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By Carly Peroutka
The holiday season is around the corner, and with it, a familiar surge in consumer spending. For lenders, this isn't just a time of increased transaction volume; it's a critical opportunity to deepen customer relationships and drive portfolio growth. But are you positioned to truly make the most of the opportunity?
What I hear a lot from the lenders we work with is that they are always looking for more and better data to meet their customers’ expectations - which include highly personalized, technologically advanced experiences that reflect unique financial realities. One area where this is crucial — and, in my opinion, often overlooked—is credit line increases (CLIs).
CLIs are still often applied broadly, relying heavily on traditional credit scores, internal payment history, or self-reported income. While these are extremely important data points, they offer a limited view of a consumer's current financial health. The result? Missed opportunities for growth, unnecessary risk exposure, and a customer experience that feels anything but personal.
Imagine a loyal customer, diligently paying their bills, whose income has steadily increased over the past two years. Under a generic model, their credit limit might remain static, or they might receive a modest, pre-determined increase. This approach overlooks their enhanced capacity, potentially pushing them to seek additional credit elsewhere – precisely when they're looking to spend more during the holidays (and beyond).
Conversely, consider a customer whose credit score appears strong, but whose employment status has recently changed, or whose income has become less stable. A blanket CLI could inadvertently place them in a precarious financial position, increasing default risk. These examples highlight the inherent weaknesses of a system that relies on incomplete or historic information only, leaving significant value on the table for both the lender and the customer.
Verified income and employment data provides real-time, objective insights into:
Current Employment Status: Is the customer actively employed? Have they recently changed jobs?
Income Stability and Trends: What is their current income? Is it consistent, or are there fluctuations? Have they recently received a raise or a bonus?
Employment History: How long have they been with their current employer? Do they have a track record of stable employment?
Pay Frequency and Type: Understanding whether income is salaried, hourly, or commission-based helps in assessing predictability.
By integrating these vital data points into decisioning frameworks, lenders can help unlock a new level of personalization and grow strategically:
Proactive & Targeted Offers (Right on Time for Holiday Spending): Instead of waiting for a customer to request an increase or rely on stale, self-reported data, lenders can proactively identify those who have demonstrably increased their income or employment stability. Imagine being able to identify customers who just received a significant raise and offering them a tailored CLI that aligns with their new financial capacity – before they even think to ask.
Right-Sizing Limits: Personalization isn't just about more credit; it's about the right amount of credit. For customers with stable, growing incomes, a larger increase might be appropriate, maximizing their potential spend with a lender. For others, particularly those exhibiting subtle signs of income volatility (even with a good credit score), maintaining their current limit can be a proactive risk management step, helping to protect both the customer and the lender.
Enhanced Customer Experience and Retention: When a credit line offer genuinely reflects a customer's current financial situation, it feels less like a generic marketing push and more like a thoughtful, personalized service. This level of understanding builds trust and strengthens the customer relationship.
Fairer Access to Credit: Income and employment data can also help address challenges in assessing "thin-file" customers, who may have excellent earning potential but lack extensive traditional credit histories. By understanding their verified income streams, lenders can responsibly extend credit to a broader segment of the population.
The journey to proactive credit line management begins with embracing a more holistic view of creditworthiness. The holiday season is a prime window to activate these strategies, not just to boost short-term spending, but to cultivate stronger, more valuable, long-term relationships with your customers. If you’d like to learn more about transforming your credit line management with verified income and employment data, click here.
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