The Center for Competitive Credit (CCC) is devoted to issues related to the price and distribution of consumer credit, at the state, federal, and international level.
Credit reporting world-wide is not standardized. Differening reporting regimes include different information -- some include both positive and negative financial information (such as loans), some include only negative financial information (defaults on loans), some include only negative non-financial payment information (such as defaults on utility or telecom payments), and some include both positive and negative non-financial information (so-called alternative data). The impacts of these regimes on lending and wealth creation in their nations should not be underestimated -- the CCC has found that even for a nation with an advanced lending infrastructure like Japan could increase its GDP by 0.33 percentage points by switching to a full-file regime.
The Center researches and advocates information-rich credit reporting. It has examined regimes in Brazil and Latin American, Japan, Australia, and has advocated the use of alternative data in the United States. The Center has found that those outside of the mainstream credit system have risk profiles similar to those within. Furthermore, the underbanked are more likely to be women, racial minorities, or the young, and that increased information disproportionately benefits those subgroups while not affecting those already in the system. The Center seeks to research effects on robust information in credit files and to extend credit to the underbanked, world-wide.
