Methods and Systems for Multi-Credit Reporting Agency Data Modeling

• US 20070255646A1
• Filed: 03/12/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VantageScore Solutions LLC (Equifax, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VantageScore Solutions LLC (Equifax, Inc.)
• Inventors: Robida, Chuck, Zarikian, Lisa, Morris, Sherri
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Provided are methods and systems by which a data sample can be generated in order to create a true multi-Credit Reporting Agency model, eliminating the biases and variability in traditional multi-CRA models by allowing the creation of a single multi-CRA method which requires neither alignment nor translation to be applicable on all CRAs.

Claims

1. A method for modeling data comprising:

retrieving a source list from each of a plurality of credit reporting agencies, each said source list comprising a list of selected consumers;

merging each of the source lists into a merged source list;

retrieving credit data from each of the plurality of credit reporting agencies for each consumer in the merged source list;

adding the retrieved credit data to the merged source list;

normalizing the retrieved credit data across the plurality of credit reporting agencies; and

generating a modeling sample based on the normalized credit data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving credit data comprises retrieving credit data for at least one predetermined date from each of the plurality of credit reporting agencies.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one pre-determined date comprises a first date and a second date, wherein the first date occurs earlier in time than the second date, resulting in first credit data associated with the first date and second credit data associated with the second date.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of adding the retrieved credit data comprises associating the first credit data and the second credit data with the merged source list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of normalizing the credit data comprises:

(a) determining at least one characteristic of the credit data, each characteristic having a corresponding characteristic definition assigned by each of at least two of the plurality of credit reporting agencies;

(b) reviewing the at least one characteristic and its corresponding characteristic definitions, wherein the reviewing step is performed by at least two of the credit reporting agencies;

(c) auditing the at least one characteristic and its corresponding characteristic definitions, wherein the auditing step comprises determining similarities and differences between the characteristic definitions of the at least two respective credit reporting agencies;

(d) modifying at least one characteristic definition of the at least one characteristic, wherein the modifying step is performed by at least one of the credit reporting agencies; and

(e) repeating the steps of (a), (b), (c) and (d) until the characteristic definition from each of the respective credit reporting agencies provides substantially consistent results.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of filtering the normalized credit data according to a desired sample.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the desired sample is at least one of a stacked development sample, a stacked validation sample, or a parallel validation sample.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising the step of filtering the normalized credit data according to a desired sample.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the desired sample is at least one of a stacked development sample, a stacked validation sample, or a parallel validation sample.

8. A system for modeling data comprising:

a memory configured for storing credit data;

a processor, coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to perform the steps of;

retrieving a source list from each of a plurality of credit reporting agencies, each said source list comprising a list of selected consumers;

merging each of the source lists into a merged source list;

retrieving credit data from each of the plurality of credit reporting agencies for each consumer in the merged source list;

adding the retrieved credit data to the merged source list;

normalizing the retrieved credit data across the plurality of credit reporting agencies; and

generating a modeling sample based on the normalized credit data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the step of retrieving credit data comprises retrieving credit data for at least one pre-determined date from each of the plurality of credit reporting agencies.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one pre-determined date comprises a first date and a second date, wherein the first date occurs earlier in time than the second date, resulting in first credit data associated with the first date and second credit data associated with the second date.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the step of adding the retrieved credit data comprises associating the first credit data and the second credit data with the merged source list.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the step of normalizing the credit data comprises

(a) determining at least one characteristic of the credit data, each characteristic having a corresponding characteristic definition assigned by each of at least two of the plurality of credit reporting agencies;

(b) reviewing the at least one characteristic and its corresponding characteristic definitions, wherein the reviewing step is performed by at least two of the credit reporting agencies;

(c) auditing the at least one characteristic and its corresponding characteristic definitions, wherein the auditing step comprises determining similarities and differences between the characteristic definitions of the at least two respective credit reporting agencies;

(d) modifying at least one characteristic definition of the at least one characteristic, wherein the modifying step is performed by at least one of the credit reporting agencies; and

(e) repeating the steps of (a), (b), (c) and (d) until the characteristic definition from each of the respective credit reporting agencies provides substantially consistent results.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising the step of filtering the normalized credit data according to a desired sample.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the desired sample is at least one of a stacked development sample, a stacked validation sample, or a parallel validation sample.

15. A computer readable medium with computer executable instructions embodied thereon for modeling data comprising:

retrieving a source list from each of a plurality of credit reporting agencies, each said source list comprising a list of selected consumers;

merging each of the source lists into a merged source list;

retrieving credit data from each of the plurality of credit reporting agencies for each consumer in the merged source list;

adding the retrieved credit data to the merged source list;

normalizing the retrieved credit data across the plurality of credit reporting agencies; and

generating a modeling sample based on the normalized credit data.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the step of retrieving credit data comprises retrieving credit data for at least one pre-determined date from each of the plurality of credit reporting agencies.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one pre-determined date comprises a first date and a second date, wherein the first date occurs earlier in time than the second date, resulting in first credit data associated with the first date and second credit data associated with the second date.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the step of adding the retrieved credit data comprises associating the first credit data and the second credit data with the merged source list.