Experian VOI

Verification Of Income and Assets

Project Overview

What if your Netflix subscription could help you buy a home? We turned this question into reality with the Experian Boost, transforming how everyday bill payments can build credit-score opportunities. By recognizing the bills people have already paid —from utilities to streaming services— we have helped millions of credit-invisible Americans gain recognition for their financial responsibility and unlock financial opportunities previously out of reach. Through Integration with the UltraFICO™ Score system and partnerships with 30+ financial institutions, our work pushed the boundaries of traditional credit scoring, delivering an average 13-point score improvement for over 35 million Americans who can instantly improve their FICO scores.

View Demo/Project Site Link

My Role

As a design lead reporting to the VP of design, I led design research and experience design for web and mobile devices for Boost features using mortgage and rent industry data that integrated the UltraFICO™ Score system in 30+ financial institutions.

Confidentiality: Confidentiality: This case study's insights and design process reflect my perspective and design approach. Specific details have been modified to protect sensitive information from Experian while showcasing my design approach.

Project Duration: Project Duration: October - March 2019

Key Partners: Key Partners: FICO, Finicity, MasterCard.

Team: Team Composition: Fas Lebbie, John Adam, Brian Burgess

Problem Context

The current U.S. credit scoring system faces challenges, with 53 million consumers having no or sparse data and 79 million with FICO® scores below 680. This highlights a gap in assessing creditworthiness, especially for modern financial behavior. Many consumers who regularly pay utilities, streaming services, and phone bills find traditional models disregard these responsible actions. This discrepancy results from a credit evaluation framework that is not aligned with contemporary practices, leading to inequitable credit access. Experian recognizes the need for an approach that includes alternative data sources. By incorporating non-traditional financial behaviors, an opportunity exists to create a more inclusive system that better reflects creditworthiness.

Businesses struggle with inefficient identity verification and employment screening processes

Design Interventions

The design intervention targets renters who regularly pay rent and utilities. Currently, 35% of credit-invisible Americans do not benefit from timely payments based on their credit scores. To address this, we propose Experian Boost. This app securely links users’ financial accounts and integrates rent and utilities payment history to evaluate financial reliability based on consistent bill payments. By recognizing these payments, boosted credit scores show an average 13-point improvement in credit scores.

Email explaining Experian's verification process with clear steps for secure financial data sharing.

Initial screens explaining security features and terms before connecting financial accounts.

Bank selection interfaces showing list and grid views of available financial institutions.

Search and selection screens for finding and choosing either Chase and Wells Fargo bank.

Account selection showing which bank accounts and balances will be shared.

Final review of selected accounts and successful connection confirmation.

Financial reports generated from connected accounts showing transaction history and income verification.

Scroll to next section

Short-Term Impact

Within the first year, users saw an increase in the average 13-point credit score. More telling than the numbers were stories: people qualifying for their first apartments, securing better car loans, and feeling recognized for their financial responsibility. Our 92% trust rating showed that we built something people believed. Seeing users’ joy when their regular bills finally counted reminded me why we design: to make complex systems work better for everyday people. Experian Boost did not create new financial behaviors; it just gave credit where credit was due.

Long Term

Within the first year, users saw an increase in the average 13-point credit score. More telling than the numbers were stories: people qualifying for their first apartments, securing better car loans, and feeling recognized for their financial responsibility. Our 92% trust rating showed that we built something people believed. Seeing users’ joy when their regular bills finally counted reminded me why we design: to make complex systems work better for everyday people. Experian Boost did not create new financial behaviors; it just gave credit where credit was due.

Seamless verification solutions create confident hiring decisions and trusted workplace relationships.

Previous Project

All Projects

Next Project