With the constant (and improving!) changes in the consumer credit landscape, understanding the latest trends is vital for institutions to validate current business strategies or make adjustments to shifts in the marketplace. For example, a recent article in American Banker described how a couple of housing advocates who foretold the housing crisis in 2005 are now promoting a return to subprime lending.
Good story lead-in, but does it make sense for “my” business? How do you profile this segment of the market and its recent performance? Are there differences by geography? What other products are attracting this risk segment that could raise concerns for meeting a new mortgage obligation? There is a proliferation of consumer loan and credit information online from various associations and organizations, but in a static format that still makes it challenging to address these types of questions.
Fortunately, new web-based solutions are being made available that allow users to access and interrogate consumer trade information 24×7 and keep abreast of constantly changing market conditions. The ability to manipulate and tailor data by geography, VantageScore risk segments and institution type are just a mouse click away. More importantly, these tools allow users to customize the data to meet specific business objectives, so the next subprime lending headline is not just a story, but a real business opportunity based on objective, real-time analysis.
