Debt services candidate locator

• US 9,536,263 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Dean, Michael John, Kapczynski, Mark Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US14/280,527
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 705 3- 44
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed that identify and locate debt settlement candidates based on credit data associated with the consumer. For example, candidacy may be based on a debt score, generated by an assessment of the consumer'"'"'s credit data. Credit data may include the consumer'"'"'s credit score rank, credit score, revolving credit to debit ratio, credit available, delinquent accounts, negative accounts, instances of negative information on their credit report, public record data, average account age, debit, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A computerized method of determining a user'"'"'s debt services options, comprising:

requesting, by a computing system having one or more computer processors, from a remote credit reporting system storing credit data attributes for a plurality of users, a first plurality of credit data attributes of a first user;

applying a debt score algorithm, by the computing system to the first plurality of credit data attributes of the first user obtained from the remote credit reporting system to calculate a debt score of the first user,

wherein the first plurality of credit data attributes used by the debt score algorithm in generating the debt score of the first user include at least;

a credit score ranking of the first user with reference to a plurality of other users;

a credit score of the first user; and

a quantity of delinquent accounts of the first user;

accessing a data structure storing at least a first threshold associated with a first debt service and a second threshold, lower than the first threshold, associated with a second debt service;

comparing the calculated debt score of the first user to the first threshold;

in response to determining that the calculated debt score is less than the first threshold, including the first debt service in a set of potentially available debt services;

comparing the calculated debt score of the first user to the second threshold;

in response to determining that the calculated debt score is less than the second threshold, including the second debt service in the set of potentially available debt services;

generating, by the computing system, user interface data configured for rendering on a user computing device of the first user to display a user interface on a display of the user computing device, the user interface indicating at least;

the calculated debt score;

the set of potentially available debt services; and

an interactive user interface controls configured to receive input from the user via the user computing device indicating an adjustment to a first credit data attribute of the first plurality of credit data attributes, the interactive user interface control comprising a slider configured for movement in two directions along a slider axis;

in response to movement of the slider by the user,

determining, based on the first credit data attribute and a location of the slider on the slider axis, a hypothetical first credit data attribute;

applying the debt score algorithm to the first plurality of credit data attributes with the first credit data attribute replaced with the hypothetical first credit data attribute to calculate a hypothetical debt score of the first user;

comparing the calculated hypothetical debt score of the first user to the first threshold;

in response to determining that the calculated hypothetical debt score is less than the first threshold, including the first debt service in a second set of potentially available debt services;

comparing the calculated hypothetical debt score of the first user to the second threshold;

in response to determining that the calculated hypothetical debt score is less than the second threshold, including the second debt service in the second set of potentially available debt services; and

updating the user interface to indicate at least;

the calculated hypothetical debt score; and

the second set of potentially available debt services.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a desired debt score via the user interface; and

providing hypothetical changes to credit data attributes of the user that result in the hypothetical debt score reaching the desired debt score.

3. The computerized method of claim 2 further comprising:

calculating a hypothetical credit score rank, credit score, revolving credit to debt ratio, credit available, delinquent accounts, negative accounts, instances of negative information on their credit report, public record data, average account age, debit, or a combination thereof in response to receiving the desired debt score.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the debt services include one or more of bankruptcy, debt settlement, debt counseling, credit monitoring, or debt monitoring.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the user interface further depicts a debt scale displaying ranges of debt scores associated with corresponding debt services.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the user interface further depicts respective probabilities of the user being eligible for a particular debt service from each of multiple debt services providers based on the user'"'"'s calculated debt score and/or hypothetical debt score.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the user interface further depicts an overall ranking of the user, based on one or more credit attributes, in comparison to other users who have received one or more debt services options for which the user is eligible.

8. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the computing system is further configured to:

in response to hypothetical adjustments by the user to one or more credit attributes, determine hypothetical adjustments to one or more other credit attributes in order to maintain a desired hypothetical debt score.

9. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein an alert is activated on the user'"'"'s computing device based on a user'"'"'s preference for monitoring changes in the user'"'"'s calculated debt score over a period of time.

10. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein an alert is activated on the user'"'"'s computing device based on a user'"'"'s preference for monitoring the user'"'"'s calculated debt score being equivalent to or an improvement from the user'"'"'s indicated hypothetical debt score.

11. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a debt services options application to a user for installation on a user computing device;

generating an alert based on at least one of the potentially available debt services for which the user qualifies based on the calculated debt score, wherein the alert comprises the at least one of the potentially available debt services and predicted outcome;

causing transmission of the alert over a wireless communication channel to the user computing device associated with the user, wherein the alert activates the application on the user computing device to cause the alert to display, and wherein the alert enables connection to the computer system over the Internet.

12. A system for determining a user'"'"'s debt services options, the system comprising:

one or more computer processors configured to;

calculate a debt score of a user based on one or more credit data attributes of the user obtained from a credit report of the user;

generate a user interface configured to;

depict the calculated debt score and any debt services likely available to the user based on the calculated debt score, wherein the user interface includes a slider user interface controls configured for adjustment by the user in order to indicate hypothetical adjustments to a credit attributes of the user;

monitor movement of the slider user interface control indicating hypothetical adjustments to the credit attribute of the user, wherein a hypothetical debt score is updated based on the indicated hypothetical adjustments to the credit attribute of the user; and

update to include debt services that are likely available to the user based on the hypothetical debt score.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is further configured to:

receive a desired debt score via the user interface; and

provide hypothetical changes to credit attributes of the user that result in the hypothetical debt score reaching the desired debt score.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface depicts at least some of the credit data attributes.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein a hypothetical credit score rank, credit score, revolving credit to debt ratio, credit available, delinquent accounts, negative accounts, instances of negative information on their credit report, public record data, average account age, debit, or a combination thereof is calculated in response to receiving the desired debt score.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the debt services include one or more of bankruptcy, debt settlement, debt counseling, credit monitoring, or debt monitoring.

17. Non-transitory computer storage having stored thereon a computer program that instructs a computer system to:

calculate a debt score of a user based on one or more credit data attributes of the user obtained from a credit report of the user;

provide a user interface depicting the calculated debt score and any debt services available to the user based on the calculated debt score, wherein the user interface includes a slider user interface controls configured for adjustment by the user in order to indicate hypothetical adjustments to a credit attribute of the user;

monitor movement of the slider user interface control indicating hypothetical adjustments to the credit attribute of the user, wherein a hypothetical debt score is updated based on the indicated hypothetical adjustments to the credit attribute of the user; and

update the user interface to include debt services that are likely available to the user based on the hypothetical debt score.

18. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 17, wherein the user interface further depicts a debt scale displaying ranges of debt scores associated with corresponding debt services.

19. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 17, wherein the user interface further depicts probabilities of the user being eligible for debt services with different debt services providers based on the user'"'"'s calculated debt score and/or hypothetical debt score.

20. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 17, wherein the controls include one or more adjustable sliders corresponding to one or more credit attributes.

21. A computerized method of dynamically determining a user'"'"'s debt services options displayed in an interactive user interface, comprising:

displaying an interactive user interface configured to receive input from a user via a user computing device, the interactive user interface indicating at least;

a calculated debt score;

a set of potentially available debt services; and

an interactive user interface control configured to receive input from the user via the user computing device indicating an adjustment to a first credit data attribute of a first plurality of credit data attributes, the interactive user interface control comprising a slider configured for movement in two directions along a slider axis;

monitoring the movement of the slider to detect a condition where the adjustment to the first credit data attribute of the first plurality of credit data attributes determines, based on the first credit data attribute and a location of the slider on the slider axis, a hypothetical first credit data attribute;

calculating a hypothetical debt score of the first user by applying a debt score algorithm to the first plurality of credit data attributes with the first credit data attribute replaced by the hypothetical first credit data attribute;

comparing the calculated hypothetical debt score of the first user to a first debt services option threshold;

in response to determining that the calculated hypothetical debt score is less than the first debt services option threshold, displaying the first debt service in the set of potentially available debt services;

comparing the calculated hypothetical debt score of the first user to a second debt services option threshold;

in response to determining that the calculated hypothetical debt score is less than the second debt services option threshold, including the second debt service in the set of potentially available debt services; and

updating the user interface to indicate at least;

the calculated hypothetical debt score; and

the second set of potentially available debt services.

22. A computerized method of determining a user'"'"'s debt services options, comprising:

requesting, by a computing system having one or more computer processors, from a remote credit reporting system storing credit data attributes for a plurality of users, a first plurality of credit data attributes of a first user;

applying a debt score algorithm, by the computing system to the first plurality of credit data attributes of the first user obtained from the remote credit reporting system to calculate a debt score of the first user,

wherein the first plurality of credit data attributes used by the debt score algorithm in generating the debt score of the first user include at least;

a credit score ranking of the first user with reference to a plurality of other users;

a credit score of the first user; and

a quantity of delinquent accounts of the first user;

accessing a data structure storing at least a first threshold associated with a first debt service and a second threshold, lower than the first threshold, associated with a second debt service;

comparing the calculated debt score of the first user to the first threshold;

in response to determining that the calculated debt score is less than the first threshold, including the first debt service in a set of potentially available debt services;

comparing the calculated debt score of the first user to the second threshold;

in response to determining that the calculated debt score is less than the second threshold, including the second debt service in the set of potentially available debt services;

providing a debt services options application to a user for installation on a user computing device;

receiving the first user'"'"'s preferences for frequency of calculating the first user'"'"'s debt score;

requesting, by the computing system, from the remote credit reporting system, a second plurality of credit data attributes of a first user;

applying the debt score algorithm, by the computing system to the second plurality of credit data attributes of the first user obtained from the remote credit reporting system to calculate a debt score of the first user over a second period of time,

wherein the second plurality of credit data attributes used by the debt score algorithm in generating the debt score of the first user include at least;

a credit score ranking of the first user with reference to a plurality of other users;

a credit score of the first user; and

a quantity of delinquent accounts of the first user;

accessing a data structure storing at least a first threshold associated with a first debt service and a second threshold, lower than the first threshold, associated with a second debt service;

generating, based on the first user'"'"'s preferences for frequency of calculating the first user'"'"'s debt score, an alert from at least one of the potentially available debt services for which the user qualifies based on a change in the first and second calculated debt scores, wherein the alert comprises the at least one of the change in calculated debt score, potentially available debt services and predicted outcome;

causing transmission of the alert over a wireless communication channel to the user computing device associated with the user, wherein the alert activates an application on the user computing device to cause the alert to display, and wherein the alert enables connection to the computer system over the Internet;

generating, by the computing system, user interface data configured for rendering on the user computing device of the first user to display a user interface on a display of the user computing device, the user interface indicating at least;

the calculated debt scores over the first and second periods of time;

the set of potentially available debt services; and

an interactive user interface control configured to receive input from the user via the user computing device indicating an adjustment to a first credit data attribute of the first plurality of credit data attributes, the interactive user interface control comprising a slider configured for movement in two directions along a slider axis;

in response to movement of the slider by the user,

determining, based on the first credit data attribute and a location of the slider on the slider axis, a hypothetical first credit data attribute;

applying the debt score algorithm to the first plurality of credit data attributes with the first credit data attribute replaced with the hypothetical first credit data attribute to calculate a hypothetical debt score of the first user;

comparing the calculated hypothetical debt score of the first user to the first threshold;

in response to determining that the calculated hypothetical debt score is less than the first threshold, including the first debt service in a second set of potentially available debt services;

comparing the calculated hypothetical debt score of the first user to the second threshold;

in response to determining that the calculated hypothetical debt score is less than the second threshold, including the second debt service in the second set of potentially available debt services; and

updating the user interface to indicate at least;

the calculated hypothetical debt score; and

the second set of potentially available debt services.