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The financial services industry is poised to take advantage of the unprecedented availability of accurate, comprehensive, and timely data. Through increased lender adoption, the growing array of insightful data can create meaningful change and provide access to credit for more consumers and businesses than ever before. At Experian, we feel we have a responsibility to consumers seeking credit. Ensuring lenders can obtain the insights needed for responsible lending is key to supporting this. By leveraging the most accurate traditional credit data as well as expanded data sources that improve how risk can be assessed for thin-file or no-file consumers, lenders can form a precise picture of an individual’s financial situation and improve financial access for millions of Americans who have been unfairly excluded from the credit ecosystem. Extend credit responsibly. Some of the most predictive information available today is employment data, including how long a consumer has been at a job and how much they earn. Layering verified income and employment information with credit data can improve financial outcomes for consumers and help lenders say ‘yes’ when they otherwise couldn’t or wouldn’t. To help, Experian has released Experian Verify™ - a suite of solutions that provide lenders with real-time access to verified information about a consumer’s income and employment status. Through Experian Verify, credit card, personal loan, auto and mortgage lenders have near-instant access to millions of active employer records to verify an applicant’s income and employment status for use across the lifecycle, including pre-qualification, originations and account review. The products are powered by Experian’s growing network of exclusive employer records and payroll partner data, which includes data from recent acquisitions of Corporate Cost Control (CCC), Tax Credit Co. (TCC) and EmpTech. We are answering the industry’s call for change in income and employment verification while providing lender’s with deeper insights to increase financial access. Putting consumers in control. This is the latest example of many that illustrate our commitment to improve financial access for consumers. The new products complement Experian Boost – a free tool that empowers consumers to contribute their on-time telecom, utility, streaming services and mobile phone payments directly to their Experian credit report. Incorporating this information has been proven to increase the predictiveness of a consumer’s credit reputation and can complement the data derived from their lending history. Experian Boost provides consumers with the ability to immediately impact their credit scores, while providing lenders with deeper insight into a consumer’s financial situation. With Experian Boost, nearly 70 percent see an uplift in their credit score. Since the product was released in 2019, more than 7 million consumers have connected to Experian Boost with over 50 million cumulative points added to FICO Scores. The financial impact to the industry is significant, with Experian Boost users gaining access to more than $1.7 billion in credit as a result of improved credit scores. Serving credit invisibles. Our commitment to consumers does not end there. Through our investments in expanded data sources and advanced analytics, we are helping lenders identify consumers who are excluded from the traditional credit ecosystem, but who can fulfill their financial obligations and pay responsibly. Experian Lift, our suite of lender credit scores, has the potential to help more than 40 million credit invisible consumers gain access to credit while providing first and second chances to millions more. Experian Lift uses proprietary technology, advanced analytics, and machine learning models to combine exclusive credit data attributes, trended data and expanded Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulated data sets. This combination of data and technology is creating new opportunities for consumers who are often overlooked. Looking ahead. Data has the power to unlock financial opportunities for millions of consumers. Collaboration between Experian, lenders and consumers that is informed by data is key to keeping the economy flowing and improving livelihoods of Americans. As we look to the road ahead, we are committed to working side-by-side with lenders, credit scoring companies and consumers to eliminate credit invisibility and improve financial equity and access.

Customer needs have changed dramatically over the course of the pandemic, and as some parts of the world begin to move back into what we recognize as normality, the scale of change across today’s credit landscape is now emerging. New research from Experian’s Global Decisioning Report shows how the impact of payment assistance programs, coupled with changes in spending and savings behaviors, now requires lenders to look beyond traditional approaches to decisioning. Our research found that 1 out of 3 consumers remain concerned about their finances. However, at the same time the research also found that consumers are no longer reducing their discretionary spending as much as they were six months ago, with high-income households starting to spend the most.  These differences make it difficult for lenders to truly comprehend customer needs throughout this abnormal time. This report reveals three things lenders should do to navigate the complexity of the current lending and credit environment: Leverage data and advanced analytics – this will ensure lenders have a comprehensive understanding of the risk and opportunity of their portfolio as well as visibility into changes to customer profiles.  Proactively engage customers – offer new credit and other products to support those that are recovered and ready to engage. Prepare for a potential wave of delinquency – as payment holidays come to an end, lenders should make it easy for customers that are still struggling. Lenders must offer online support and flexible terms that help customers solve their problems.   The online customer experience and credit risk management are more connected than ever before. Lenders need to make sure they have the technology in place that supports the entire customer journey, from decisioning, to onboarding, to customer management and collections. Those that do will be able to deliver credit decisions that are fair and fast, giving more consumers access to the credit they deserve.  Experian surveyed nearly 9,000 consumers and 2,700 businesses from around the globe to learn more about how they’re stabilizing their finances and returning to growth. Download a copy of the eBook here.

We aspire to be one of the best companies in the world to work for - a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that our people feel proud to be part of. We have over 17,800 people in 44 countries, 94 different nationalities and an age profile that spans 5 generations. With such a broad, multi-cultural environment, we want everyone to feel supported, included and able to grow and succeed. Today we have published our first Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Report, an opportunity for us to reinforce our commitment to making Experian a place where everyone can be themselves at work – and to map the progress we are making on improving our diversity as a business. The events of the past year have shown the uneven impact of the global pandemic on certain communities. It has also demonstrated how important it is for our people to feel safe, secure, and connected to one another. This has strengthened our determination to continue building our ‘people first’ culture to be even better than it is today. We have taken the opportunity to stand back and evaluate our work on DEI, and this year we will focus on five priority areas which include, assigning executive level sponsors; developing a better data set to understand our demographics; reviewing our hiring practices both internally and externally; increasing transparency and accountability; and empowering our people to help us create a more diverse and inclusive business. We have also set specific diversity, equity and inclusion targets to hold ourselves accountable and to monitor our progress. We know there’s always more work to do, but the steps we are taking are the right ones to move us forward. We have big ambitions as a company and achieving these rely on us having the widest range of talent possible. We know that If we continue to live up to our purpose and stay true to our diversity, equity and inclusion ambitions, we will make Experian a better and stronger company in the process. Read the full Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Report here. Jacky Simmonds is Experian’s Chief People Officer.

We sit in a pivotal position in the societies where we operate. For us, using our expertise in data to help tackle big societal issues, is much more than an opportunity. It’s a responsibility that we take very seriously. And we are passionate about creating a dynamic and diverse workplace. We want to be one of the best companies in the world to work for, a business that our employees are proud to be part of, where people of all backgrounds have equal opportunities to grow and succeed. That’s why this year we are announcing the publication of two new global reports, recognising our commitment to diversity, inclusion and sustainability. The launch of our first Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report highlights our dedicated focus on creating an environment where people of all backgrounds have equal opportunities to grow and succeed. The publication of this new report is a step forward for us in increasing transparency around our progress and goals. As part of this, we are announcing our new target of increasing the number of women in the senior leadership team to 40% by 2024. Our commitment to sustainable business practice is also stronger than ever. This year’s Sustainable Business Report sets a number of goals to help us create a better tomorrow for everyone. Including reaching 100m people through our social innovation products by 2025 (from 2013) and that by 2030 we will cut our scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% and our scope 3 emissions by 15% - recognising the urgent need for more businesses to accelerate their response to climate change. You can read more about the work we are doing in the full reports here: Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report Sustainable Business Report

A little more than a year removed from the beginning of the pandemic, and we’re still seeing many of the most vulnerable and underserved communities struggling to find a stable financial foothold. These are consumers with little to no credit history and are often underrepresented in the network of bank branches and sometimes less familiar with what’s available to them in the consumer credit system. The pandemic has taken a toll on the fabric of our financial ecosystem, and we need to help these consumers get back on their feet. That’s one of the reasons we’ve partnered with the 100 Black Men of Greater Washington, D.C. Together, we’re launching a broad financial health initiative to assist multiple African American communities suffering COVID-19-related hardship. But the partnership is just one of the ways Experian is assisting marginalized and underserved communities. Addressing Financial Inclusion Experian is deeply committed to helping marginalized and low-income communities access the financial resources they need to live. That’s why we’re working to ensure we find ways to help underserved consumers gain access to fair and affordable credit by assisting them in building their credit profiles. We view ourselves as “The Consumers’ Bureau,” and it’s our commensurate responsibility to do everything we can to drive financial inclusion. We are working side-by-side with lenders, credit scoring companies and consumers to eliminate credit invisibility and improve financial equity. Our teams at Experian, diverse as they are, feel passionate about this very important mission. We understand that a big part of the solution relies on bringing new sources of data into our credit files, so that credit scores reflect all of a consumers’ relevant financial behavior. We strongly believe that these new sources of data will augment and thereby enhance our current credit data as an effective means for lenders’ assessment of a consumer’s financial situation. There’s a percentage of the population—on average, it’s 17% of Americans, measured by FICO—who are excluded from the credit economy because they simply lack a credit history. To that end, we’ve been a pioneer in using rental, utilities and telecom payment data to help broaden credit access for consumers. Boosting 6 Million In fact, more than two years ago, we created Experian Boost, which was a first-of-its-kind service designed to help consumers instantly improve their FICO® Score by giving them credit for on-time utility, telecom and streaming service payments. All of those elements are conceived to be part of people’s credit scores, however utility and cell phone providers have not collaborated to report their data to all credit bureaus. With Experian Boost, we empower consumers to report the data themselves, and more importantly, 70% of consumers benefit from doing so, seeing an uplift in their credit score. And to date, more than 6 million consumers have used Experian Boost with over 50 million cumulative points added to FICO Scores across the US. Our Commitment to Financial Health But our commitment doesn’t end there. Consumer credit education and best practices are key to setting marginalized consumers up for financial success. Through Experian’s United for Financial Health initiative—we’re empowering vulnerable people and communities to improve their financial wellbeing through that very belief. In addition to our partnership with the 100 Black Men of Greater Washington, D.C., we’re working closely with Operation HOPE, Black Girl Ventures, and NAACP Empowerment Programs, to help disenfranchised groups improve their credit standing, provide entrepreneurial education for Black and Brown women entrepreneurs, and offer grants to help homeowners at risk of losing their homes In addition to our consumer credit education initiatives with our partners, we continually push credit education materials and programming through our own social media channels and community outreach efforts. In honor of Financial Literacy Month, we’re hosting a #CreditChat on Wednesday, April 28 at 3 p.m. ET, entitled, Closing the Financial Literacy Gap in Underserved Communities.   We believe helping underserved communities better understand the credit ecosystem and equipping them with the tools and knowledge to improve their credit standing, are mission critical to a healthier financial life. And we’re hopeful this #CreditChat discussion is another step forward in that journey. We won’t rest until the job’s done. We’ll continue to innovate and find new ways to use data in the credit scoring process, and work arm-in-arm with consumers and lenders to improve financial access. Through our investments in data and advanced analytics, we’ll continue to help lenders identify consumers who are excluded from the credit ecosystem, but who can fulfill their financial obligations and pay responsibly. We want to empower consumers to take control of their financial lives, and will continue to take strides to do so.

During a year of the pivot, Experian North America remained focused on our purpose: Creating a Better Tomorrow. It’s not just a marketing tag line. It’s the lens through which we care for our employees, and how they in turn fuel innovations to serve our communities when they need help the most. That’s why this year’s 31 ranking in the Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For" is so incredibly meaningful. For this year’s national award, two elements were considered: confidential employee feedback and the programs companies created to support people and communities in response to COVID-19. The employee surveys were distributed last summer, in the thick of pandemic restrictions and lockdowns. All around, we saw improvement: 50 percent of employees responded to the surveys (compared to 43 percent the year before), and 92 percent of employees attest that Experian is a Great Company to Work For (compared to 86 percent the year before). We’ve worked hard to build an employee culture over the past several years that continuously strives for inclusion and equity. This foundation became instrumental to how we navigated the past twelve months. Our employee resource groups took the lead to support our colleagues with the creation of a dynamic mental health and well-being guide, producing programs that brought awareness and support during social unrest and the rise in racism, and arranging annual celebrations to provide a touch of “normalcy.” Through a year that also included natural disasters such as the arctic blast, wildfires, storms and flooding, we have been there for each other. From free credit reports for consumers and small businesses, to products and services that enable governments, healthcare providers and nonprofits to prepare for and serve populations in crisis, Experian North America’s workforce leveraged diversity of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences to help vulnerable populations in crisis from COVID-19. Even through lockdowns and restrictions, employees logged 18,000 volunteer hours to increase financial inclusivity, support frontline healthcare workers, honor the nation’s military and veterans, and fight hunger. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation gave Experian North America a perfect score in its Corporate Equality Index for the third year in a row, and the company earned its recertification as a Great Place to Work. It has been named one of the top 10 Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Financial Services and Insurance, and a Comparably Top 50 company for Best Outlook 2021. Experian Costa Rica, part of our North America region, also earned Great Place to Work honors for the third year in a row. Our purpose runs deep. We put our people at the heart of how we run our business and it guides how we serve our consumers, clients and each other. We will continue this momentum of the 2021 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For by helping to drive financial inclusion and equity, growing our business through innovation, and creating opportunities for our coworkers to thrive and build meaningful careers.  

After launching Experian Boost, the first-of-its-kind tool that allows consumers to instantly increase their credit scores, in March 2019 we recently reached a significant milestone. Millions of consumers have boosted their credit scores to the tune of 50 million total points. This means many consumers have improved score bands, saved money with better interest rates, and maybe reached some of their financial goals such as gaining access to credit for a home. In fact, we know our Boost users have gained access to more than 1.7 billion total dollars in credit as a result of improving their credit score. The idea behind Experian Boost is to give consumers control over their credit – to enable them to make real, substantial progress in their financial health journey by getting “credit” for paying bills on time. Our ability to help consumers in a challenging economic climate is what drives us to continue to innovate.  For example, we recently expanded Experian Boost to add positive payment history for video streaming services such as Netflix in addition to telecom and utility payments. The benefits to having control and using tools like Experian Boost do not end there. Consumers receive a boosted FICO® Score, which is used by a majority of lenders giving them a great opportunity for credit with better terms. In the first year after launching, we saw one million consumers add a credit card and nearly 250,000 consumers acquired an auto loan. Also, some consumers earned a credit score for the first time. What is also significant about Experian Boost is that this type of financial control and opportunity gives consumers a sense of empowerment, motivation and satisfaction that they can take a positive step in their financial journey. We’ve heard this firsthand from consumers through focus groups, and we even featured some consumers in our commercials who shared their positive experiences in front of the camera. This sentiment of empowerment among consumers is especially important right now as many are struggling financially due to the pandemic. We have many exciting new tools launching in 2021 and will continue to focus on empowering consumers to reach their financial goals. To learn more about Experian Boost, visit www.experian.com/boost.

Does checking my credit report hurt my credit score? How can I improve my credit score? What’s the difference between a credit score and a credit report? These are a few of the questions I most often hear about credit, and the answers to these fundamental questions are essential to financial well-being. Understanding credit scores and the factors that influence overall credit health is important any time, but this is especially true in our current environment. As part of our ongoing commitment to consumer education on the road to recovery, I recently had the pleasure of partnering with Akbar Gbajabiamila, host of American Ninja Warrior, former football pro and financial fitness expert, for an Instagram Live event. Akbar is passionate about helping people develop a financial game plan and he understands having a good credit history is a key component of good financial health. During the Instagram Live event, I answered questions from Akbar’s fans and shared ways to improve your credit score through tools like Experian Boost. In case you missed it, you can watch the video recap on Akbar’s Instagram account (@akbar_gbaja) or at the following link: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CLpbdDJlaQ6/   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by 🇳🇬Akbar Gbajabiamila🇺🇸 (@akbar_gbaja) A positive credit history can be the gatekeeper to many of the things we all want in life, and we’re committed to helping facilitate fair and affordable access to credit for all consumers, including those in marginalized communities. This is one of the many reasons I’m passionate about my role at Experian. Educating consumers about credit is an important part of getting the economy as a whole humming again and helping those most in need. If you have additional questions about credit, feel free to check out the free resources below. Additional credit education resources and tools Join Experian’s weekly#CreditChat hosted by @Experian on Twitter with financial experts every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Visit the Ask Experian blog for answers to common questions, advice and education about credit. Add positive telecom, utility and streaming service payments to your Experian credit report for an opportunity to improve your credit scores by visiting experian.com/boost. You can request a free copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus once a week through April 20, 2022 by visiting annualcreditreport.com For additional resources, visit https://www.experian.com/consumereducationor experian.com/coronavirus.  

We recognize that COVID-19 has challenged Americans across the country, and nearly a year later, people are still struggling to recover. Among the more pressing issues for people has been navigating the financial landscape and hardships brought on by illness and high unemployment rates. At Experian, we empathize with consumers and are committed to helping them manage their financial lives. As part of this commitment, Experian, along with the other U.S. credit reporting agencies, is continuing to offer free weekly credit reports to all Americans for an additional year via AnnualCreditReport.com. At Experian, we view ourselves as the consumers’ bureau, and aim to help people  better position themselves as they recover from COVID-related hardships. We’re proud of our ongoing efforts to assist consumers, particularly during these difficult times. Financial and credit information is constantly updated, and we believe providing consumers with increased access to their credit reports will help them improve their financial health, monitor for lender updates and ensure there is no fraudulent or unfamiliar activity on their credit profiles. We are committed to helping facilitate access to fair and affordable access to credit for all consumers. Our goal is not only to help consumers build credit, but also to effectively manage it. Beyond our continued offering of free credit reports, consumers can access resources and educational materials to help learn about credit and other important personal finance topics. In fact, we recently launched our United for Financial Health project to empower vulnerable populations to improve their financial health through education and action. We’re continually exploring new ways to use our data and resources to empower consumers and to improve their financial health and recover from COVID-19; extending access to free weekly credit reports is just another step in that process.