Systems and methods for notifying a consumer of changes made to a credit report

• US 7,542,993 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Equifax, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Equifax, Inc.
• Inventors: Killebrew, Stephen Ray, Lester, James David IV, Satterfield, Markus Ray, Elliott-Sinnock, Jan Eileen, Atwood, Christopher Colin Puckett
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu; Kuen S
• Application Number:
  US11/337,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/102, 705/30, 705/38, 705/44
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• 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 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring unauthorized changes to a database and providing a notification to a user according to preferences set by the user. The user can select one or more data entries within a database to be monitored. When these data entries are changed, a notification is sent to the user. The user can also select a credit score or rating within the database to be monitored. When the credit rating changes, a notification can also be sent to the user. Notifications regarding interest rates, prices, and other financial information associated with a change in a credit score or rating can also be sent to the user according to preferences set by the user.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring modifications to a credit score comprising a plurality of elements in a credit reporting database, the system comprising:

at least one computer program stored on a computer-readable memory, the computer program for continuously monitoring at least part of a plurality of credit-related elements for a modification to at least one of the plurality of credit-related elements,

wherein the modification to at least one of the plurality of credit-related elements comprises at least one of the plurality of credit-related elements modified by a datum collected from at least one financial entity, the datum comprising information associated with the individual; and

at least one server for generating an updated credit score for an individual using the plurality of credit-related elements after at least one of the plurality of credit-related elements is modified by the datum collected from at least one financial entity, the credit score for the individual and the plurality of credit-related elements being stored on the computer-readable memory;

wherein the system is capable of sending a notification that the credit score is updated to the individual substantially contemporaneously when the updated credit score for the individual is generated; and

wherein the system is capable of sending the notification to more than one destination specified by the individual.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the updated credit score for the individual comprises at least one of the following:

a credit rating, a Fair Isaac score, a FICO score, a credit ranking, or a rating of the individual'"'"'s creditworthiness.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises an e-mail server for sending the notification to the individual.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further capable of determining whether the updated credit score for the individual affects a rate associated with a financial product, and sending a notification to the individual if the rate is affected.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the financial product comprises at least one of the following:

home mortgage, auto loan, home equity loan, debt instrument, credit card, and a line of credit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least part of the plurality of credit-related elements correspond to at least one of:

a bankruptcy indicator or a tax lien indicator.

7. A system comprising:

a database for;

storing a plurality of credit-related elements on a computer-readable memory, the plurality of credit-related elements being associated with an individual and modifiable by a datum collected from at least one financial entity, the datum comprising information associated with the individual; and

facilitating generation of a credit score for the individual using the plurality of credit-related elements after at least one of the plurality of credit-related elements is modified by the datum collected from at least one financial entity;

a server processor; and

a memory stored thereon comprising;

a monitoring module for continuously monitoring for a change to the credit score for the individual;

a generation module for generating a notification to the individual substantially contemporaneously to the change to the credit score for the individual, the notification comprising an identification of the change to the credit score for the individual and an identification of at least one financial product for which the individual is eligible based on the change to the credit score for the individual; and

a communication module for;

generating a secure message that includes content of the notification by encrypting the notification; and

transmitting the secure message to the individual,

wherein the communication module is capable of sending the notification to more than one destination specified by the individual.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the identification of at least one financial product for which the individual is eligible based on the change to the credit score comprises an identification of a home mortgage and a mortgage rate associated with the home mortgage.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the change to the credit score for the individual comprises the credit score for the individual is below a threshold selected by the individual.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the change to the credit score for the individual meets or exceeds pre-selected credit score criteria.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the notification comprises an identification of the datum collected from at least one financial entity.