FICO and NBKI Index Shows Russian Credit Health Held Steady After Drop in First Quarter 2012

MOSCOW, Sept. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- FICO (NYSE:FICO), the leading provider of analytics and decision management technology, and the National Bureau of Credit Histories (NBKI), Russia's leading credit bureau, today released data showing that Russian borrowers' credit repayments held at the same level in the second quarter of 2012 from the previous quarter, when they fell for the first time in two years. The FICO^® Credit Health Index remained stable from the first quarter of 2012 at 113 points.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111010/CG83314LOGO)

The FICO Credit Health Index measures the overall credit health of the country, based on the percentage of consumer loans and credit cards reported to NBKI that are delinquent by more than 60 days. Since October 2009, when this "bad rate" was 11.28 percent, the index steadily improved until January 2012, when just 7.05 percent of Russian credit accounts were delinquent. In the first quarter of 2012, the index dropped 2 points to 113, its lowest point in a year, representing a bad rate of 7.75 percent.

"With the difficult economic times in Europe, it's heartening to see that we did not see a further rise in delinquent payments," said Evgeni Shtemanetyan, who directs FICO's operations in Russia. "This quarter's FICO Credit Health Index results suggest the Russian credit market may experience continued positive growth."

In July 2012, FICO and NBKI reported, most regions stayed at the same level as April 2012. The Severo-Kavkazsky region had a modest index decline of just 2 points.

"The Credit Health Index shows a high average quality of consumers' credit behavior," said  Alexander Vikulin, NBKI CEO. "At the same time, lenders should keep monitoring their customer base and credit application processing procedures for a potential rise in risk."

FICO and NBKI share this data with Russian lenders to improve their understanding of the market, and help them safely extend lending to Russian consumers. Russia is one of the fastest-growing credit markets. According to NBKI, banks' and financial organizations' credit portfolios grew by 25% during the first half of 2012.

About FICO
FICO (NYSE:FICO), formerly known as Fair Isaac, delivers superior predictive analytics solutions that drive smarter decisions. The company's groundbreaking use of mathematics to predict consumer behavior has transformed entire industries and revolutionized the way risk is managed and products are marketed. FICO's innovative solutions include the industry-leading solutions for measuring credit risk, managing credit accounts, identifying and minimizing the impact of fraud, and customizing consumer offers with pinpoint accuracy. Most of the world's top banks, as well as leading insurers, retailers, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies, rely on FICO solutions to accelerate growth, control risk, boost profits and meet regulatory and competitive demands. Learn more at www.fico.com. FICO: Make every decision count^™.

For FICO news and media resources, visit www.fico.com/news.

About NBKI
National Bureau of Credit Histories (NBKI) is the largest credit bureau in the Russian Federation. It was created in 2005, and counts among its shareholders major commercial banks and international companies CRIF and  TransUnion. Its main specialty is an integrated center that stores and processes comprehensive data for creditors' decision making. As of August 2012, NBKI consolidates data from more than 1,350 Russian creditors. The bureau provides the Russian market with modern high-tech solutions for risk assessment and control.

Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Information
Except for historical information contained herein, the statements contained in this news release that relate to FICO or its business are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the success of the Company's Decision Management strategy and reengineering plan, the maintenance of its existing relationships and ability to create new relationships with customers and key alliance partners, its ability to continue to develop new and enhanced products and services, its ability to recruit and retain key technical and managerial personnel, competition, regulatory changes applicable to the use of consumer credit and other data, the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisitions, continuing material adverse developments in global economic conditions, and other risks described from time to time in FICO's SEC reports, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2011, and its latest quarterly report for the three months ending June 30, 2012. If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes, FICO's results could differ materially from its expectations. FICO disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

FICO and "Make every decision count" are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and in other countries.

SOURCE FICO