October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and Experian’s ProtectMyID® issued its new survey results about cybersecurity. The study, conducted by Edelman Berland, reveals areas where consumers’ identities are the most at risk, including electronic devices and online accounts. The findings show that 93 percent of respondents believe that identity theft is a growing problem yet are not doing enough to address the issue. “Most people recognize that identity theft presents a problem that could affect them financially but don’t take steps to protect themselves,” said Becky Frost, senior manager of consumer education for Experian’s ProtectMyID. “Identity thieves use data as their commodity, selling it to the highest bidder, or for personal gain, so it’s important for consumers to protect their personal information. Consumers overwhelmingly report taking steps to protect their physical and digital information, but 33 percent still do not feel confident that they are doing enough to protect their identities. In fact, 73 percent say they are concerned that they could be affected by identity theft in the future, and 90 percent note that people should be more concerned about identity theft. Take greater control when securing your personal information with these helpful tips: Change passwords on a regular basis Avoid sharing personally identifying information, such as your full birth date, on social networks Avoid using public Wi-Fi hotspots that make it easy for thieves to hack into the information stored on your mobile devices Password-protect your phone since it provides access to sensitive information and accounts Enable remote location and wiping software to track your phone if it’s lost or stolen, allowing to wipe all of the data from it Review credit reports regularly, and watch for signs of fraud Consider enrolling in identity-protection monitoring, and take action if you receive alerts that your identity could be compromised Check out what else these respondents said in the complete summary of our survey results here:

Experian–Oliver Wyman data reports $120 billion in new home-equity credit loans in past year; Q2 2014 saw new mortgage originations totaling $292 billion Costa Mesa, Calif., Sept. 29, 2014 — Mortgage origination volumes saw an increase of 15 percent in Q2 2014. Home-equity line of credit (HELOC) lending saw the biggest gains, according to Experian, the leading global information services company, as reported in its quarterly Experian–Oliver Wyman Market Intelligence report. Is the home refinancing boom over? “Home lending had an incredible two-year period from Q2 2011 to Q2 2013, with $4 trillion in mortgage origination volume; 71 percent of that, or $2.9 trillion, came from home refinancing,” said Linda Haran, senior director of product management and strategy for Experian Decision Analytics. “A look behind those numbers tells us that the total dollars originated over the past four quarters are about $1.3 trillion versus $1.8 trillion, showing a 30 percent decrease in annual origination volumes from the refinancing boom.” “However, those last four quarters show us that the mix of purchase-to-refinance volume has shifted to a fifty-fifty split between refinance and purchase volume activity. This equates to new purchase activity increasing by 22 percent in Q2 2014 from last year, signaling that consumers are getting back into the market. In the long term, this appears to set up the market for continued purchases into spring and summer of 2015.” $35 billion in new HELOC lending from Q2 2014 Home-equity lending increased 25 percent in Q2 2014 totaling $35 billion in new HELOC originations compared with Q2 2013. Looking at the past 12 months, HELOCs totaled $120 billion in new originations, representing a 27 percent increase compared with the previous 12 months. HELOC lending growth seen across all regions Double digit growth was seen in all regions compared to the numbers reported one year ago.  The two regions that led the trend in increasing HELOC origination volumes were the West Coast and the Northeast — with 27 percent and 15 percent year-over-year growth, respectively. California accounted for the highest volume of HELOC dollars originated in Q2 with $5.9 billion, followed by New York with $2.2 billion and Pennsylvania with $2.0 billion. Make sure to join us for the Q3 2014 Experian–Oliver Wyman Market Intelligence Report webinar. About the data The data for this insight and analysis was provided by Experian’s IntelliViewSM product. IntelliView data is sourced from the information that supports the Experian–Oliver Wyman Market Intelligence Reports and is accessed easily through an intuitive, online graphical user interface, which enables financial professionals to extract key findings from the data and integrate them into their business strategies. This unique data asset does this by delivering market intelligence on consumer credit behavior within specific lending categories and geographic regions.

Experian Marketing Services, a recognized leader in data-driven marketing, today unveiled OmniView™, a persistent data-linkage technology that creates a real-time single customer view, as part of the Experian Marketing Suite. The single customer view, or persistent identity, created by OmniView allows organizations to increase the precision, authenticity and sophistication of their marketing campaigns across channels and devices. Since introducing the industry’s first linkage-technology product, Experian Marketing Services has been the go-to resource for identity-linkage issues among database and customer relationship management (CRM) marketers. With the launch of OmniView, Experian Marketing Services extends its market-leading linkage expertise beyond database and CRM marketers to the digital-advertising industry. OmniView resolves pivotal issues plaguing advertising effectiveness, including data quality, accuracy, authenticity and precision. OmniView creates a persistent identity that gives key players within the digital advertising ecosystem — including advertisers, publishers, digital analytics providers and data management platforms — the ability to verify, match and manage identities efficiently in a privacy-protected way from all data sources. “The advertising industry needs a common denominator — a ubiquitous, consistent and persistent link across all channels — to execute legitimate 1-to-1 marketing, and OmniView is that common denominator,” said Rick Erwin, president, consumer insights and targeting, Experian Marketing Services. “OmniView breaks new ground in identity linkage technology in that it gives advertisers the ability to verify, understand and engage with their customers at a scale and accuracy that is unprecedented. This has been the centerpiece of Experian Marketing Services’ strategy for more than 20 years.” A single customer view for addressable advertising According to recent research from Experian, 99 percent of companies believe that achieving a single customer view is important to their business, but only 24 percent say they have a single customer view today. For solutions where media is being activated in addressable advertising, OmniView is the linkage engine that connects an advertiser’s or marketer’s CRM data to Experian’s data, as well as media channels, in a secure, privacy-compliant manner. OmniView gives advertisers a single customer view by establishing identification keys for consumers at an individual, household and address level that serve as a common denominator between all data sources. OmniView is built to process and reconcile large amounts of fragmented data from both third- and first-party sources, including social, email, mobile and transactional data. OmniView features a real-time application programming interface that allows marketers to understand the behavior of their customers as they move in and out of channels and make “in the moment” marketing decisions. A high-speed, high-scale platform, OmniView delivers results in real-time or batch processing. For example, marketers can connect a social-media follower to a display-advertising campaign and know if that follower made a purchase in a brick-and-mortar store. A central element of the Experian Marketing Suite’s Identity Manager, OmniView stands out from other linkage technology products in market through its accuracy. It leverages the most accurate data and the most accurate linkage technology in market. Experian Marketing Services' linkage capabilities excel in reliability and accuracy, with accuracy rates of two times, three times and five times greater than other major vendors. This accuracy ensures meaningful experiences for the consumer that fosters loyalty and repeat purchases to the brand. Learn more about OmniView: http://ex.pn/1mEn5qO

Experian is proud to be one of the sponsors and participate in the FinCon 2014 conference, taking place September 18-21 in New Orleans, Louisiana. FinCon is an opportunity for financial media to come together to learn what’s trending in personal finance, share best practices for successful social engagement and how, as a community we can enhance financial education. If you are going to FinCon, we have lots planned! Since the conference is just days away, we wanted to highlight some of the ways you can join in the Experian fun. Join Experian’s Mike Delgado on Friday at 1:30 p.m., as he moderates the session, How to Build a Thriving Community: Top bloggers share engagement strategies that work Are you a community builder or social media manager? Let's get together and chat over coffee on Saturday, September 20th at 8 a.m. Stop by our booth to say hi to the #CreditChat crew, learn more about credit and win some goodies! Find #FinConFreddie! Be on the lookout for “FinCon Freddie” throughout the conference venue. If you happen to spot one of these little hoppers, follow the instructions to claim your $25 gift card. There are eight chances to win, so keep your eyes peeled! Even if you can’t make it to #FinCon14, follow Experian on Instagram and @Experian_US on Twitter for clues where #FinConFreddie is hiding and to learn more credit insights.

The following article is a guest post from Dara Duguay, executive director, Credit Builders Alliance. A good credit history is crucial in today’s economy. Far more than just a number, a good credit score can make the difference in being able to access the affordable lending products necessary to go to college, buy a home, or start and grow a small business. Renting an apartment, paying for car insurance, signing up for utilities and even landing a job can also be affected by a person’s credit history – or the absence of one. Unfortunately, for many of the 64 million Americans with no or “thin” credit files, the ability to establish a good credit history is hampered by lack of access to affordable mainstream credit building financial products. A disproportionately large number of these individuals are low-income and many live in areas underserved by traditional financial institutions. They depend on predatory financial service providers who do not report their borrowers' on-time payments. Thus, many of these low-income households find themselves trapped in a vicious credit cycle: the use of predatory financial products prevents them from building good credit and their impaired or nonexistent credit furthers ongoing dependence on asset stripping alternative financial products. Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) launched CBA Reporter in 2006 as a way for non-profit lenders to help build the credit history of disadvantaged entrepreneurs and consumers by reporting their monthly repayments to the major Credit Bureaus. Experian has been a partner in CBA’s Reporter service since CBA’s inception. This service enables non-profit lenders to offer their clients not only a loan to start a business or meet a household need, but also the ability to build a positive credit history. By strengthening one’s credit history, their access to affordable financial products and services will also be strengthened. CBA is proud to have partnered with Experian in a first-ever national study of CBA’s membership to understand the impact of reporting loan repayments on one’s financial health. The analysis confirmed exactly what our experience has shown to be true—when people pay regularly on their credit obligations and these payments are reported to a credit bureau—individuals will benefit through building stronger credit reports and scores. The results of Experian’s analysis supports credit building as a strong tool to assist the most vulnerable to become more financially stable and prosperous.

Over the last few years, there has been a plethora of attention around hybrid and electric vehicles, from both consumers and media alike. Whether it’s due to the fact that consumers have become more environmentally conscience, or that fuel economy standards have begun to take shape, alternative-powered vehicles have steadily risen in popularity. But as the rest of the automotive industry continues to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles, can we expect this “green” car segment to keep growing? Register for quarterly updates: http://ex.pn/1AzlzXB According to Experian Automotive’s most recent report looking at automotive market share and registration trends, the answer appears to be that the segment’s growth has hit a wall. In the first half of 2014, new sales for alternative-powered vehicles decreased by 3.6 percent from the previous year. This marks the first time that “green” cars have experienced a regression in new sales since the recession in 2009. “Despite arguably being the most talked about vehicle segment in recent memory, we’re beginning to see new sales of alternative-powered vehicles come down slightly,” said Brad Smith, director for Experian Automotive. “While the reduction could be caused by any number of reasons, we have to keep in mind that there have been significant improvements in gas mileage across all car segments. This combined with the fact that smaller economy vehicles are typically several thousand dollars less than alternative-powered vehicles, consumers are able to get similar car value for their money.” Findings from the report also showed that entry-level CUVs took over the top spot as the number one vehicle segment among new registrations in the first half of the year. Small economy cars rose to the second spot, while full-sized pickup trucks, which was the top vehicle segment in the first half of 2013 fell to number three on the list. Additionally, the top five CUV models in the first half of 2014 were the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue. The top five small economy car models during the same time period were Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Sentra. Other findings from the report include: • Total vehicles in operation in the second quarter of 2014 reached 249.4 million, an increase of 1.5 million vehicles from a year ago • The average age of vehicles (rolling average of current 15 model year vehicles) decreased to 7.6 years in Q2 2014 from 7.7 years in Q2 2013 • Ford, International and Freightliner were the top three vehicle makes for medium and heavy duty vehicles on the road in Q2 2014 • In Q2 2014, 82.2% of all medium and heavy duty vehicles were powered by diesel fuel • All regions saw a decrease in used vehicle registrations in the first half of 2014, with the exception of the northeast, which saw a 1.8 percent improvement • Ford F-150, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord were the top 3 vehicle models in the first half of 2014

As the increased buzz about Big Data has filtered into Washington, D.C., policymakers have sought to learn more about Big Data, the technology that drives it, and the benefits and potential impacts for consumers. To that end, there have been three government reports released over the past year — two issued (1) by the Obama administration that focused explicitly on Big Data and one by the Federal Trade Commission (2) that centered on “data brokers.” The upside of Big Data: The reports found that in most instances Big Data promises important societal, public safety and economic benefits, including: • Aiding in the detection of health-related outbreaks • Reducing traffic • Fostering the development of innovative products The perceived challenges of Big Data: All three reports also focused on some of the challenges of Big Data, such as the need for greater transparency and accountability regarding data collection and use practices. They also found that Big Data presents the potential for discrimination against underserved communities. However, the reports failed to address the fact that there are fair lending, fair housing and equal employment laws already on the books (3) that regulators can use to address discriminatory practices. More important, however, is that all three reports failed to recognize that Big Data can bring immense opportunity for improving financial inclusion among our nation’s underserved communities. An estimated 60 million Americans are considered “credit invisible” Many reading this blog may take it for granted that credit can be accessed easily through a credit card or an auto, a mortgage or a student loan. However, for an estimated 60 million Americans who are considered to be “credit invisible,” this isn’t the reality. Today’s automated underwriting systems rely on a credit score. Thus, consumers without a proven track record of meeting financial obligations often are unable to access affordable credit simply because they don’t have a score or they have a credit history so thin that it cannot be scored. Without access to mainstream financial products, these consumers often are forced to rely on high-priced, short-term loans, some of which are from lenders that are predatory in nature. Big Data’s role in helping “credit invisibles” So how can Big Data help these people build a financial history and identity? While credit invisible consumers may not have traditional credit history, most make their cable, utility or mobile payments on time. This data, however, is not generally included in their credit file, as telecommunications companies and utilities typically report only late payments or when an account has been sent to collections. Of course this could be remedied if these entities started to report on-time positive payments to the credit reporting agencies, just as financial institutions do today. A recent study by PERC and the Brookings Institution found that including on-time payments from energy, utility and telephone firms would shrink the population of credit invisibles to around 5 million (4). Research (5) also has shown that it would be a net positive for underserved communities: • Twenty-two percent of Hispanics, 21 percent of African Americans and 21 percent of those earning $20,000 or less annually could be accepted for mainstream offers of credit • Fourteen percent of those aged 25 or younger could move into the traditional banking system Policymakers can help by clarifying that federal law allows for telecommunications companies and utilities to report on-time payment data and give consumers credit for paying their bills on time. Including this as part of the larger Big Data debate is critical in demonstrating that more predictive data in the credit system can help consumers. It’s not just telecommunications and utility data that can be included in credit reports. A recent analysis by Experian RentBureau uncovered how the addition of rent payment data to credit files can help financially excluded consumers gain access to traditional financial services. Specifically, 100 percent of the previously unscoreable study participants now are credit-scoreable, with the majority falling into the least risky prime category. Additional findings from the report are available here. Financial inclusion through improved scoring models and analytics Big Data’s financial empowerment potential can be unleashed through wider adoption of more inclusive credit scores. VantageScore® (6), for example, utilizes advanced analytics and reaches deeper into the credit file by integrating new data points, like rental payments, to help score consumers who previously were unscoreable. The impact of these analytics equates to bringing into the financial mainstream between 30 million and 35 million creditworthy consumers who previously would have been unscoreable using legacy credit scoring models. This is just one example of how advanced analytics using Big Data sets derived from credit databases can help achieve the goal of greater financial inclusion. In conclusion, as illustrated by the many examples provided throughout this blog post, Big Data can bring immense opportunity for improving financial inclusion among our nation’s underserved communities. At Experian, we remain committed to helping expand the creditworthiness of individuals and furthering financial inclusion through Big Data analytics — a clear positive for consumers, industry and our nation. Written By: Tony Hadley, Senior Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs at Experian     (1) http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/big_data_privacy_report_5.1.14_final_print.pdf http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/05/01/pcast-releases-report-big-data-and-privacy  (2) http://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/data-brokers-call-transparency-accountability-report-federal-trade-commission-may-2014/140527databrokerreport.pdf (3) Fair Credit Reporting Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Truth in Lending Act, among others (4) http://financialservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hhrg-112-ba15-wstate-mturner-20120913.pdf (5) http://www.perc.net/subsidiaries-affiliates/alternative-data-institute-adi/alternative-data-initiative-sign-letter/ (6) VantageScore® is a registered trademark of VantageScore Solutions, LLC.

The following article is a guest post from Paul Combe, President and CEO of Boston-based American Student Assistance. According to recent Experian research, student loans were the only type of consumer debt to increase during the recession, growing 84 percent from 2008 to 2014. Today, 40 million Americans carry college loans. The average borrower has nearly four different student loans for a total of $29,000. Keeping track of multiple loan payments and high debt can mean a rough financial start for newly minted college graduates. Evidence is mounting that student debt could be getting in the way of our economic recovery, as growing numbers of millennials delay forming their own households under the weight of their student debt burden. But amid all the student loan doom and gloom is this stark reality: higher education remains the key to unlocking the American Dream. It remains the surest path to individual prosperity and economic mobility. College graduates still enjoy far greater earnings and far less unemployment than those with no college degree. In fact, Experian’s data show 18- to 34-year-olds with student loans make an average annual income of $42,000, vs. $34,000 for all credit active consumers in the same age group. A college-educated workforce also contributes more in income tax, relies less on government-provided services, and overall helps the United States retain global competitiveness. In short, how do we reconcile these two things – the national need for a qualified, educated workforce on one hand, and on the other the need of the workforce to take on substantial amounts of debt to achieve that education? One answer is to teach students how to make the debt manageable. Sensational media coverage aside, student debt actually is controllable when students and graduates have the financial know-how, tools, and advice to cope with it. According to Experian, consumers aged 18-34 with at least one open student loan have credit scores 20 points higher than those without student loans, indicating that student loans can help build and establish credit for young adults. High scores also suggest that responsible student loan borrowing will potentially increase their scores and the ability to get credit in the future. At the nonprofit American Student Assistance®, we run a free-to-the-user educational resource called “SALT™” that provides students the money knowledge for college and beyond that they need to pay for and pay back college costs. SALT teaches three principles that all student loan borrowers, past and present, should live by: Borrow less. What’s the best way to manage debt? Not have it in the first place. That doesn’t mean you have to downsize your college plans or always go for the cheapest education possible. What it does mean is that you should exhaust all “free” financial aid, like grants and scholarships, before you turn to loans. Always fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), even if you don’t think you’re eligible for any federal aid. And if you’re borrowing to cover costs of living in addition to tuition, fees and books, remember the old adage to live like a student now so you don’t have to after graduation. Borrow smarter. Not all student loans are created equal. Federal student loans offer very flexible repayment terms that allow you to suspend or lower your monthly payment in times of unemployment or economic strain. Private student loans generally don’t offer the same repayment rights. Be mindful of the type of loan you’re borrowing and ask upfront about the repayment arrangements. A general rule of thumb is to always take out federal loans first and turn to private loans as a last resort. Repay well. Your student loan choices don’t end at the application process. Federal student loans come with a plethora of repayment plans that you need to thoroughly research and investigate, from spreading out payments over the standard 10 years, to extending the payment term, to paying interest-only for the first few years, to basing payment on your income. Evaluate all your options before you begin repayment, and then be sure to evolve your payment strategy as your economic circumstances change over the years. Bottom line: Policy debates about college costs and the value of education will rage on for years, but we can improve our nation’s student loan situation right now by teaching student borrowers how to make smarter decisions along every step of the student loan process. Paul Combe is President and CEO of Boston-based American Student Assistance, the nonprofit creator of the free educational resource SALT™ that provides students with money knowledge for college and beyond.

Experian® chosen for its integration with Symitar, along with streamlined delivery and advanced real-time decisioning  Costa Mesa, Calif., September 8, 2014 — Experian®, the leading global information services company, today announced that American 1 Credit Union and Credit Union of Southern California selected Experian’s Decisioning as a ServiceSM for its Instant Prescreen service that identifies quality prospects for additional product offerings. The real-time instant prescreen (also known as prescreen of one) capability of Decisioning as a Service integrated with the credit unions’ Episys® system from Symitar provides an opportunity for the organizations to cross-sell to creditworthy members and improve business performance. The credit unions were looking for a service that was cost-effective, quick to deploy and easy to integrate and provides accurate decisions based on Experian’s vast data and analytical assets. “American 1 chose Experian’s Decisioning as a Service for instant prescreen because we were looking for an additional tool to help us increase our auto loan and credit card portfolios,” said Martha Fuerstenau, executive vice president at American 1 Credit Union. “We recognize that the key to achieve our goal was to empower the frontline and give them confidence to make that cross-sell while they are serving the members. Because of this new feature, American 1 has increased the number of loan applications that are generated from the account specialist team.” “It was important to have a seamless process in place at the teller line so that the member did not have additional wait time while the instant prescreen was being completed,” stated Dennis Wendorf, director of research and development at American 1 Credit Union. “By using Decisioning as a Service, our frontline is able to view whether or not a member is preapproved for an auto loan or a credit card with just a few clicks on the Symitar system.” “Experian continually invests in developing services that make a positive shift in the way our industry operates and give more options to consumers that enhance their credit profiles,” said David Proctor, vice president, Consumer Information Services, Experian. “The instant prescreen aspect is just one extension of our Decisioning as a Service product. The foundation of our service is the integrity of our data assets, deep analytics capabilities and the predictability of the scoring models, which, when they are combined, provide a powerful holistic decisioning tool that assists businesses in attaining growth and increasing profitability.” Experian’s Decisioning as a Service is an instant decisioning service engineered to help clients gain greater value from data and decisioning products. It does so by providing flexible, real-time access to more data sources, attributes, scores and analytics for key decision areas such as instant prescreen and credit underwriting. Visit our Decisioning as a Service and Instant Prescreen sites to learn more.