Omnichannel Communications Will Help Lenders Align to Latest FCA Support for Motor Finance Customers

London, 20th July 2020 –

Global analytics software provider FICO has responded to the extended support[1] announced by the FCA for motor finance customers facing continued financial difficulties, which came into force on 17th July.

"With the latest ONS[2] data showing that the UK payroll dropped by 650.000 in June, and many millions still on furlough, more people than ever need help managing their finances," said Bruce Curry, vice president for collections and recovery consulting and sales at FICO. "The FCA's extended support for those on motor finance and other high-cost credit is a welcome measure but will be challenging for many lenders to implement.

"The FCA has made it clear that care must be taken over the handling of vulnerable customers. But it's not just about those who are typically profiled as vulnerable; there will be many borrowers who are facing financial hardship for the first time, due to COVID-19. Lenders need to find not only the right solution for these people, but the right way to communicate with them, at a massive scale, to reach the best outcome for both parties."

FICO is advocating omnichannel communications strategies, directed by good data and analytics. Automated two-way dialogues across email, SMS, mobile apps, IVR and online sites become more powerful when driven by analytic strategies. And the firm believes that in terms of time-to-value, omnichannel communications are one of the quickest, most powerful solutions that lenders can implement, with a high return on investment.

“The key issue is to make sure the right data is being collected right now,” added Bruce Curry. “Lenders need to collect more data than what they have captured in the past, in order to understand the differences between COVID-19 related debt and non-COVID related debt, and to identify the customers that classic collections risk analytics apply to and those for whom it won’t work.

"It is also important to determine the likely return to financial good profile by customer segment, including whether they work in a protected industry; what circumstances drove their reduction of income; what has been the true level of impact on disposable income; and what is their likely return to good curve given their household dynamics and industry sector. By truly understanding the customer circumstances, lenders can communicate with the right frequency, through the most effective channel, for the optimal end result."

Über FICO
FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956 and based in Silicon Valley, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 195 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 100 countries do everything from protecting 2,6 billion payment cards from fraud, to helping people get credit, to ensuring that millions of airplanes and rental cars are in the right place at the right time.

Learn more at https://www.fico.com

FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

[1] https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-confirms-further-support-motor-finance-and-high-cost-credit-customers

[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/july2020

Contacts:
FICO UK PR Team
Wendy Harrison/Parm Heer/Matthew Enderby
ficoteam@harrisonsadler.com
0208 977 9132

Julie Urquhart
FICO
T +44 (0) 207 940 0289
julieurquhart@fico.com
www.fico.com