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In 2021, Experian announced that United for Financial Health programme would be launching in two EMEA markets – Italy and South Africa. Today we are pleased to bring you more news of our plans in South Africa. Our partnership with the National Small Business Chamber is focused on supporting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to improve their financial fitness. As a result of the pandemic, many small businesses are under enormous strain in the current environment. As the backbone of the South African economy, any challenges faced among these enterprises may have far-reaching implications on the number of unemployed people. Our campaign with the NSBC aims to support SMEs to stay in business and become more resilient to economic disruptions as they continue to be a driving force of inclusive economic growth and job creation in the country. Many SMEs are harming their chances of gaining access to credit, getting better deals from suppliers, and securing additional funding to help grow their business due to a lack of awareness and understanding of their business credit profile. Working alongside the NSBC, we aim to educate, encourage and assist SMEs to become creditworthy. The programme aims to provide tangible ways to help improve financial health, help SMEs overcome the financial difficulties that have resulted from the effects of the pandemic and kick-start people on the road to recovery. Mike Anderson, the CEO of our partners the NSBC, said: “We are extremely excited to launch a ‘How to become financially fit’ campaign in partnership with Experian South Africa, one of the leading credit bureaus, where we can equip SMEs with key tips and strategies to assist them in understanding their financial and credit health. The aim is to empower them to understand the impact of both their personal and business credit profiles on their business’s reputation and ultimately their ability to access the funding required to maintain and grow their businesses.” As part of this financial education drive, we’ll support a series of webinars hosted by the NSBC, with topics ranging from how to improve both your personal and business credit profiles, managing your cash flow, understanding what credit providers are looking for as well as protecting your own business from credit risk. The webinars are open to all NSBC members and will kick off on 28 January 2022 and run until the end of March. For more information on the ‘How to get financially fit’ NSBC campaign in partnership with Experian South Africa visit www.nsbc.africa.

For the past several years, we’ve been on a journey to improve financial access for millions of people around the world. We’ve made it our job to help consumers get the best financial outcomes. This focus on consumers defines us and informs everything we do. In 2019, we reshaped how consumers access credit with Experian Boost™. Since then, nearly 9 million consumers have connected to the product. While we are proud of what we have and continue to accomplish with Experian Boost, we know there is more to be done to ensure more consumers can access fair and affordable credit. Improving outcomes for underserved consumers When credit is used responsibly, it can create new opportunities from getting a college degree, buying a car or home and starting or expanding a business. These are milestones that help people establish careers, build wealth and ultimately achieve greater financial freedom.  Yet, there are millions of consumers who are unable to participate in the mainstream financial ecosystem today because they don’t have a financial identity. In fact, our recent research shows there are at least 28 million credit invisibles in the U.S. with an additional 21 million consumers who are unscoreable by the credit score models most used by lenders today. Without an established credit history, these consumers struggle to qualify for everything from an auto loan to a mortgage and even an apartment or employment. This problem more frequently impacts communities of color with 28 percent of all Black and 26 percent of all Hispanic consumers currently unscoreable or credit invisible. Increasing financial inclusion depends on creating opportunities for underrepresented consumers to succeed. And this starts with ensuring all consumers have a financial identity. Bringing financial power to all with Experian Go The challenge is many consumers who are not in the credit ecosystem today are unsure where to start. Today, we reached a pivotal and exciting milestone in our commitment to consumers with the launch of Experian Go™. This new program opens the front door to the financial ecosystem for millions of consumers by helping them establish their financial identity and move from credit invisible to scoreable. Within minutes, credit invisibles can have an authenticated Experian credit report, tradelines and a credit history by using Experian Boost™[1], and instant access to financial offers through Experian Go. In fact, early analysis shows 91 percent of consumers with no credit history who connect to Experian Boost, a free feature that allows users to contribute their on-time cell phone, video streaming service, internet, and utility payments directly to their Experian credit report, can become scoreable in minutes with an average starting near-prime FICO® Score of 665[2]. Throughout the experience, we’ll provide ongoing credit education and access to tools like Experian Boost™ to make it easy for consumers to learn how to use and responsibly grow their credit histories. Until now, our industry has struggled to verify the identity of credit invisibles. Over the last several years, we’ve introduced new identity verification technologies to our toolbox. With Experian Go, we’re leveraging these technologies to verify a credit invisible’s identity and get them in the front door to start building credit. No other credit bureau or organization is doing this today. During our pilot, we helped more than 15,000 consumers establish their credit history. This is a great start.  Now that Experian Go has launched, I look forward to helping millions more consumers get the credit they deserve. To learn more about Experian Go, visit www.experian.com/go. [1] Results may vary. Some may not see improved scores or approval odds. Not all lenders use Experian credit files, and not all lenders use scores impacted by Experian Boost. [2] Experian analysis based on an anonymized and statistically relevant sample of consumer credit reports with only Experian Boost tradelines included and FICO® Scores. December 2021.

I’m delighted to announce that Experian has been named as a Top Employer across five countries. Our teams in the UK, Germany, Brazil, Singapore and Australia were all recognised in the 2022 awards which is a fantastic achievement. At Experian we pride ourselves on having a great People First culture, it’s something we are all proud of and want to protect. We do this by supporting a dynamic, positive and inclusive working environment for our employees wherever they are in the world. Our people are passionate about the work that we do, using data, analytics and technology to help transform lives and create a better tomorrow for people and organisations. We see our people live that purpose everyday in their work and it is wonderful to see that pride, about the role we play – supporting clients, consumers economies and society – getting recognised once again.

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Patients use self-service tools to easily connect with providers online and manage administrative tasks 24/7. Common patient self-service tools include patient portals, online scheduling and mobile registration. Self-service solutions also include robust financial tools that help patients update insurance information, get accurate estimates, apply for charity care, set up payment plans, combine payments to multiple providers or set up a fundraising page.   Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum” (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..”, comes from a line in section 1.10.32. Heading 2 Related Posts

Amid some of the financial challenges that underserved communities experience, members across the financial services community remain committed to championing initiatives and programs that drive greater financial inclusion. In fact, collaboration has led to the inclusion of non-debt related payment information on consumers’ credit profiles, as well as digital services that make it easier to manage money. These efforts have helped to broaden access to fair and affordable financial resources for more individuals. While significant progress has been made, there is still more work to do. However, some of the misconceptions and myths about the financial services community are hindering further advancement. Debunking these myths will accelerate progress by building trust between the financial services community and consumers. Person withdrawing money from ATM contactless Myth #1: “Financial institutions have no interest in underserved consumers or credit invisibles.” The truth is, banks and credit unions want to say “yes” to more prospective borrowers, including individuals and families from underserved communities. Beyond being the right thing to do, it’s an opportunity to potentially build lifelong relationships with a relatively untapped market. A show of good faith to communities who have largely been ignored by the financial system could lead to customer loyalty that may extend to their family and friends. That’s why participants across the financial ecosystem have been proponents of including expanded data sources—such as on-time telecom, utility and video streaming service payments—on to consumer credit reports, as well as exploring other Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)-regulated data sources, including payment data on short-term small dollar loans and expanded public records data. Making this data more accessible to lenders provides a more comprehensive view of a consumer’s ability and willingness to repay outstanding debt—an actionable solution to extending credit to consumers without lenders taking on additional risk. Myth #2: “There is a lack of trustworthy financial education resources.” The financial services community and affiliated organizations recognize that empowering people with financial knowledge and skillset are critical to consumers’ financial success. In fact, banks and credit unions are partnering with nonprofits and non-governmental organizations to better understand the unique challenges and opportunities within specific communities and provide relevant tools and resources. For example, Experian’s B.A.L.L. for Life (Be A Legacy Leader) program, launched in partnership with the National Urban League, serves as a catalyst for engaging with Black communities and low-income youth through live events and digital financial education. Subject matter experts, professional athletes, celebrities, and other influencers share their experiences and expertise, covering topics such as banking, credit, financial management and investing. In addition, to help people improve their financial management, Experian partners with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). The NFCC connects consumers with certified financial counselors to help them address various pain points, including debt management, homeownership, student loans or small business cash flow issues. Myth #3: “Underserved communities have few opportunities to build credit and enter the mainstream financial system.” People from underserved communities, as well as younger consumers and recent immigrants are often excluded from the mainstream financial system because they lack an extensive credit history. Historically, it’s created a vicious cycle; in order to get credit, you have to have credit. Fortunately, there has been a sea change in innovative solutions to address the specific needs of these populations. These include new credit scoring models and microfinancing which provide financial services to individuals who may have been excluded from traditional banking systems. In addition, by incorporating expanded data sources, such as telecom, utility and residential rental payments onto credit reports, lenders have more visibility into consumers who may have been excluded by traditional credit scoring methods.These programs help individuals and families from underserved communities establish and build a credit history that could enable loans, or the ability to rent an apartment or open their dream business. An example is Experian Boost®, a free feature that allows Experian members to contribute their history of making utility, cellphone, insurance, residential rent and video streaming service payments directly into their Experian credit profile. By incorporating nontraditional credit data like paying utility bills on time, online banking transactions, rental payments and verified income data, more people can establish a credit profile that can potentially qualify them for a loan. More Inclusion, Fewer Myths It’s encouraging that community organizations and banks are beginning to see the economic and social benefits of aligning on financial literacy and inclusion. As more initiatives come online, underserved populations will be able to establish a better financial foundation. Then, we can declare the myths to be history.