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With the impact of COVID-19, we’re certainly in uncharted territory. Many people are struggling with high unemployment, which is resulting in missed credit card, utility, and rent payments. In response, Experian is joining forces with the other U.S. credit reporting agencies, to offer free weekly credit reports to all Americans for the next year via AnnualCreditReport.com. A credit report allows people to monitor their finances and better understand their overall financial health. We’re proud our industry is uniting to make this possible for all U.S. consumers starting today. Credit reports are updated constantly, so the ability for an individual to look at their report weekly is helpful to monitor for lender updates and ensure there is no fraudulent or unfamiliar activity. During these difficult times, this is especially important. In addition to the free weekly credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com, Experian also offers consumers free access to their credit report, FICO score, and ongoing credit monitoring at Experian.com. This is a no-charge product.  We want to give consumers multiple options to access and manage their credit report. At Experian, we’re committed to enabling fair and responsible lending through the power of our data. As the consumer’s bureau, our goal is to not only help consumers build credit but to get better access to credit. All of us are working diligently every day to keep our data as accurate, relevant, and secure as possible so that lenders can use the data to responsibly extend credit to people who need it most especially when the economy returns to strength. What You Can Do Now  The most vital action someone can take if they are unable to pay a bill is to talk with their lender and inquire about assistance programs that may be available. If a consumer receives an accommodation it will have minimal impact on their credit score if their account is in good standing and if there hasn’t been previous delinquencies reported We remain committed to informing, guiding, and protecting people during these unprecedented times. Beyond our offer for free credit reports, we’ve created a dedicated website, with links to multiple resources and materials to help the community learn about credit and other important personal finance topics. We encourage everyone to visit the Experian COVID-19 Resources & Credit Education. Take care and stay healthy.

The pandemic’s full economic impact is still unfolding, and I can assure you we have not stopped evaluating and evolving our COVID-19 response nor our thinking about economic recovery for consumers and businesses alike. In the last month, we’ve been driven by two major priorities.  The first is the health and safety of our employees.  On top of that, we have placed a laser focus on putting our resources to work to help people and businesses during these uncertain times. While we have all been adjusting to our ‘new normal’ working environment, our employees in North America have not slowed down.  In fact, they have worked hard to create solutions and tools designed specifically to help people successfully navigate the evolving financial landscape.  From free credit reports to complementary ‘payer alerts’ for healthcare organizations to consumer credit education, we’ve launched a wide-range of initiatives. Here are a few highlights I’d like to share with you: FOR CONSUMERS: Experian Credit Report and Score: Consumers can sign up and access their FICO® Score, Experian credit report, and ongoing credit monitoring through Experian’s free CreditWorks product. Consumers can also sign up to Experian Boost, a free financial tool that has helped more than 2 million consumers increase their credit score. Consumer Resources Website: As the consumer’s credit bureau, Experian’s commitment is to inform, guide and protect its consumers and customers during uncertain times. One way the company is doing this is through this dedicated website, with links to multiple resources and materials to help the community learn about credit and other important personal finance topics. COVID-19 and Your Credit Report: Being fully committed to helping consumers and lenders during this unprecedented period, Experian has created this dedicated blog page with ongoing and updated information pertaining to how COVID-19 may impact consumers’ creditworthiness and – ultimately – what people should do to preserve it. The blog will be updated with relevant news as Experian announces new solutions and tactics. #CreditChat: In response to the urgent and rapid changes associated with COVID-19, Experian is accelerating and enhancing its financial education programming to help consumers protect their financial health. With expected delays in bill payments, unprecedented layoffs, hiring freezes and related hardships, Experian seeks to aid consumers in understanding how the credit reporting system and personal finance overall will move forward in this landscape. Experian has launched an eight-week series of #CreditChat conversations surrounding COVID-19 on Wednesdays at 3 pm ET on Twitter and live video credit chats every Friday at 12:30 pm ET on Facebook Live. FOR BUSINESSES: Free Experian Business Credit Report: Experian is offering all American-owned small businesses free access to their Experian business credit report through May 1, 2020, to help small business owners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. By accessing a free business credit report now, small business owners can understand where their credit score stands and look for the best lending options for their business before they obtain funding. COVID-19 U.S. Business Risk Index: To further help small businesses gain access to capital they need, Experian launched its free COVID-19 U.S. Business Risk Index to assist lenders and government organizations in understanding how to make lending options available to the business segments that need it the most. This new risk index can help business risk professionals better understand the impact that the pandemic may have on commercial operations based on several key factors. This methodology combines business risk, anticipated impact on business industries and real-time COVID-19 case data to help businesses better simulate various impact scenarios down to the state level to help develop relevant strategies. Experian® Health Payer Policy Alerts: This is a free comprehensive list of COVID-19 and telehealth payer policy alerts for United States hospitals, medical groups, pharmacies and specialty healthcare service organizations. Payer policy alerts are provided by commercial, Medicare and Medicaid payers and summarize changes to medical coverage policies from those organizations. This public service to the healthcare community will continue to be updated and remain free as long as alerts related to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be distributed. At-Risk Audiences: In an effort to help essential organizations, such as healthcare and government agencies, provide resources to those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, Experian is leveraging its data assets, free of charge, to identify groups of individuals that are most likely to be impacted. Experian developed new audience segments that are built in a privacy-compliant manner and designed to help these organizations find and communicate with at-risk populations, enabling them to deliver essential services as quickly as possible. Business Resources Website: This newly launched website was developed to help businesses prepare to manage increased attacks, continue to push toward digital banking, and understand regulatory changes as businesses find their footing in this evolving financial services landscape. FOR COMMUNITIES IN NEED: First Responders First: Experian North America is supporting first responder workers by donating funds for personal protective equipment (PPE) to COVID-19 for hotspots in New York City and New Orleans through the nonprofit organization, First Responders First. These funds will provide essential supplies, equipment and resources such as masks, gowns, gloves and more to those on the frontline. Heart of Experian Giving Opportunity: Experian is leading this effort in which employees can assist by making a donation to First Responders First through Experian’s Heart of Experian giving opportunity. Experian will match employee donations up to the annual limit of $500 per employee, while funds last. This donation is the latest support the company has provided to help minimize exposure for those most at risk. For example, in California, the company also donated 12,000 masks to the Hoag Medical Group. I’m proud of the work we’re doing at Experian to help those impacted by this crisis. We remain dedicated to our employees, consumers, businesses and communities – and we will continue to innovate and develop new offerings to help those in need. Craig Boundy CEO, Experian North America  

As I reflect on the impact COVID-19 has had on my work and family life, I’m reminded of the things I once took for granted. My day-to-day routine has evolved into one of working from home, helping to take care of my toddler, and at times, doing so while on conference calls, sorting out the next grocery delivery, and writing this blog. While it’s a challenge, I’ve come to appreciate and value many of the things I’ve once taken for granted. But I also understand, I’m not the only person experiencing change.    Across the globe, lives have been upended. The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak has been far-reaching and felt by hundreds of millions of people; whether due to family members that have fallen ill, job loss, shortened working hours or their children out of school. COVID-19 is an existential challenge that no one industry or entity can single-handedly address; we all need to play our part.   Some companies, such as Fanatics, Ford, General Motors and Tesla, have shifted production efforts to focus on manufacturing medical resources, including personal protective equipment and ventilators. Others are donating free meals and resources to help consumers across the globe manage during this unprecedented time.   Much like these organizations, Experian is committed to helping consumers and businesses navigate our current environment. We’ve expanded our financial education programming with the goal of helping consumers maintain good credit and protect their financial health. We’ve also offered small businesses free access to their Experian business credit report to help them better gauge their financial options and understand what capital is available to them. But as the world continues to combat the pandemic, we, like others, must look for new and additional ways to help.   As essential organizations extend outreach efforts for those impacted by the outbreak, we believe data and technology can help them identify the groups that are most at-risk. With finite resources and limited bandwidth, it’s important for these organizations to communicate with at-risk populations and provide essential products and services as quickly as possible.   With this urgency in mind, Experian developed At-Risk audience segments, which it is making available free of charge to essential organizations, such as government agencies, healthcare providers and non-governmental organizations, to help combat the fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak. The segments are built in a privacy-compliant manner and provide insights to help essential organizations reach those most in need. Organizations can use the information to determine where to allocate emergency funds, as well as redirect healthcare resources.   Because the situation associated with the pandemic is changing seemingly every day and is impacting individuals in different ways and times, we also instituted a daily survey of the general population to gain insights around shifting consumer sentiment as a result of COVID-19.  The insights from the survey will help organizations understand consumer sentiment during this difficult time and begin the process to identify at-risk populations.   As of April 8, 2020, the survey found that:   73 percent of Baby Boomers are concerned about visiting the doctor and/or would hold off seeking care.  60 percent of Americans are concerned about filling prescriptions and/or accessing healthcare resources.  64 percent of Americans are concerned about their ability to access food and other essentials.   COVID-19 has impacted consumers and businesses across the globe. As we all adapt to the new environment, we need to work together and collaborate to find ways to combat the fallout.  Experian will not be stopping here, and we are committed to developing new ways to use our resources, data, technology, and creativity to help be part of the solution.      

Having a diverse workforce is vital to help us innovate and deliver on the needs of our increasingly diverse clients and consumers. Over the years, we’ve made some great progress, but there’s so much more we can do and it’s going to take the collective effort of all of us to continue to move the needle. That’s why we’re gearing up to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD). It’s a day celebrated in many countries around the world to recognize the achievements of women and drive equality among men and women. At Experian, IWD activities are extending throughout the month of March. Have a look at what’s going on around the world as Experian celebrates this important day: Asia Pacific The Asia Pacific region is hosting a range of activities across our offices in March, which will include round-table and speaker events as well as an opportunity to network and pledge their support for IWD. EMEA and UK&I EMEA and UK&I are joining together for IWD to support and celebrate diversity and inclusion. The week started with a video of employees from both regions reflecting on what diverse teams bring to our business. Employees will also be invited to a variety of events to engage and network with inspirational women and hear stories from our leaders on what diversity means to them personally. Latin America Throughout the month of March, Latin America has been running a campaign to share stories of achievements in their region and raise awareness about breast cancer prevention and other diseases more common in women. On IWD, there will be a panel of women leaders who will address issues such as the social inclusion of women in the region, women’s participation in the labor market, Experian’s commitment to female leadership and the importance of a work/life In Brazil, IWD is kicking off with a presentation by members of the United Nations to present their 50-50 Gender Equality program (which aims to eliminate gender inequalities by 2030) and how they are working with companies around the world to achieve this vision. Employees will have an opportunity to hear from leaders in our business about diversity and inclusion plans for the region, and listen to a panel of external speakers discuss diversity challenges and career development. North America Our employees in North America will be kicking off the week with celebrations across their ITS’ 13 offices in the region. Each office will have daily activities throughout the week, and all employees – including virtual and those based in smaller offices – will be invited to attend webinars focused on Diversity and Inclusion topics. On IWD, there will be panel discussions with senior leaders who will speak on various career development topics. To close out the week, there will be a special Book Club discussion on March 9. We will continue to update this blog post all week with pictures and other ways we’re celebrating IWD. Bookmark this page and come back.

I work at SEGA, a global games company. I first met Nakamura-san, my contact at Experian, about eight or nine years ago. I remember telling him at the time that I was a little sceptical of credit report and analytic companies – I thought they were either too expensive or their reports weren’t detailed enough. However, a year later I needed help from a company like Experian, and I thought I’d put them to the test.   My team and I were starting to communicate with overseas markets, to work with companies around the world. So, I phoned Nakamura-san. It was a business negotiation, so I had my poker face on – I played the usual mind games you have to, insinuating that if Experian did this job well then our company might be able to offer them even more business in the future.   Safe to say, they passed the test. We’ve been building a really positive relationship with Experian for the last eight years.   We’re working with companies in Hong Kong, Taiwan and London at the moment. To work with them, we need information – for instance, we need to know if they’re actually located where they say they are. Even if a company gives us an address, it’s always possible that it operates from a different country – we’ve all heard about companies and their tax havens. When we have these questions, Nakamura-san and his team at Experian collect and analyse data on these companies, and give us very thorough information – breaking it all down and explaining everything to us really clearly.   It’s really difficult to get the rich, detailed analysis of data you need, but Experian provides us much better data than any of our previous credit research companies managed to. They consult with us, and help us use this data to get our business to a better place. I’m very grateful for it – they’ve added great value to our business. Mr. Shinji Mutazono, Team Manager, SEGA Group Companies Finance Department, SEGA Holdings CO., Ltd. 

In Malaysia, nearly 280,000 people live without electricity. By volunteering with the Liter of Light program, we’re bringing solar panel lights to remote villages, transforming the quality of life and brightening the darker hours for families. In Malaysia, more than 1 percent of the population lives without electricity – one of life’s basic necessities – which equates to nearly 280,000 people living in darkness after the sun goes down. Some people have never had electricity in their life, making simple tasks like cooking or reading nearly impossible after dark. I wanted to change that. My day job is to support and enable individuals within Experian to pursue various career opportunities, but what I’m most passionate about is the way Experian helps me invest in my local community through the Heart of Experian Corporate Social Responsibility program. This year, my team and I had the chance to collaborate with Liter of Light (LOL) – a global, grassroots movement committed to providing affordable, sustainable solar light to people with limited or no access to electricity. In February, we joined one of their projects to install 60 solar street lights in the village of Orang Asli, an indigenous community in the Cameron Highlands.   Over the span of two days in February, a group of 30 Experian volunteers built and installed the solar panel lights. On the first day, the LOL team taught us how to build the panels, teaching us the skills needed to cut wire, assemble PVC pipes and drill holes. The second day, we rode in Jeeps through muddy roads and a three-foot deep river to reach the village. We spent hours unloading the lights and assembling the panel boxes, plotting the village maps and identifying the right spots to install the solar panel lights. I was happy to see some of the local villagers’ curiosity and participation throughout the day. Some helped us assemble the lights while others prepared the right spots for installation by building bamboo stands. The weather was kind to us, so by 5 p.m., nearly all the lights were installed – just before dark! After completing all the hard work, our team recorded a group video using a drone that all of the Orang Asli children chased after. Thanks to our service project providing light to a village in darkness, 150 villagers in Orang Asli will now have more productive, higher-quality lives during the dark hours of the day. I’m so glad I got to play a role in that.