Credit Washing

A term that has been in use for some time but has gained significant prominence in recent years as a major fraud risk, is "credit washing." Credit washing refers to the illegal practice of unlawfully suppressing or removing legitimate, accurate negative information from a consumer's credit report. In most cases, the negative information involved consists ... Read more

Putting the Brakes on Mortgage Trigger Leads

The highly anticipated Homeowners Privacy Protection Act will officially becomes effective on March 5, 2026. The primary objective of this legislation is to address and reduce the volume of unsolicited calls, emails, and text messages that consumers often receive following a credit inquiry related to a mortgage application. Up to this point, the three major ... Read more

Scorecard Hopping

Each credit score model consists of multiple Scorecards that assess distinct aspects of an individual's credit profile. The points assigned by these Scorecards collectively determine the overall credit score. Typically, each model includes between 8 to 12 Scorecards, which categorize consumers into different segments. Based on a consumer’s actions, changes to the credit report may ... Read more

Are Credit Scores Going Away?

Fannie Mae recently announced that a minimum credit score of 620 will no longer be a requirement for loan approval. This announcement has generated many questions within the industry. The straightforward answer is that credit scores are still a key factor and continue to hold the same level of significance as they did prior to ... Read more