The Score

Apr 03 2024 4

The Score Podcast artwork

Join Jeff Richardson he hosts VantageScore’s newly recast podcast, THE SCORE podcast, for the lending community. Each week he and his guests—journalists, academics, researchers, and others in the know—explore concepts important to lenders like you. Tune in and learn what you need to know to tap new credit-worthy borrowers to grow your portfolio—while supporting financial equality and inclusion.

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What's Next for the Housing Market?

Apr 03 2024 14 mins

Whether you’re a renter or a homeowner, you likely have already had to contend with some of the challenges of the current housing market. While buyers and current homeowners faced persistently high mortgage rates and low housing supply in recent years, renters also faced steep cost increases in many markets. Will 2024 be more of the same?Selma Hepp is the Chief Economist for Core

Reasons for Optimism: A 2024 Consumer Credit Outlook

Mar 18 2024 17 mins

Originations across many product types – mortgage, credit cards, and the like -- were all lower in 2023 than the year prior. Historically high interest rates pinched consumers and made it less appealing to open new lines of credit. Will 2024 be more of the same? What can consumers and lenders alike expect in the coming year? Is the economy’s elusive ‘soft landing’ anywhere

Consumer Credit Health in 2024

Feb 13 2024 9 mins

Spending is up! Delinquencies are up? And oh, it's an election year! With the resumption of student loan payments, persistent inflation, and other potential challenges, what can consumers expect in 2024? To be sure, all eyes will be on the economic health of consumers. This week, Susan Fahy joins THE SCORE Podcast to discuss what CreditGauge reveals about Americans’ current

Are Consumers Confident in 2024?

Jan 29 2024 14 mins

Recent news headlines indicate that consumers shopped big this past holiday season, and retail numbers, on the surface, appeared to be up. But given notable economic pressures like record-high inflation, how much of that was just paying ‘more’ for ‘less’? And how can consumers make sure they’re getting the best possible deal when using credit? This week’s guest on The

Who Makes the Credit Invisible ‘Visible’?

Jan 08 2024 12 mins

In 2023, consumers balanced various financial challenges: the lingering effects of record inflation, rising credit card balances, and student loan payment resumption, among others, leaving many to explore financial products that help make changing personal budgets more manageable. In the same year, credit unions stepped in to fill gaps created by larger financial institutions and p

Are Fintechs Driving the Reporting of Rent Payments?

Dec 12 2023 13 mins

As many outlets are currently reporting, in many parts of the United States, renting is now far cheaper than buying property. Various economic factors like interest rate hikes and rising costs have created a housing system in which many Americans are renting. But does being excluded from homeownership preclude renters from using those payments to build and improve credit scores? Th

What can $340 billion buy?

Nov 28 2023 14 mins

$340 billion.That figure was the commitment offered by corporations looking to help address historical injustices in American society and help close the racial wealth gap in the wake of the death of George Floyd. This week, Donovan Duncan joins The SCORE to explore where corporations and communities currently stand with regard to making good on that commitment. Mr. Duncan is Execut

How Can Financial Inclusion Be Measured?

Nov 06 2023 16 mins

The U.S. economy is, in many ways, the envy of the world, and millions migrate annually to this country to participate and live out the ‘American Dream.’ However, inequitable access to the financial tools that preclude milestone moments, like purchasing a home, can become barriers to the ‘credit invisible’ or those otherwise unaccounted for in the financial services marketp

The Surprising Correlation between Financial Planning and Well-being

Oct 10 2023 12 mins

Do health and wealth go hand in hand? Financial issues are commonly considered one of the primary sources of stress for many people and money is a well-documented reason for divorce, for instance. But is there a real link between the two? And do your current money habits spell trouble for your long-term health?To help answer these questions, Dr. Sean Hundtofte joins The SCORE to ex

Navigating Your Federal Student Loan Repayment Plan

Sep 25 2023 18 mins

This fall, an estimated 44 million borrowers will stretch their personal budgets once again, adding yet another item to their bottom line – a federal student loan payment. If you don’t know where to start your repayment journey, you’re not alone. Dan Currell, CEO of the Digital Commerce Alliance and Former Deputy Under Secretary and Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Ed