Tricolor Improves Risk Scoring Using AI Techs
FACTS
- Tricolor is the largest used vehicle retailer in the US focusing on the sale and financing of vehicles to Hispanic consumers.
- They recently announced a partnership with Phenx Machine Learning Technologies to develop an AI-powered platform for financial services.
- The algorithm designed by Phenx simplifies car loan application processes. This mechanism combined with Tricolor’s scoring method allows them to analyse huge amounts of data faster and help segment customers into 6 credit grades more precisely.
- A test phase is currently underway, which explains why, for now, Tricolor only applies this algorithm to data from borrowers who have been in their lender’s portfolio for at least 12 months. It would, however, be scheduled to address their entire customer base by mid-2019.
CHALLENGES
- Faster identification of the best profiles: unlike the scoring method currently in use, Phenx’s algorithm automatically identifies the best borrowers’ profiles and assesses their repayment capacity more precisely.
- Improving American Hispanic customers’ financial inclusion: Tricolor aims for this goal via addressing underserved customers when it comes to credit offers. This goal explains their choice of exclusive partner; they would then be the only distribution partner for Phenx’s technology applied to their affinity segment. Tricolor intends to feature affordable car loans enabling borrowers to build or improve their credit history.
MARKET PERSPECTIVE
- In the US, nearly 45 million people do not have a credit history, which makes it impossible for them to be granted a loan, especially for major purchases (including to buy a car).
- AI technologies are increasingly being applied to the US market for car loans: US authorities would even be planning to regulate their use and looking into their possible impact.
- The US regulator would, indeed, be considering safeguards: even if this technology does contribute to reducing risks for lenders and might increase the number of possible borrowers, it could also end up leading to discrimination.
- Other industry players also focusing on this market include BNP PF and CredoLab, for instance.
Tricolor: Key Figures
- Founded in 2007 in Texas
- 50,000+ customers addressed with their parent company Ganas
- Roughly $900 million in auto loans