Margin test

Experian announced today that its 34th annual Vision Conference will challenge attendees to “Think Big,” focusing on data- and analytics-driven solutions to attain quality business growth. One of the industry’s leading events, Vision 2015 will feature Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jr., legendary NBA athlete and businessman; Dr. Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State; and James W. Paulsen, Chief Investment Strategist at Wells Capital Management, as keynote speakers. Vision 2015 will be held May 3–6 at the Gaylord National Resort in the Washington, D.C. Area.

Every day, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created – in fact, 90% of the world’s data was created in only the last few years. With the staggering amount of data available, we have an unprecedented opportunity to uncover new insights and improve the way our world functions. The implications of these new capabilities are perhaps nowhere else as crucial as within our government. Public sector officials carry the great responsibility of conducting complex missions that directly affect our communities, our economy, and our nation’s future. The ability to make more informed, insightful choices and better decisions is paramount. Especially at a time of broader global unrest and uncertainty, Americans rely on our government to be transparent, fair, ready and to make the right decisions – our trust is in the hands of our elected officials and public servants.

Big data received a lot of press coverage in 2014; unfortunately, it wasn’t all kind. That’s too bad; because it’s not fair to lay the blame for every security lapse or e-mail misdeed squarely on big data. The truth is that some of the very technologies that are considered big data are in fact the same ones that best protect us from abuse. Like most technologies, big data can be used for good or it can be abused. However, I believe that the good that big data brings far outweighs any accompanying risks. While data security begins with common sense, and we must all deploy data security best practices, we should also appreciate the value in what big data offers.

It’s been an incredibly busy few months at Experian, not only with the debut of powerful new product features, but also the recent announcement that Experian now offers its members FICO® Scores through its direct-to-consumer products. Making FICO® Scores available through Experian products will allow consumers to boost their credit confidence more than ever before – allowing them to harness the power of a widely recognized family of credit scores to make wiser decisions about their financial futures. We think that knowledge might make those folks walk taller as they head to see their lenders.

With the New Year in full swing, it’s time to start turning thoughts to pulling together all the financial documents you’ll need to prep for tax time. A recent survey commissioned by Experian’s ProtectMyID shows that more and more consumers continue to file their taxes electronically – an estimated 81 percent of respondents plan to do so in 2015—but some are still unaware of the nature of tax-related identity theft (16 percent).