with Experian to create an automated underwriting strategy to meet their aggressive approval rate and loss rate goals. By implementing an integrated decisioning system, OneAZ had flexible access to data credit attributes and scores, resulting in increased automation through their existing LOS – meaning they didn’t have to completely overhaul their decisioning systems. Additionally, they leveraged software that enabled champion/challenger strategies and the flexibility to manage their decision criteria. Within one month of implementation, OneAZ saw a 26% increase in loan funding rates and a 25% decrease in manual reviews. They can now pivot quickly to respond to continuously evolving conditions. “The speed at which we can return a decision and our better understanding of future performance has really propelled us in being able to better serve our members,” said John Schooner, VP Credit Risk Management at OneAZ. Read our case study for more insight on how automation and PowerCurve Originations Essentials can move the needle for your organization, including: Streamlined strategy development and execution to minimize costly customizations and coding Comprehensive data assets across multiple sources to ensure ID verification and a holistic view of your prospect Proactive monitoring and real-time visibility to challenge and rapidly adjust strategies as needed Download the full case study

Published: March 30, 2022 by Stefani Wendel
Say Yes More with Differentiated Data

As more consumers apply for credit and increase their spending1, lenders and financial institutions have an opportunity to expand their portfolios and improve profitability. The challenge is ensuring they’re extending credit responsibly and inclusively. Millions of Americans, many of whom are creditworthy, lack access to mainstream credit options. This may be because they have limited or no credit history, negative information within their credit file, or are a part of a historically disadvantaged group. To say “yes” to consumers they otherwise couldn’t or wouldn’t lend to, lenders must gain a deeper understanding of an individual’s stability, ability and willingness to pay. That’s where expanded FCRA-regulated and trended data come in. While traditional credit data has long been the primary means of gauging creditworthiness, it doesn’t tell the full story of a consumer’s financial situation. Let’s explore how differentiated data can help lenders make more informed credit decisions. Using differentiated data for deeper lending Expanded FCRA-regulated data provides supplemental credit data to help lenders gain a more holistic view of their current and prospective customers. Some examples of expanded FCRA-regulated data include alternative financial services data from nontraditional lenders, consumer-permissioned account data, rental payments and full-file public records. Because this data drives greater visibility and transparency around inquiry and payment behaviors, lenders can more accurately determine a consumer’s ability to pay and distinguish between reliable and high-risk applicants. In turn, lenders can approve more creditworthy consumers, grow their portfolios and increase financial opportunities for underserved communities, all while preventing and mitigating risk. 89% of lenders agree that expanded FCRA-regulated data allows them to extend credit to more consumers. Trended data empowers lenders with predictive insights into consumers by providing key balance and payment data for the previous 24 months. This is important as lenders can determine if a consumer’s credit behavior has improved or deteriorated over time. In turn, lenders can: Identify creditworthy customers: Establish if a consumer has a demonstrated ability to pay, is consistently paying more than the minimum payment, or shows no signs of payment stress. Increase response rates: Match the right products with the right prospects. Determine upsell and cross-sell opportunities: Present relevant offers based on anticipated needs and behaviors. Limit loss exposure: Understand the direction and velocity of payment performance to effectively manage risk exposure. Trended data helps lenders better predict future behavior, manage portfolio risk and design the best marketing offers. Turning insights into action Together, trended and expanded FCRA-regulated data benefit lenders and consumers alike. With a more holistic view of their customers, lenders gain powerful insights to lend deeper, ultimately helping them to expand their portfolios and drive greater access to credit for underserved communities. Learn more 1 The Recovery of Credit Applications to Pre-Pandemic Levels, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 2021.

Published: March 8, 2022 by Theresa Nguyen
Is Financial Inclusion Fueling Business Growth for Lenders?

Lenders are increasingly under pressure to improve access to the financial system and help close the wealth gap in America. Read more!

Published: March 8, 2022 by Guest Contributor
The Student Loan Pause Is Coming to an End: What Borrowers Will Be Asking

Lenders and servicers should anticipate an influx of questions and possiby borrower deliquencies as student loan forbearance comes to an end. Read more.

Published: March 3, 2022 by Guest Contributor
Coming to NADA? Learn How to Jump Start Your Marketing Efforts and Pay Attention to Gen Z

While many view Millennials and Gen Z through the same lens, savvy automotive marketers are adjusting their strategies to capture the market of this generation.

Published: February 16, 2022 by Guest Contributor
More Than a Score: The Case for Financial Inclusion

Credit scores play a major aspect in our lives. However, today's scoring system prevents many individuals from accessing credit. Learn more.

Published: February 7, 2022 by Guest Contributor
Empowering Consumers to Improve Their Financial Well-Being

Experian recently launched Experian GO, a first-of-its-kind program aimed at helping credit invisibles take charge of their financial health. Read more!

Published: January 27, 2022 by Laura Burrows
Powering Financial Inclusion and Access to Credit

Discover how you can leverage expanded data sources to make better decisions and empower consumers to more easily access financial opportunities.

Published: January 17, 2022 by Laura Burrows
Video Interview: American Express® and Experian talk AI, DataLabs and Innovation

Chatbots, reduction of manual processes and explainability were all hot topics in a recent discussion between two leading data leaders.

Published: October 27, 2021 by Guest Contributor
Redefining “Strategic” Marketing: A Timeline of Advancement

A look at how automotive manufacturers and dealers have used strategic marketing over the last few decades.

Published: October 5, 2021 by Kelly Lawson
Five Questions with Experian and Nova Credit: Breaking Down Barriers to Financial Inclusion

We spoke with the Head of Data Analytics at Nova Credit and Experian experts to explore the topic of DEI and how to break down financial inclusion barriers.

Published: September 21, 2021 by Kim Le

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