SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

• The FICO^® Score Open Access program now reaches more than 300 million consumer accounts, providing free access to the FICO^® Score used by lenders to manage accounts
• More than 170 financial institutions participate in FICO^® Score Open Access
• Eight of the top 10 credit card issuers participate in the FICO® Score Open Access program
• FICO® Score Open Access for Credit and Financial Counseling program has made nearly 200,000 scores available to consumers seeking credit counseling through partners such as Operation HOPE and Justine PETERSEN, increasing credit score transparency and driving financial health

Analytics software firm FICO (NYSE: FICO) today announced that more than 300 million consumer credit and loan accounts have free access to the same FICO^® Score used by lenders to manage those accounts through its FICO^® Score Open Access program. More than 170 financial institutions participate in the FICO^® Score Open Access program including eight of the top 10 credit card issuers.  

"We have achieved an important milestone as we have surpassed 300 million consumer accounts with access to the FICO Score through our FICO Score Open Access program, demonstrating continued success in growing the program.  The FICO Score is the standard measure of U.S. consumer credit risk and is used in more than 90 percent of consumer lending decisions in the U.S.," said Jenelle Dito, Director, Scores at FICO.  "With the FICO  Score Open Access program, millions of consumers see the same scores used by their lenders for credit decisions and the factors that affect them. It's an invaluable tool to educate consumers and help them better understand their financial health."

The FICO^® Score Open Access program enables U.S. financial institutions of all sizes to provide increased transparency and more financial education to consumers. Participants range from the country's largest banks and lenders to credit unions, startups, credit card issuers, mortgage servicers, auto lenders, and student loan providers.  FICO^® Score Open Access provides consumers with regularly updated FICO Scores as well as the most important factors affecting the score. Participating institutions deliver the scores to consumers via a variety of channels, including online banking websites, mobile applications and paper statements. 

In addition, FICO® Score Open Access for Credit and Financial Counseling empowers credit and financial counseling providers in the U.S. such as Operation HOPE and Justine PETERSEN to share FICO® Scores — for example, for financial management plan review — with consumers for free. The program was designed specifically for credit and financial counselors to increase consumer understanding of the FICO Score and the role in everyday financial decisions.

"FICO® Score Open Access allows financial well-being coaches within our national HOPE Inside network to support clients in managing their financial health through increased understanding of their FICO Score details," said Anita Ward, president of Operation HOPE. "Empowered with this information, clients are able to take effective action in creating a more secure financial future. We are grateful to FICO for this partnership."

As part of an ongoing consumer education program titled "Score A Better Future," FICO recently hosted an event in Atlanta, Georgia. FICO partnered with Operation HOPE, Urban League of Greater Atlanta, 100 Black Men of America (Atlanta), National Consumers League, and Clark Atlanta University to provide free consumer financial education to Georgia residents as part of an ongoing commitment to financial inclusion. The event came off a strong event in St. Louis where residents learned about the FICO Score and received financial counseling.  For more information, visit: www.fico.com/scoreabetterfuture.   

Through the FICO^® Score Open Access program, FICO helps millions of American consumers understand their credit health.  Check out the list of the institutions that provide free access to FICO^® Scores through the FICO^® Score Open Access program.  Gain more information about the FICO^® Score Open Access program here.

About FICO
FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956 and based in Silicon Valley, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 190 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 100 countries do everything from protecting 2.6 billion payment cards from fraud, to helping people get credit, to ensuring that millions of airplanes and rental cars are in the right place at the right time. Learn more at http://www.fico.com.

Join the conversation at https://twitter.com/fico & http://www.fico.com/en/blogs/ .

For FICO news and media resources, visit www.fico.com/news.

FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and in other countries.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fico-score-open-access-program-hits-milestone-enabling-lenders-and-financial-counselors-to-offer-consumers-free-access-to-their-fico-scores-300766050.html

SOURCE FICO

Greg Jawski, Porter Novelli, +1 212-601-8248, greg.jawski@porternovelli.com