Innovation

Innovation isn't just about creating the next big thing. It can solve problems, improve lives, and help businesses stay ahead in a rapidly changing world. So, what drives innovation? It starts with a culture of collaboration and entrepreneurship that inspires creativity. Our North America headquarters are in the center of Orange County, a community that fosters an environment where ideas flourish and partnerships thrive. For years, we’ve worked with Octane, a local non-profit organization focused on driving innovation and growth by connecting people, resources and capital to build a better future. Experian is committed to disrupting the status quo and supporting an environment where creativity can be unleashed. Armed with the power of data and the latest technologies, such as generative AI, we believe we can help better financial outcomes for the consumers and businesses we serve. I recently gave a keynote at Octane’s annual Tech Innovation Forum during OC Innovation Week, exploring how businesses can unleash creativity through the use of generative AI and highlighting five tenets companies can consider for the responsible use of generative AI, including: Engage with purpose: It’s important that companies identify their purpose in using the technology and how it can positively impact their business, employees and customers. They should start with creating a plan, including deciding who will be using AI, what jobs need to be done, what guidelines need to be set and a review process. Elevate creativity and drive automation: Businesses should harness AI to automate processes that are mundane or labor-intensive to enable employees to focus more of their time and energy on creativity. Excite, educate, and train employees: To ensure all employees understand the potential of generative AI, businesses should prioritize education and training for all employees from the start. This includes finding evangelists of the new technology within the company to stay up-to-date on the latest news and get teams excited about the possibilities. Ensure ethical, compliant and responsible use: In addition to employee trainings, it’s important to set up a group of leaders, such as a risk council, that can handle ongoing opportunities and risks and codify guidelines on the ethical usage of AI. Embrace change and be agile: With any new technology, companies need to be agile and ready to adapt to whatever changes may come. It’s important to foster a culture of learning to constantly evolve the generative AI landscape for the company and its clients. Innovation can fuel economic growth, drive progress, and shape the future. We’re dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration that creates opportunities for generations to come. Photo by © Octane/Michael Baker

In a panel discussion at a Bloomberg-hosted panel titled "AI and Data Analytics: The Path to Unleashing Hidden Insights," Diksha Gera, a Senior Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, moderated a session that included key insights from Shri Santhanam, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Software, Platforms, and AI at Experian. Santhanam shared his thoughts on the transformative influence of generative AI (GenAI) within the financial sector, underlining its potential to revolutionize traditional practices. Enhancing Core Processes Santhanam illustrated how GenAI is altering the landscape of financial institutions. By automating intricate tasks, improving customer interactions, and expediting product development, this technology is pivotal. It transforms time-intensive tasks into more efficient processes, significantly enhancing productivity. This shift allows employees to focus on more strategic, higher-value work, thereby boosting the overall efficiency of financial institutions. Managing Risks and Ensuring Compliance With the adoption of GenAI comes a host of inherent risks—privacy concerns, data integrity issues, and challenges in regulatory compliance. Santhanam underscored the critical need to balance these innovative strides with stringent security measures that protect customer data and comply with existing regulations. The commitment to aligning practices with regulatory standards and ethical guidelines is paramount as the financial sector continues to integrate AI into its core operations. Governance and Collaboration Effective governance is essential for the successful deployment of GenAI in finance. Santhanam advocated for a collaborative approach that includes risk management, legal, and technical teams. The development of robust governance frameworks supports ethical and compliant AI applications, which are crucial for fostering responsible innovation within the industry. The Future of GenAI Looking forward, Santhanam pointed to several trends that are shaping the future of  GenAI in the financial sector. These include pressures to reduce costs, increased demand for personalization, and the necessity for user-friendly interfaces. GenAI is set to play a key role in delivering personalized, efficient, and accessible financial services that respond to the evolving needs of customers. These insightful discussions, spearheaded by industry leaders like Bloomberg and moderated by experts such as Diksha Gera, emphasize Experian's leading role in navigating the potential and challenges of AI in financial services. The journey towards a more innovative and inclusive financial ecosystem is well underway, driven by the transformative capabilities of GenAI.

Recent technological advancements are ushering in a new era of innovation for businesses and consumers but can also help perpetuate fraud. Today we released our annual Future of Fraud Forecast, highlighting five fraud threats that businesses and consumers should be wary of this year, which include: Generative AI accelerates DIY fraud: The explosive popularity of generative AI has brought many benefits, but it’s also made fraud more accessible. Experian predicts fraudsters will use generative AI to accelerate “do-it-yourself” fraud with a wide range of deepfake content, such as emails, voice and video as well as code creation to set up scam websites and perpetuate online attacks. Fraudsters may also use generative AI to socially engineer “proof of life” schemes. Using stolen identities, fraudsters will leverage generative AI to create fake identities on social media. They can then interact online with these new profiles that look like a real consumer. This could dramatically increase the number of fraud attacks. To safeguard customers, companies will likely have to utilize multilayered fraud prevention solutions that “fight AI with AI.” Branches are cool again: Although there’s been a substantial migration to digital lending experiences, many consumers are heading in-person to bank branches to open new accounts or get financial advice. Consumers are doing this as they want to feel safer and think they’re avoiding online security risks by being in-person. When it comes to verifying identities at the branch, there can be human error or oversight that can happen in-person. According to an Experian report, 85% of consumers report physical biometrics as the most trusted and secure authentication method they’ve recently encountered, but the measure is only currently used by 32% of businesses to detect and protect against fraud. Experian forecasts that lenders will introduce more digital identity verification steps, such as physical biometrics, at branches for in-person account openings to protect legitimate customers and mitigate losses. Retailers hit with empty returns: With a rise in online shopping, fraudsters have found creative ways to scam some retailers and small businesses. The customer says they’re returning their purchased item but when the business receives the box, it’s empty. The customer then says they returned the product and it must have gotten lost in the mail. Experian predicts that more criminals will use this method to keep merchandise in 2024, leaving businesses with lost goods and revenue. Synthetic identity fraud will surge: During the pandemic, many fraudsters created synthetic identities but then quickly found easier methods to steal funds through various aid programs. Though they may have been dormant, these synthetic identities now have a few years of history. Experian predicts this will make it easier to elude detection — leading to fraudsters using those dormant accounts to “bust out” and steal funds over the next year. Businesses will need to collaborate more closely than ever with their fraud-prevention partners to review their current portfolios for synthetic identity accounts. Fraudsters expand into cause-related and investment deception: From fake GoFundMe campaigns, social media giveaways, investment opportunities and text fraud, fraudsters are employing new methods that strike an emotional response from consumers with cause-related asks or too-good-to-be-real offers to gain access to consumers’ vital, personal information. Experian predicts that these deceptive cause-related methods will surge in 2024 and beyond. To avoid becoming victims, consumers will have to be extremely cautious and confirm these opportunities, charities or texts are from the intended party before interacting with them. To mitigate fraud in 2024, businesses need to work with a trusted partner to implement a multilayered approach to identity verification and fraud prevention. Experian offers a full suite of automated tools that harness data and analytics to detect and prevent fraud. Learn more about Experian’s fraud prevention offerings here and register for our webinar for a deeper dive into these five fraud predictions and other emerging fraud trends.

In its 11th year, Experian's Data Breach Resolution group today released its annual Data Breach Industry Forecast for 2024. The report’s global outlook identifies potential moves cybercriminals near and far may take to penetrate organizations and cause chaos. The six predictions included offer commentary into the evolving landscape including the vulnerabilities in expansive data supply chains, what may be new targets, and the sophistication of cyber crews globally. A key reminder is that cybercriminals are working smarter not harder. Like many, they too are potentially leveraging modern tools like artificial intelligence. There may be sophisticated cybergangs operating like organized crime families. Also, hackers today could be backed by growing resources from nation-state sponsors. Their MO is not only stealing data to possibly sell on the dark web or deploy ransomware anymore. They can potentially reap benefits by disrupting economies or industries as we mention in our prediction, “No, not Mother Earth!” or use intellectual property as collateral or for personal gain outlined in the “Winning from the Inside” prediction, for example. There are always new ways of conducting “business” for cybercriminals. In the face of emerging cyber threats, organizations are urged to prioritize cybersecurity as a fundamental aspect of their operations. They should regularly update and reinforce security protocols, conduct thorough risk assessments, and invest in cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies. By staying vigilant and adopting a proactive cybersecurity stance, organizations can significantly mitigate the risks posed by the evolving tactics of cybercriminals in 2024 and beyond. Experian Global Data Breach Resolution offers international resources for companies impacted by a security incident and services include IdentityWorks℠ Global, multilingual call centers, and notifications covering more than 100 countries. Experian has also recently expanded capabilities to Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. To access the complimentary report, visit https://ex.pn/2024databreachindustryforecast.

In the chronicles of business evolution, one often recalls Amazon's humble beginnings as an online book seller before transforming into the e-commerce giant we know today.   Reminiscent of that journey, Experian has undergone its own transformation. It has long since ceased to be simply a “credit bureau” and has instead embraced a story that is far more dynamic and which defies this caricature. The Real Experian: When people associate Experian with being a credit bureau, our response is a resounding, “Yes, but that is only a part of our story." It is the beginning chapter—as data evolved to ‘Big Data’, we layered in technology to understand that data, catapulting our company into a different realm. Today, Experian is a global force with a presence in over 30 countries, boasting a team of 22,000 professionals dedicated to harnessing the power of data and analytics for the betterment of businesses, societies, and consumers worldwide. Embracing Data and Analytics: At the core of our story lies a commitment to embrace data and analytics in a way that only Experian can. We collaborate across our operations to deploy advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, and to tap into rich data. The result? A powerful impact on businesses, societies, and consumers alike. Only Experian can: We are proud to share our story of how we power opportunities in a way that only Experian can. Experian leaders worldwide provide a glimpse into what sets Experian apart in the modern landscape of advanced technologies and powerful analytics. You can read the 5-minute story here. Continual Evolution: Experian's evolution from the world's leading credit bureau to a global data and analytics powerhouse is an ongoing journey. Our vision propels us forward, driving us to continually redefine our role in an ever-changing landscape. As Experian continues to evolve, our commitment to making a powerful difference remains unwavering. Our story is one of transformation, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Join us on this journey, as we redefine what it means to be a global leader in data and analytics.

By the time Vikki Nunnery decided to join the U.S. Army, she was almost finished with her nursing degree. It was her senior year, on the cusp of achieving her Bachelor of Science. A professor piqued her interest in the military. “One of my instructors was an LPN. She deployed and did a presentation about being a nurse in the army. I came in (to the Army) as a registered nurse (RN) and am now a nurse practitioner,” Nunnery said. Now Lieutenant Colonel Nunnery, DNP, is married to a fellow military member, has two children and has been on active duty for 17 years. Between student loans and credit cards, she also accumulated a lot of debt. “We never talked about (money) at home. My family never talked about managing money,” Nunnery said. “Being married with kids, I’m trying to be more financially responsible for the future.” Experian and Operation HOPE are helping Nunnery do just that. She is a client of the expansion of its partnership, which offers new, no-cost dedicated resources specifically for active duty members, veterans and military families across the country. The program provides financial coaching and wellness, credit education and financial disaster preparedness. The unique circumstances of the military community impact their finances more than the general population. A survey shows servicemembers and their spouses have more difficulty paying some monthly bills and finding economic assistance because of overseas deployments and frequent moves, combined with rising inflation. “(This work) is personal. I’ve been working around military communities for over 10 years. I know the challenges,” said Jessica Hamel, financial wellbeing coach for Operation HOPE Inside Experian program. Hamel is a Gold Star sister and military spouse. Her husband’s divorce and her brother’s passing had negative financial impacts on their respective families. “Often with some of our younger soldiers, younger service members, they haven’t had life experience in terms of needing to budget. We have members of the military right now right out of high school and there’s not a lot of experience managing their own money. They’re quickly thrust into a place where they don’t have a support system to do that,” Hamel said. “What we see at some major bases is a lot of predatory financial institutions – payday lenders, title max loans, pawn shops, buy-here-pay-here dealerships.” "We have members of the military right now right out of high school and there’s not a lot of experience managing their own money. They’re quickly thrust into a place where they don’t have a support system to do that." Without a foundation of money management know-how, as service members move up in rank and earn more money, their habits can follow. Hamel stressed the importance of helping clients establish a foundation of knowledge and provide tools to help them address specific financial situations and their future. “Clients know they need to do something different than the way they grew up, but perhaps they grew up in generational poverty and they’re using the military to secure a job immediately, get job experience or support. They can make a great living in the military,” she said. “They don’t know what they don’t know, but they know they don’t have all the right information.” With Hamel’s guidance, Nunnery has set up a budget and developed habits that have led to increased savings, saving for a house, and a bump in credit scores. Hamel is also exploring whether Nunnery qualifies for public school loan forgiveness. The couple is planning to pass on these lessons to their kids, starting with opening their own checking accounts, and teaching them how to save, budget, and the importance of credit scores. “Without Jessica, we’d still be living paycheck to paycheck. I wasn’t paying attention to my accounts. I was just spending and spending,” Nunnery said. “Little things like a budget, where our money is going - she really helps us focus on these things. That’s really good support.” “We have so many people who haven’t learned about credit and then get blamed for a game they never got the rules to,” Hamel said. “I’m honored to be the coach for this program.” For more information about financial coaching and resources for servicemembers, military family or veterans, contact Jessica Hamel at Jessica.hamel@operationhope.org.

Early in my career, I gained a lot of knowledge about credit. But when I moved to the United States from Brazil, establishing credit was a challenge. I worked part-time in a credit card company call center during college. I come from a humble family, and through helping customers, I learned the ins and outs about credit and money management. But all the solid credit history I built up in my home country didn’t transfer to the U.S. When I immigrated, I had to pay upfront for everything from utilities to a cellphone and it made me feel at a disadvantage. Thanks to Experian Boost®i, our feature that allows you to build credit without debt, and responsible management of debt, my FICO® Scoreii quickly rose to reflect my true creditworthiness. But I’ll never forget how it felt to be invisible when it came to the credit system. Being seen is the first step to equitable access to financial tools. Now that Experian conveniently offers Experian credit reports in Spanish onlineiii, consumers who prefer to access information in Spanish will be able to directly comprehend their credit profile so they can feel empowered. Understanding your credit report is a critical component for your ability to make informed decisions about your finances. As the executive sponsor of our Juntos Employee Resource Group (ERG) and someone who was new to credit in the U.S., I know first-hand that being seen is the first step in a journey towards financial wellness. To help you be informed, Experian also has a Spanish-language credit e-book and articles at the Ask Experian blog. Learn more about my financial health journey and my colleague's through #ExperianStories. i Results will vary. Not all payments are boost-eligible. Some users may not receive an improved score or approval odds. Not all lenders use Experian credit files, and not all lenders use scores impacted by Experian Boost®. Learn more. ii Credit score calculated based on FICO® Score 8 model. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than FICO® Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether. Learn more. iii Only Experian credit reports are available in Spanish. All other services associated with an Experian membership are available in English only. English fluency is required for full access to Experian’s products. 

Generative A.I. is rapidly transforming every industry as we know it and introduces a whole new world of opportunity and risk. At Experian, we already have many years of experience in machine learning, neural network embedding and artificial intelligence. Because of this, we’re established as a trusted leader in the space and are uniquely positioned to champion the ethical, responsible and compliant use of generative A.I.  We manage the risk while advancing the opportunity.  This was one of the key themes emerging from a recent panel discussion for Bloomberg’s Intelligent Automation Event in London that I participated in with Thomas Duecke, COO, Digital at BT Group, Marc Palmer, CTO at T-Systems and Amy Thomson, Bloomberg’s EMEA Technology Team Leader. At Experian, we support the responsible use of generative A.I. to accelerate new product offerings, drive operational productivity, increase financial inclusion, and foster an adaptive approach to using the technology. I’m personally very passionate about this as my team is dedicated to creating innovative solutions that enable clients to better automate processes across a variety of use cases including fraud prevention, lending and process optimization. We’re always looking for new data-driven solutions that can create meaningful change for consumers around the world. That’s why our teams are focused on advancements through generative A.I. and identifying use cases across many aspects of our internal operations as well as within our customer-facing portfolio of products and services. We’re encouraged by the opportunities generative A.I. can facilitate when it comes to productivity. It can allow us to automate processes that are mundane or labor-intensive and enable employees to focus more of their time and energy on creative decision making, problem solving, and more effective collaboration. We’ll continue to leverage our expertise and knowledge in broader intelligence fields to uncover the opportunities this next chapter will provide for our business, clients and consumers. Bloomberg Intelligent Automation

You may have recently read that Experian®, alongside the other two credit bureaus, permanently extended free weekly access to consumer credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com. While I believe the move helps consumers more regularly review their credit reports, it only begins to scratch the surface of how we empower consumers to take control of their financial lives. People come to Experian looking for ways to improve their financial health. We have direct relationships with millions of consumers and listen to their wants and needs. That’s why we’ve transformed ourselves into the one stop shop for our members to address many facets of their financial journey. Whether it’s accessing credit education materials, monitoring their credit files, finding ways to save money or improving their credit history, consumers can come to Experian to find the tools and resources they need. Building creditFor instance, in 2019, we launched Experian Boost® --a first-of-its-kind feature that allows consumers to contribute positive payment information for eligible bills including utilities, telecom and even video streaming services, directly into their Experian credit file. Consumers can now also add positive residential rent payments through Experian Boost®1. More recently, we debuted Experian Go™—another first-of-its-kind feature designed to help “credit invisibles,” or people with no credit history, begin building credit. Credit invisibles who utilize the feature together with Experian Boost can establish an authenticated Experian credit report, tradelines and a credit history and, as a result, get access to financial offers. Staying on top of your informationBeyond our credit building offerings, we’ve long provided consumers the opportunity to access their Experian credit report and FICO® Score2, free-of-charge. By providing consumers access to their credit report and FICO® Score, we’re enabling them to better understand how they may look to lenders, identify potential fraud, determine the specific factors that are affecting their credit and how to improve it. In addition, our credit and dark web monitoring services help consumers detect whether their personal information is potentially available to fraudsters and protect against identity theft. Putting money back into your walletWe also recognize the value of saving money. As part of an Experian membership, we offer resources that can potentially help consumers save on the cost of their auto insurance and find the best credit card for their financial needs. We empower consumers to: Compare auto insurance policies. Consumers can comparison shop to potentially find a better rate on their current policy and save. The free Experian service delivers multiple, tailored rates from up to 40 leading and well-established auto insurance carriers, allowing consumers to quickly find and purchase an auto insurance coverage plan that meets their needs. Find the right credit card. Our free Marketplace makes it easy for consumers to compare different credit card options. We match consumers’ financial information against lender’s requirements to match them with the tailored offers. Every consumer deserves the opportunity to live their best financial life. Providing free resources to help consumers effectively navigate their financial journey is the best way to help them realize financial independence. While I’m proud of how we’ve helped consumers thus far, we will continue to innovate and offer consumers the tools to improve their financial wellbeing. [1] Results will vary. Not all payments are boost-eligible. Some users may not receive an improved score or approval odds. Not all lenders use Experian credit files, and not all lenders use scores impacted by Experian Boost®. Learn more. [2] Credit score calculated based on FICO® Score 8 model. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than FICO® Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether. Learn more. [3] Results may vary and some may not see savings.