The Score

Originations across many product types – mortgage, credit cards, and the like -- were all lower in 2023 than the year prior. Historically high interest rates pinched consumers and made it less appealing to open new lines of credit. 

Will 2024 be more of the same? What can consumers and lenders alike expect in the coming year? Is the economy’s elusive ‘soft landing’ anywhere in sight?

Kelsey Zhu, Lead Analyst at Bernstein/Au...

Spending is up! Delinquencies are up? And oh, it's an election year!  

With the resumption of student loan payments, persistent inflation, and other potential challenges, what can consumers expect in 2024? To be sure, all eyes will be on the economic health of consumers. 

This week, Susan Fahy joins THE SCORE Podcast to discuss what CreditGauge reveals about Americans’ current credit health. Susan is VantageScore’s EVP...

Recent news headlines indicate that consumers shopped big this past holiday season, and retail numbers, on the surface, appeared to be up. But given notable economic pressures like record-high inflation, how much of that was just paying ‘more’ for ‘less’? And how can consumers make sure they’re getting the best possible deal when using credit? 

 This week’s guest on The SCORE is Matt Schulz, Chief Credit Analyst at Lending Tree, Ame...

In 2023, consumers balanced various financial challenges: the lingering effects of record inflation, rising credit card balances, and student loan payment resumption, among others, leaving many to explore financial products that help make changing personal budgets more manageable. In the same year, credit unions stepped in to fill gaps created by larger financial institutions and provide additional options for consumers currently e...

As many outlets are currently reporting, in many parts of the United States, renting is now far cheaper than buying property. Various economic factors like interest rate hikes and rising costs have created a housing system in which many Americans are renting. But does being excluded from homeownership preclude renters from using those payments to build and improve credit scores?

This week on The SCORE, we’re joined by Kri...

$340 billion.

That figure was the commitment offered by corporations looking to help address historical injustices in American society and help close the racial wealth gap in the wake of the death of George Floyd. 

This week, Donovan Duncan joins The SCORE to explore where corporations and communities currently stand with regard to making good on that commitment. Mr. Duncan is Executive Vice President at Urban Strategies, I...

The U.S. economy is, in many ways, the envy of the world, and millions migrate annually to this country to participate and live out the ‘American Dream.’ However, inequitable access to the financial tools that preclude milestone moments, like purchasing a home, can become barriers to the ‘credit invisible’ or those otherwise unaccounted for in the financial services marketplace.

 So, how can fintech leaders help broaden the tent, an...

Do health and wealth go hand in hand? 

Financial issues are commonly considered one of the primary sources of stress for many people and money is a well-documented reason for divorce, for instance.  But is there a real link between the two? And do your current money habits spell trouble for your long-term health?

To help answer these questions, Dr. Sean Hundtofte joins The SCORE to explore the correlation between financial ...

This fall, an estimated 44 million borrowers will stretch their personal budgets once again, adding yet another item to their bottom line – a federal student loan payment. If you don’t know where to start your repayment journey, you’re not alone. 

Dan Currell, CEO of the Digital Commerce Alliance and Former Deputy Under Secretary and Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education, joins THE SCORE to help borrowers figure out whe...

A year ago, VantageScore funded a pilot program in partnership with the Credit Builders Alliance aimed at using data and analytics to extend credit counseling and credit scoring information to areas of the United States with large concentrations of lower income consumers. Interested in the results?

The latest episode of THE SCORE podcast features Dara Duguay, CEO of Credit Builders Alliance and Joe Lauchlan, a Financial Coach with t...

Is there a tradeoff between expanding the pool of potential mortgage eligible consumers and sacrificing risk management? 

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has mandated use of VantageScore 4.0 with a 3-year roadmap for implementation. Meanwhile, millions of creditworthy consumers are on the outside of the American Dream of homeownership, looking in. 

On this wee...

We’ve all seen ads beckoning consumers to ‘FIX YOUR CREDIT’! But – is this possible, and perhaps more importantly – are consumers helped or hurt by ‘credit repair’ agencies?

On this week’s episode of The SCORE, hear from Dan Smith, President and CEO of the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA). Beyond leading the CDIA, Dan Smith has over 20 years of experience navigating the complex consumer credit ecosystem. 

Dan joins...

It's maybe the least understood aspect of credit scoring: a 700 score today will represent a totally different risk during the next credit cycle. And as macro-economic issues change, so does the risk that any score represents.  

During the pandemic, consumer credit health was positively impacted by various factors such as government stimulus payments, suspended student loan obligations, and resulted in increased perso...

Atif Mirza, Vice President of Digital at VantageScore joins The SCORE to discuss the post-pandemic shift to digital in the financial services sector and the tools VantageScore offers lenders – namely CreditGauge, Inclusion360, and RiskRatio – that help expand the lendable pool in a way that positively impacts financial outcomes in underserved populations.

Atif explains how lenders and other market participants leverage new tools and...

What does the future of fintech actually look like? How do companies balance innovation with the need to preserve competition and to expand financial inclusion?

Phil Goldfeder is the Chief Executive Officer at the American Fintech Council, a leading association representing responsible fintech companies creating critical access to safe and affordable financial services. 

Phil recently spoke with THE SCORE’s host J...

Over the course of the next few months, the resumption of student loan payments is likely to change household budgets for over 40 million Americans – one of the most significant changes to their personal finances and since the start of the pandemic. 

Data scientists Dr. Andrada I. Pacheco and Ritika Sinha recently joined THE SCORE to discuss VantageScore’s perspectives and insights on how consumer behavior (and by extension, consume...

Millennials and Gen Z have very specific financial habits. What drives these habits and how can lenders better serve the younger population?  

Kyle Woodley is the Editor-In-Chief of Young and the Invested, an online publication for young people who want to learn how to plan, manage, and invest their money with confidence.  

Kyle recently spoke with THE SCORE and helped decipher Millennials and Gen Z’s money motives. How do ...

Hear from Dr. Lisa Loury Lomas, Eastern Area Director, joined The Links, Incorporated about how the organization is addressing key challenges facing our underserved communities and how friendship and service can actually serve as a catalyst for change.

THE SCORE spoke with Dr. Lomas, a renowned psychologist about The Links, Incorporated’s history and upcoming conference where everything from discussions about money matters, and hung...