Fair Isaac Innovation Will Restore Authorized User Accounts to Calculation of FICO 08 Scores
Patent-pending breakthrough will help protect score from credit repair and help lenders meet legal requirement of Equal Credit Opportunity Act
(Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA) - Fair Isaac Corp.(NYSE:FIC), the leading provider of analytics and decision management technology, announced today that its scientists have discovered a way to restore authorized user credit accounts to the calculation of FICO® 08 credit scores while materially reducing any potential impact to the score from tampering. Fair Isaac is now adding the patent-pending technology advance to its FICO® 08 formula. The company estimates that more than 50 million U.S. consumers are legitimate authorized users on another person's credit card.
"The hallmarks of FICO scores have been quality and innovation, and this technology advance is a great example," said Lisa Nelson, vice president of Global Scoring for Fair Isaac. "This breakthrough resolves an industry problem that we know has perplexed lenders and concerned regulators. We have developed technology that will reduce any impact on the FICO 08 score from intentional tampering, while allowing the scores of spouses and other genuine authorized users to benefit from their shared credit experience. This kind of innovation is why Fair Isaac's analytic scientists are regarded as the best in the world."
Adding the innovation to the FICO® 08 formula is expected to take Fair Isaac several weeks. The company is working closely with credit reporting agencies to bring the new FICO® 08 score to market as quickly as possible.
Helps Lenders Address Regulatory Requirement
Since its introduction in 1989, the FICO® score has helped lenders comply with an important federal regulation by automatically including authorized user accounts in the score's assessment of risk. Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), when lenders assess a spouse's credit risk they are required by law to consider the credit history of accounts which both spouses are permitted to use. With the introduction of Fair Isaac's innovation to the FICO® 08 formula, the FICO® score continues to help lenders meet this legal requirement. This information is not intended to be legal advice; lenders are encouraged to check with their own legal counsel to determine how best to meet regulatory compliance requirements.
Businesses seeking more information about the FICO® 08 score are welcome to direct inquiries to scoringsolutions@fairisaac.com.
FICO® 08 Fact Sheet
About Fair Isaac
Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FIC) transforms business by making every decision count. Fair Isaac's Decision Management solutions combine trusted advice, world-class analytics and innovative applications to give organizations the power to automate, improve and connect decisions across their business. Clients in 80 countries work with Fair Isaac to increase customer loyalty and profitability, cut fraud losses, manage credit risk, meet regulatory and competitive demands, and rapidly build market share. Fair Isaac also helps millions of individuals manage their credit health through the www.myFICO.com website.
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