Credit reporting

The watchdog’s report — requested by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md. — called for civil money penalty authority and better supervision to guard consumer data.

First-term Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., has sponsored the Prevent Discrimination in Auto Insurance Act in order to prevent “undue burden” on low-income individuals seeking auto insurance.

Ahead of testimony by the CEOs of the major bureaus, House Financial Services Committee leaders proposed sweeping changes for the credit reporting industry and credit-score protections for furloughed government workers.

In a move designed to improve access to financial products for consumers with low credit scores and short credit histories, Experian, FICO and Finicity are developing an "UltraFICO" score that lets individuals share checking and savings account data and help lenders better assess risk.

Allowing alternative data such as rent and utility payments has bipartisan support, but some say it could create more problems than it solves.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is suspending its ongoing review of new credit scoring models and will instead move forward with creating a regulatory framework for providers of alternative credit scores to apply and be evaluated for use by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The legislation, authored by Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., is aimed at helping lower-income consumers build their credit histories.

Credit reporting firms with significant operations in New York will face new cybersecurity and registration requirements to stave off concerns related to a breach of Equifax's systems last year.

A late addition to regulatory relief legislation would direct the Federal Housing Finance Agency to review credit-scoring alternatives, but some say the provision is redundant.

Calls for less reliance on credit bureaus and Social Security numbers for verification are leading many to envision a future of identity on a distributed ledger.