Credit Kudos

Challenge

Many people in the UK face difficulties accessing affordable credit. Traditional credit scoring agencies often make assumptions about an individuals’ credit worthiness, issuing low scores based on ‘thin’ credit files. As a result, many people are unfairly excluded from accessing financial products or accessing products at competitive rates.

Approach

Credit Kudos uses Open Banking to help provide fairer credit for all, by helping individuals demonstrate their true creditworthiness using real, up-to-date financial data.

Revenue model

Credit Kudos charges lenders for use of its software and services. It does not charge borrowers.

Impact

The company allows individuals to safely and securely use their financial information when applying for credit with the aim of getting a better deal, more quickly and easily. Their services also help lenders streamline their loan approval processes and increase lending volumes through the utilisation of highly accurate, real-time information.

The coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted the personal finances of people all over the world. This has resulted in increased demand for affordable credit to help people cover essential spending, where in many cases, their primary source of income has reduced or disappeared. It’s more important than ever that people have access to the right financial products.

Credit Kudos has been quick to respond, in particular, to support the growing need of the UK’s 5 million self-employed people, some of whom have been hardest hit by the crisis.

Within just 48 hours, Credit Kudos convened others in the Fintech sector to develop a proof-of-concept tool utilising their Open Banking. The tool is designed to allow self-employed people to prove their previous income and predict future loss of income as means of verifying their application for government support funding. It’s hoped the technology will help relieve the administration burden on the civil service as well as help banks release loans faster to businesses and entrepreneurs desperately in need.