Researchers and startups say all kinds of weird data can predict your creditworthiness. What kind of smartphone you have, who your friends are and how you answer survey questions may foretell how likely you are to pay back a loan.
Don’t expect this alternative data to displace the three-digit number most lenders use, however. Credit scores still matter — a lot.
Lenders use credit scores to decide whether you get loans and credit cards, plus the rates you pay. Scores are also used to determine which apartments you can rent, which cell phone plans you can get and, in most states, how much you pay for auto and homeowners insurance.
In my latest for the Associated Press, why traditional, three-digit credit scores still matter.