FinRegLab today issued a research brief entitled “The Countdown Clock for Student Loan Forbearances” that highlights the need for quick action by consumers, federal agencies, servicers, and counselors to prepare for the August 2023 end of pandemic-era forbearances on federal student loans.

A new study finds that more consumers obtained short-term payment relief on their credit cards during the first 18 months of the pandemic than on any other type of loan except student debt, where forbearances were mandated by federal law. The study also finds evidence that pandemic relief initiatives may have reduced damage to the credit reports of consumers who sought long-term assistance through credit counseling and debt management programs.

FinRegLab has launched a new research project using data from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) to evaluate ways to help consumers recover more quickly from personal and economic crises such as COVID-19. The project will analyze pilot initiatives by nonprofit counseling agencies and other data sources as a springboard for considering broader market and policy changes.

FinRegLab and Professors Laura Blattner and Jann Spiess of the Stanford Graduate School of Business have released new research on “Machine Learning Explainability and Fairness: Insights from Consumer Lending.”

FinRegLab, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), are hosting a symposium, bringing together leaders from government, industry, civil society, and academia to explore potential opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence and machine learning deployment across different economic sectors, with a particular focus on financial services and healthcare.

Machine learning models are being used to evaluate the creditworthiness of tens of thousands of consumers and small business owners each week in the U.S., increasing the urgency of answering key questions about their performance, governance, and regulation.

FinRegLab is working with researchers from Stanford Graduate School of Business to launch a ground-breaking evaluation of emerging market practices to improve the transparency and fairness of machine learning underwriting models in consumer credit.

Resolving data transfer issues could facilitate use of cash-flow data, with particular opportunity to expand access to credit for millions of underserved consumers and small businesses

Data is being used by both new entrants and traditional lenders to extend smaller loans to smaller businesses and increase credit to underserved communities.

Data both helps to underwrite applicants who lack traditional credit history and improves risk sorting among borrowers who are ranked similarly by traditional scoring systems.