Credit Builders Alliance and VantageScore Expand Nonprofit Lenders Pilot Program with Ten New Participants
- Initial Pilot Data ShowsImproved Predictive Lift for Thin, Inactive Credit Files
- Provides Clearer Risk Segmentation Between Higher- and Lower-Scoring Candidates
- Previously Declined Applicants May Benefit from Reconsideration
WASHINGTON and SAN FRANCISCO, April 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) and VantageScore today announced that ten nonprofit financial institutions will participate in their ongoing pilot program for VantageScore 4plus. The platform—developed in collaboration with data firm Pentadata—provides lenders with a comprehensive view of consumers' financial behavior by combining traditional credit data with real-time, consumer-permissioned cash flow insights from bank accounts.
"Our collaboration gives nonprofit lenders access to modern, high-quality credit scores, equipping them to better serve their communities while maintaining sound lending practices," said Dara Duguay, CEO of Credit Builders Alliance. "When you add real-time, permissioned data to the credit decisioning process, you not only improve predictive performance—you also create more opportunities for expanding responsible access to credit."
"Nonprofit lenders need tools that are both inclusive and predictive," said Andrada Pacheco, EVP and Chief Data Scientist at VantageScore. "This initiative is proving that with the right data, lenders can expand access responsibly without sacrificing performance."
VantageScore 4plus gives lenders a deeper and more dynamic view of borrower stability—especially valuable when credit file information is limited or outdated.
Initial data from the pilot show meaningful improvements in the ways nonprofit lenders can assess and serve potential borrowers. Key insights include:
- Improved Predictive Lift: Applicants with thin or inactive credit files, who make up 15% of participants in the pilot program, benefitted significantly from the addition of open banking data.
- Clearer Risk Segmentation: Scores moved in both directions, with nearly equal numbers of consumers seeing increases and decreases—signaling better separation between higher- and lower-risk applicants.
- Expanded Decisioning Opportunities: Up to 50% of previously declined applicants could be reconsidered in a second-look strategy using VantageScore 4plus, potentially unlocking credit while preserving underwriting rigor.
To learn more about the program or VantageScore 4plus, visit www.creditbuildersalliance.org or vs4plus.vantagescore.com.
About Credit Builders Alliance
Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) is a national nonprofit network dedicated to helping mission-driven lenders connect their clients to the modern credit system. Through tools, training, and advocacy, CBA supports hundreds of organizations working to improve credit access and financial health across the country.
About VantageScore®
VantageScore is the fastest-growing credit scoring company in the U.S., and is known for the industry's most innovative, predictive, and inclusive credit score models. In 2023, usage of VantageScore increased by 42% to more than 27 billion credit scores. More than 3,400 institutions, including 8 of the top 10 banks, use VantageScore credit scores to provide consumer credit products including credit cards, auto loans, personal loans and mortgages. The VantageScore 4.0 credit scoring model scores 33 million more people than traditional models. With the FHFA mandating the use of VantageScore 4.0 for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guaranteed mortgages, the company is also ushering in a new era for mortgage lending and helping to close the homeownership gap.
VantageScore is an independently managed joint venture company of the three Nationwide Consumer Reporting Agencies (NCRAs) – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
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SOURCE VantageScore