All posts by Tony Hadley
As Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Experian, I had the opportunity to testify today before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. As always, we continue to welcome the Committee’s interest in the marketing data industry.
In the spirit of cooperation, our goal is to help the Committee understand the role our data services play in the economy and in the lives of consumers.
Specifically, here are some key points we have shared to help inform the Committee’s work and interest in better understanding the marketplace:
Experian believes responsible information sharing enhances economic productivity in the United States and provides many benefits to consumers. Economists have stated the manner in which US companies collect and share consumer information among affiliated entities and third parties is the key ingredient to our nation’s productivity, innovation and ability to compete in the global marketplace.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has just issued its latest report to Congress on credit scores sold to consumers versus credit scores sold to creditors.
The 42-page report, which you can find here, provides an analysis of different scoring models, comparing credit scores sold to creditors and those sold to consumers by the national credit reporting agencies, including Experian.
Of particular interest, and of reassurance to consumers, are some high-level conclusions from the report:
“Today, the CFPB announced a final rule addressing its role in supervising certain credit reporting agencies, including Experian and others that are large market participants in the industry.
During a field hearing in Detroit, CFPB Director Richard Cordray’s spoke about a new regulatory focus on the accuracy of the information received by the credit reporting companies, the role they play in assembling and maintaining that information, and the process available to consumers for correcting errors. We look forward to working with CFPB on these important priorities.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is coming up on its one year anniversary, and the questions still persist around what it means for credit reporting agencies and other providers of data to the financial services industry. One major focal point has been the agency’s “new” authority to supervise and examine large market participants, like Experian.