Equifax Insights from LEND360: Accelerating Growth in Modern Lending

Equifax took center stage at LEND360, the annual summit for online lending leaders, where experts from the company led three insightful sessions. The discussions focused on the evolving landscape of online lending, emphasizing the importance of strategic partnerships, data access and the integration of new technologies like AI and alternative data to enhance credit assessment and foster a resilient financial ecosystem.

Jake Osborne, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Fintech and Payments at Equifax and Anna Fisher, Vice President of Alternative Finance at Equifax participated in a panel discussion exploring how partnerships can help integrate advanced AI (like Equifax Amplify AI™) and alternative data to expand credit access and enhance the customer experience.

"Collaborations between credit bureaus and fintechs are essential to unlocking the utility of new data and expanding beyond traditional credit data," said Osborne. "Credit bureaus and fintechs can co-create new, hybrid scoring models that weigh the predictive power of alternative data alongside traditional metrics, ultimately bringing more customers and better underwriting.

"Traditional bureau data is the 'gold standard' for assessing risk because it tells you a consumer's willingness to pay, while Buy Now, Pay Later data and cashflow insights reveal their current ability to pay," Fisher added. "Combining these two views transforms underwriting from a two-dimensional snapshot to a comprehensive, 360-degree view. The future isn't about one single source winning; it's about leveraging partners to provide a powerful, combined signal that helps say 'yes' to more profitable borrowers and price risk more accurately."

Sal Hazday, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Equifax Commercial business joined a panel to explore evolving borrower behaviors, rising technology expectations and the crucial role of transparency in fostering lasting lender relationships. In the session, Hazday shared strategies that allow fintechs to bridge the trust gap and meet the demands of modern small business borrowers. One way Equifax does this is through its Business Verification Solution which reduces the potential risk of fraud by confirming the legitimacy of a business and the business owners.

"Equifax is investing heavily in our real-time, Know Your Business (KYB) online Business Verification Solution," Hazday said. "In today's fast-evolving market, the explosion of new business applications makes it harder to identify legitimate partners. Access to current, accurate business data is essential for quickly recognizing valid businesses and mitigating fraud risks."

Another highlight of LEND360 was a brief but impactful economic overview presented by Alexandria Franks, Head of Alternative Finance Sales at Equifax. She shared how the economy this year is marked by significant uncertainty which is causing increased stress for both consumers and businesses. Franks shared how this stress is not felt equally across all income demographics.

"Higher-income earners are managing their debt effectively," Franks said. "In contrast, lower- and middle-income consumers are experiencing growing financial difficulties. This is evident in rising auto loan delinquencies and the reintroduction of student loan payments. This situation highlights a K-shaped economic recovery in 2025."

Equifax offers a range of products and services to help banks, lenders, card issuers, fintechs and credit unions with their lending processes. Learn more here.