Alternative Data and Credit Scoring

What is Alternative Data?

• Wikipedia article on alternative data, summing up major research.
• The Use of Alternative Data, from the Fair Lending Compliance Blog, Clark Abrahams’ (SAS) blog on new approaches to credit risk and granting access to credit.
• Alternative Data and Its Use In Credit Scoring (PDF), a presentation from February 2008 at the Philadelphia Fed.
• Alternative Data to Build A Credit Score overviews the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor’s research plans.

Alternative data research and advocacy organizations

• Center for Financial Services Innovation — Based in Chicago, IL, CFSI has partnered with PERC on the issue of alternative data.
• Payment Reporting Builds Credit (PRBC) — A credit bureau that allows consumers to self-report non-financial payment information.
• The Brookings Institution Urban Markets Initiative — Now defunct branch of the Brookings Institution, UMI dealt in alternative data research. Though UMI has now merged with PERC’s Information Policy Institute to form MAIN, the Brookings page contains all old publications.
• Credit Builders Alliance — An advocacy group to help the underbanked build credit. See also their section on alternative data.

Related articles

• Borrowing to Get Ahead, and Behind: The Credit Boom and Bust in Lower Income Markets (PDF) by Matt Fellowes and Mia Mabanta, Brookings Institution
• Credit Matters: Low Income Asset Building Challenges in a Dual Financial Service System (PDF) by Erik Belsky and Allegra Calder, Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University
• Consumer Credit Risk and Pricing by Darryl E. Getter, Journal of Consumer Affairs
• Credit Score Accuracy and Implications for Consumers (PDF) by the Consumer Federation of America
  

Relevant Legislation

• Fair Credit Reporting Act (PDF) is the American law that regulated the use of credit information (see also, the FTC resource site and the wikipedia article)
• Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (PDF) is an ammendment to the FCRA that includes provisions fighting identity theft.

Credit Bureaus and Scoring Agencies

• Equifax
• Experian
• TransUnion
• FICO Expansion Score includes data from alternative data sources.
• Anthem Report is a non-traditional credit report by First American that includes alternative data.
• LexisNexis’ RiskView uses alternative data to score non-traditional borrowers.

Information-Led Development

Online resources

• Private Credit Bureaus Around the World — from the IFC, a list of all private credit bureaus world-wide.
• Microfinance Gateway — run by CGAP, it is a comprehensive online resource for the global microfinance community
• Doing Business — The World Bank and the IFC’s compendium of business regulations and their enforcement in 181 countries

International NGOs and Multilaterals

• World Bank
• Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
• International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Disaster Recovery

• Oxfam America
• Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
• Foundation for the Mid South
• Louisiana Recovery Authority
• Louisiana Economic Development
• Small Business Administration
• FEMA
• Department of Homeland Security

Privacy

General Privacy Information

• Federal Trade Commission
• Privacy.org
• General Privacy — Studies by Michael Turner
• Direct Marketing Association
• Electronic Frontier Foundation

Financial Privacy Information

• Consumers Union
• National Association of Attorneys General
• Partnership to Protect Consumer Credit
• Financial Services Roundtable
• American Financial Services Association

Medical Privacy Information

• Health Privacy Project

Articles and Books

• The Government of Money : Monetarism in Germany and the United States (Cornell Studies in Political Economy)
• Germany Restructures : Opportunities in a Changing Market (Chamber World Reports)
• Impact of Data Restrictions on Charitable Organizations (Turner/Buc)

Outsourcing