When arriving at the pearly gates hoping to qualify for a ticket into the promised land, would you rather be evaluated on your past behavior when you were young and reckless or your recent behavior as an adult who is making smarter lifetime decisions?

Stay with me, for the big jump . . . why should one late car payment 4 years ago wreak havoc with a consumer’s credit score, penalizing that person’s current financial status in unimaginable ways? Life happens, events are dynamic, some temporary, some permanent; new jobs, babies, promotions, demotions, injuries, stocks, windfalls, and COVID-19 all effect a consumer’s ability to pay her/his bills. Is there too much reliance on a credit score; shouldn’t there be a host of measurements analyzed to determine credit worthiness and ultimate risk?

No doubt, credit scores are an important tool for the lending industry, but the sacred number is just one tool. Think about all the loans that are rejected or the interest rates that aren’t reduced because of that late car payment 4 years ago. Interesting to note that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s number one offenders, representing 43% of all complaints, are the 3 Credit Bureaus. The biggest criticism, no surprise here, incorrect information that drags on for years without being resolved, negatively impacting a consumer’s credit history for all types of loans/payments: mortgage, car, furniture, bank, interest, job, insurance, apartment, etc. Trying to correct an error with the bureaus is often a full-time job, often resulting in frustration and wasted energy.

Referencing today’s data-focused technology, shouldn’t there be a better way than old news to evaluate a consumer’s financial habits? Credit bureaus could expand their technology to include a host of current measurable spending attributes. Lenders could consider using quantifiable scientific formulas, incorporating decision-making attributes in the current environment that can be examined and scored by data scientists. Using account intelligence, the resulting smart score can be used to identify fraud, credit risk, and the ability to pay-off loans.

Stage right RIBBIT, a groundbreaking company that analyzes a consumer’s recent bank transaction information to determine her/his credit worthiness. Thousands of attributes are matched up to a single consumer creating a customized picture of her/his financial behavior. By adding this enlightening piece of fiscal knowledge to the credit score, the evaluation formula is exponentially enhanced, reflecting a more accurate picture of a consumer’s ability to pay today, in real-time.

RIBBIT CEO, Shawn Princell and Chief Data Scientist, Steven Thompson, agree that their scientific bank transaction formula will change the way credit is evaluated, resulting in a more positive experience for consumers and more approvals by lenders.

Thompson adds that one of the most difficult factors to understand when evaluating credit has always been affordability. Our RevealedAffordability™ technology provides a realistic and instantaneous evaluation of that affordability so consumers and businesses have more opportunities.

Princell explains that the process to underwrite credit and ACH payment applications is extremely fragmented, especially in today’s economy. We’ve found that combining AI with bank data can more accurately predict affordability, payment risk, and KYC traits.

Just who is this brash new RIBBIT company that dares to poke at credit bureaus and tease the fintechs, lenders, banks, and retailers with an explosive new lending tool?!!

Stay tuned . . .