New Credit Scoring Models Won’t Work if Lenders Ignore Them

Chances are you’ve already heard some of the rumblings regarding the way new credit scoring models work. To recap, some of the newer models exclude any medical debt that consumers owe as well as the likes of settled delinquencies and collections. Under new scoring models, tax liens and civil judgments have also changed in the ways they are reported – all for the betterment of consumers. In a perfect world, this is great news for the consumer, as individuals are likely to see a boost in their credit scores and qualify for lower interest rates on long-term financed purchases like auto and mortgage loans. As a result of these changes, credit score boosts may be enough to qualify consumers that otherwise wouldn’t have even qualified for a loan. But there’s one problem – lenders aren’t embracing them to the same degree that consumers are. In fact, some are using old formulas to determine consumer risk that don’t exclude everything that we listed above.

Chances are you’ve already heard some of the rumblings regarding the way new credit scoring models work. To recap, some of the newer models exclude any medical debt that consumers owe as well as the likes of settled delinquencies and collections. Under new scoring models, tax liens and civil judgments have also changed in the ways they are reported – all for the betterment of consumers. In a perfect world, this is great news for the consumer, as individuals are likely to see a boost in their credit scores and qualify for lower interest rates on long-term financed purchases like auto and mortgage loans.

New Credit Scoring Models Won’t Work if Lenders Ignore Them. New Credit Scoring Models Won’t Work if Lenders Ignore Them”

As a result of these changes, credit score boosts may be enough to qualify consumers that otherwise wouldn’t have even qualified for a loan.

But there’s one problem – lenders aren’t embracing them to the same degree that consumers are. In fact, some are using old formulas to determine consumer risk that don’t exclude everything that we listed above.

Why Aren’t Lenders Using New Scoring Models?

So just why aren’t the majority of lenders using the new scoring models and instead relying on old FICO scoring formulas? That’s a good question, and it’s one where the answer varies based on the lender. For instance, some lenders have stated that they’re too small and the older formulas are a better indication of potential consumer risk. Other lenders, conversely, say that they’re too big to institute changes in how they determine consumer risk and that any change this significant could be disruptive to the way that they do business. Then there are the lenders who are just simply putting off integrating such formulas.

Whatever the reason, the true loser is the consumer in all of this. In a way, lender refusal to use new credit scoring formulas discourages responsible credit behavior. Think about it: Why should a consumer be motivated to pay off a collection if a settled collection is still going to be counted against them on their credit report and credit score? The refusal of lenders to adapt to the current times and the newer scoring models could actually prevent consumers from enacting credit repair strategies.

Taking things a step further, the lender would also benefit by adopting these new scoring formulas. That’s because weighing consumers under the new scoring formulas would likely earn them new customers that may not have qualified for a loan before. New customers and more customers equal more revenue for a firm. Isn’t growing to become more profitable the goal of any business, big or small? Credit scoring is changing to become more consumer-friendly. Lenders need to be changing too. It should be a win-win for both parties involved.