Experian and PredictiveMetrics have announced the launch of PriorityScore for Collections - "a suite of collection scoring models blending Experian's credit reporting agency data with client-supplied data that produces an accurate ranking and predictive forecast of consumer repayment amounts." READ MORE

Experian has announced the results of a study that analyzed delinquency trends across consumer risk segments to uncover the shifting patterns in consumer payment behavior and the geographies most affected. "The changing delinquency trends highlight the severe affect of the mortgage crisis on subprime consumers and its continuing permeation into the prime consumer segment. The study's findings suggest that the conventional wisdom -- consumers who hold a mortgage are less risky than those who don't -- may need to be rethought in light of the mortgage market turmoil." READ MORE

Wirecard and Experian have announced "a strategic alliance to create a unique product to provide risk management support to the rapidly growing European Internet payment market. The new product, hosted by Wirecard, gives clients access to sophisticated analytics, modelling and simulation technology at the point at which they make decisions on their customers. Fully integrated into Wirecard’s payment platform, the new service will help clients to increase the speed and quality of their decision-making during order acceptance and reduce their exposure to Internet fraud." READ MORE

Experian has announced the launch of Account Monitoring Service, a business credit monitoring system that provides relevant and actionable alerts, enabling clients to minimize risk and maximize customer relationships. According to the company, AMS includes "the industry's widest range of credit-based alerts to inform clients of significant positive and negative events in their customers' credit profiles, allowing them to avoid risk or signal up-sell or cross-sell opportunities." READ MORE

Experian has announced the launch of Emerging Credit Score, a new credit scoring tool developed with eBureau designed to assist lenders in evaluating the creditworthiness of unbanked and underbanked consumers.

Experian( has announced it has filed a lawsuit against LifeLock, Inc. "for allegedly placing fraud alerts illegally on credit files maintained by Experian."

Accertify and Experian have announced a strategic partnership to help e-commerce sites process orders quickly while reducing charge-backs and the total cost of fraud. Accertify will offer Experian's Credit Card Verification, an credit card authentication tool, to Accertify's customers. Credit Card Verification provides "robust consumer authentication and confirms the presence of a specific credit card account on a consumer's credit report."

Experian has announced that Experian and Microsoft have developed a proof of concept identity management service using Microsoft Windows CardSpace. The company said that "as ID fraud activity intensifies, this service streamlines identity authentication and provides a safer and simpler way to pay online."

Experian Consumer Direct has announced a collaboration with Discover Financial Services "to provide Credit ScoreTracker, a comprehensive credit score tracking product, for its more than 50 million cardmembers." The service will cost $7.99/month.

Experian has announced that it will offer "the option to freeze credit reports to consumers nationwide. Beginning Nov. 1, Experian will allow any consumer across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories to place a freeze on their credit report. A credit file freeze prevents new creditors from accessing the credit file without the consumer's consent."

Grameen American and Experian have announced the two companies have established "a unique data reporting relationship to support Grameen America's business" that will "enable Grameen America's borrowers to establish their credit files and will provide the foundation for building the borrowers' credit scores allowing access to financial services previously not available."

Visa and Experian announced an alliance to create unique risk management products for financial institutions. According to the companies, "the alliance intends to deliver a series of jointly developed risk management products designed to help financial institutions reduce credit and fraud risk losses."

Experian has announced the launch of BusinessCreditFacts.com, a new online resource designed to help small-business owners gain a greater understanding of the many topics dealing with business credit, such as the importance of business credit and tips for establishing and improving business credit scores.

Bloomberg reports that Experian has agreed to buy a majority stake in Brazil's Serasa, that country's largest credit bureau.

Experian has announced a new fraud detection solution that the company says "integrates data authentication with consumer challenge questions to create the most comprehensive approach for detecting fraud and managing the associated risk. The new product, Knowledge IQSM, is the first system to merge two essential elements in the fight against fraud."

According to the latest Experian study on the subprime lending market, subprime consumers -- those with an Experian credit score of 620 or lower -- are more likely to be 30 days or more late on their mortgage payments than on their unsecured bankcard obligations. As consumers have historically paid mortgage debt over bankcard debt, this finding represents a significant departure from conventional behavior.

Experian Consumer Direct reports that the average credit score for U.S. consumers with no late auto payments is nearly 100 points higher than for those who have at least one late payment.

Experian has announced an alliance with VoiceVerified to "jointly market and sell authentication solutions that combine data-based and voice biometric authentication technologies to verify an individual's identity. Multifactor authentication will result in reduced fraud and associated operational losses for organizations, address Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council guidance requirements and provide a more secure operating environment for consumers."

Experian and First Manhattan Consulting Group have announced the launch of Financial Personalities, a segmentation and scoring system for specific types of financial services, including credit card, home equity and mortgage. According to the companies, "Financial Personalities provides marketers of lending products with a unique set of tools to improve customer and prospect targeting, better align products and offers and tailor messaging to appeal to prospects.

Experian Consumer Direct has announced the results of a recent National Score Index study showing a 16.9 percent decline from 2001 to 2006 in the rate at which consumers are opening new credit accounts and a 12.6 percent rate at which late payments of 90 days or more are increasing. The national average credit score is 675 -- 7 points lower from 2001 when it was 682.

According to the latest Experian-Gallup Personal Credit Index survey, one in five (19 percent) consumers report that they have had their financial information stolen including a bank or credit card number. Approximately one in seven (14 percent) say they have had their personal information stolen, such as a birth certificate, driver's license or Social Security number. Combined, 26 percent of Americans report being the victim of one type of theft, while 7 percent report experiencing both.

Experian has announced the addition of more than 30 new data elements to its National Business Database, providing business-to-business marketers with additional information and specialty data they can use to target new prospects and gain valuable intelligence on existing customers.

Fair Isaac Corporation has announced that it filed a lawsuit yesterday in Federal Court in Minneapolis "alleging that the three national credit reporting agencies and a jointly owned entity have violated antitrust laws and engaged in unfair competitive practices." Fair Isaac alleges that "Equifax Inc., Experian Information Solutions Inc., TransUnion LLC and VantageScore Solutions, LLC, through their launch and marketing of the VantageScore credit scoring model, are jointly engaging in unfair and anti-competitive practices that harm the FICO credit score brand and goodwill that Fair Isaac has spent 50 years creating."

Bloomberg reports on Experian's spin-off from GUS plc as the company has completed selling initial shares in London as a newly independent, publicly-traded company.

Experian-Scorex has announced its Global Bureau Scoring Solutions suite that enables lenders and credit bureaus to enrich their data and turn it into more powerful customer intelligence. The suite is comprised of four distinct components: Smart Start Bureau Scores, Global Bureau Gateway, Global Portfolio Quality Assessment and Value-Added Bureau Solutions.

The London Sunday Times profiles Experian and its CEO Don Robert. "Robert is bringing Experian, the huge American credit-checking and business-services group that he heads, to England and a flotation next month on the London Stock Exchange."

Experian Consumer Direct has announced the results of a nationwide study showing the differences between consumers with and without mortgages and consumers with and without second mortgages (including home-equity loans or lines of credit). National and statewide results for the study can be found on
Experian's National Score Index Web site at http://www.NationalScoreIndex.com.

Experian has announced the results of a new study that takes a deeper look at the makeup of small-business owners and identifies key characteristics between owners of incorporated and unincorporated microbusinesses.

Damon Darlin reports for the New York Times on VantageScore, the recently introduced alternative to the long-standing FICO scores produced by Fair Isaac. According to the three credit bureaus that created VantageScore - Experian, TransUnion and Equifax, it improves risk prediction of future credit performance by weighing more factors. VantageScore also reportedly is more accurate at assessing consumers with "thin files" - having a short credit history.

Experian has announced the results of a new study that examines the correlation between a small-business owner's personal credit score and his or her commercial credit score.