Experian adds FICO® Score as part of new consumer product enhancements

FICO® Credit Scores, used in 90 percent of credit decisions, now available at Experian.com

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Dec 29, 2014, 06:00 ET

COSTA MESA, Calif., Dec. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian^® now offers its members FICO^® Scores through its direct-to-consumer products, providing access to the credit scores lenders use most when determining applicant eligibility for new credit cards, car loans, mortgages or other lines of credit. The FICO^® Score is front and center as the first in a series of new product enhancements that will be integrated over the next 18 months.

"Our members asked for the credit score they recognize as being most relevant," said Guy Abramo, president of Experian Consumer Services. "FICO Scores are used by lenders more than any other credit score, and we now offer them to our members as a complement to the Experian credit reports and other credit resources that are part of our consumer products."

In addition to the FICO^® Score, key product features and enhancements include:

Score Factors — explain the top factors that affect an individual's FICO^®Score.
Credit Timeline — displays a record of alerts sent when something happens to change a credit score.
Experian Credit Report — membership includes access to one's full Experian credit report, available at every login. Credit reports provide the payment history and account details that are used to calculate FICO^®Scores.
Identity Fraud Assistance — if a member is a victim of identity fraud, a trained Fraud Resolution Agent will help resolve credit report issues created by the incident.
"Real" people — Experian customer care representatives are ready to talk with members who may have credit or product upgrade questions.
Flexible access — members can get their FICO^® Scores, resources and educational content wherever they may be, on any web-enabled device.

"This is a big win for the consumer," said Jim Wehmann, executive vice president, Scores for FICO. "The combination of FICO Scores and Experian's consumer products gives a significant benefit to anyone looking to better understand their credit and its impact on their financial goals."

FICO^® Scores, which fall within a 300-850 score range, are used in 90 percent of credit decisions. FICO^® Scores assess the information in a person's credit report at a particular point in time. Lenders use these scores to estimate a person's credit risk — how likely one is to pay credit obligations as agreed. FICO^® Scores can influence the credit limit, interest rate, loan amount, rewards programs, balance-transfer rates and other terms that lenders will offer a person, if those lenders base their decisions on a FICO^® Score.

For more information, please visit http://www.experian.com.

About Experian Consumer Services
The Experian Consumer Services division provides credit monitoring and other informational products, such as identity protection, to millions of consumers via the Internet. The organization enables consumers to monitor their credit reports online, check their credit scores and protect against identity theft. Its products include Experian Credit Tracker(SM) and ProtectMyID^®.

Experian Consumer Services has established integrated, co-branded relationships with leading online financial destinations that provide consumers with a broad range of comprehensive online financial products and information essential to managing one's financial life. For more information, visit http://www.experian.com.

This press release is provided for general guidance and information. It is not intended as, nor should it be construed to be legal, financial or other professional advice. Please consult with your attorney or financial adviser to discuss any legal issues or financial issues involved with credit decisions.

About FICO
FICO is a leading analytics software company, helping businesses in 90+ countries make better decisions that drive higher levels of growth, profitability and customer satisfaction. The company's ground-breaking use of Big Data and mathematical algorithms to predict consumer behavior has transformed entire industries. FICO provides analytics software and tools used across multiple industries to manage risk, fight fraud, build more profitable customer relationships, optimize operations and meet strict government regulations. Many of our products reach industry-wide adoption. These include the FICO^® Score, the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the United States. The ground-breaking FICO^® Score Open Access program makes millions of FICO Scores available free to consumers. FICO solutions leverage open-source standards and cloud computing to maximize flexibility, speed deployment and reduce costs. The company also helps millions of people manage their personal financial health. FICO: Make every decision count^™. Learn more at www.fico.com.

About Experian
We are the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to our clients around the world. We help businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. We also help people to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft. In 2014, we were named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 'World's Most Innovative Companies'.

We employ approximately 16,000 people in 39 countries and our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2014, was US$4.8 billion.

To find out more about our company, please visit http://www.experianplc.com or watch our documentary, Inside Experian.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Experian