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FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

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41–50 of 690 posts

Re: FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

#41

Credit scores will tank further

Why? "The industry has long believed that consumers using BNPL responsibly should result in positive credit scores, as the majority of users are paying back in full and on time."

Because it’s shadow debt and it will show the person as overleveraged with a bunch of Affirm loans

Re: FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

#42
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For a lot of folks, credit is the only way they're surviving on something close to minimum wage. Or credit was the only "safety net" they had during a rough time. Almost none of these people have the kind of collateral needed to use credit to truly transform their lives, and the government assistance for that is seriously lacking in the US (SBA loans are terrible, and you need enough money to cover your own salary un…

> credit is the only way they're surviving on something close to minimum wage. Or credit was the only "safety net" they had during a rough time In my experience, the average American has no concept of saving money, and those below average even less. It's funny to me that America gets flak from all over the world for having no social safety net; if this was actually true, you'd expect to see people put aside a bit of…

When everything around suggests that the system is rigged against you and care against you, it's no surprise that many people live for the moment and try to find some small bit of pleasure or joy in the moment without planning for a future that may not come.

It's easy to say "why don't they save more?" from an upper or middle class stability, but when the price of everything keeps going up, the police are out to get you, and healthcare is just a fast track to debt that will take away any savings or assets you managed to have, what's the point?

Re: FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

#43
post #6

This would probably only affect the people with the worst credit scores I imagine. I just don't see a ton of 800+ credit score people deciding to spend 5 payments of $20 for a pair of $80 shoes.

Shifting a cost forward a couple months interest free is a great deal for people who are financially responsible, especially if you have some other loan (like a mortgage) that you could be paying off more of instead. It's no different to the practice of using a credit card for everything and then paying off in full a month later because the credit card interest is lower (often zero if you pay off within a month) than…

In the case of a 0% grace period sure I agree, but otherwise in no world is credit card interest cheaper than a mortgage over the same time period.

Re: FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

#44

Theoretically, credit should be used for one thing: to make more money. (not less) However, instead of using it to buy or construct a machine to triple what you can produce in an hour, the average person is using it to delay having to work that hour at all, in exchange for having to work an hour and six minutes sometime later. At some point, you run out of hours available and the house of cards collapses. i.e., credi…

You are conflating what actions would maximize the long term returns to the individual with the status quo which is that credit increases liquidity of the average family, who has most of their wealth tied up in home equity.

Re: FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

#45
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If customers make every payment their score should improve.

What is the benefit for a consumer to use this type of loan and then pay it back on time versus using a credit card and then paying the card back on time? To me this seems like a new product that would target a different consumer than the one that makes payments on time. But I would like if someone challenges this view. Thanks!

It’s like layaway. Also you didn’t really need credit before to get them.

Re: FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

#46
post #6

This would probably only affect the people with the worst credit scores I imagine. I just don't see a ton of 800+ credit score people deciding to spend 5 payments of $20 for a pair of $80 shoes.

A lot of young people where Affirm-ing their DoorDash etc. even though they had the money

Re: FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

#47

Theoretically, credit should be used for one thing: to make more money. (not less) However, instead of using it to buy or construct a machine to triple what you can produce in an hour, the average person is using it to delay having to work that hour at all, in exchange for having to work an hour and six minutes sometime later. At some point, you run out of hours available and the house of cards collapses. i.e., credi…

> Theoretically, credit should be used for one thing: to make more money. I disagree. You use credit to buy a car or buy a house when you don't have the cash to buy them up-front. It's not so you can use them to make money, it's so you can use them to enjoy life . > At some point, you run out of hours available and the house of cards collapses. Only if you go too far. The point is to buy things knowing what they'll c…

Both transportation and shelter are important to earn money

Re: FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

#48

Credit scores will tank further

If customers make every payment their score should improve.

Not if it shows a bunch of Affirm loans. You could look overleveraged for say getting a mortgage

Re: FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

#49

Theoretically, credit should be used for one thing: to make more money. (not less) However, instead of using it to buy or construct a machine to triple what you can produce in an hour, the average person is using it to delay having to work that hour at all, in exchange for having to work an hour and six minutes sometime later. At some point, you run out of hours available and the house of cards collapses. i.e., credi…

Not sure what you mean by the “average person” here but the biggest kinds of debt are mortgages ($12T) and cc debt, student loans, and car loans (roughly 4T total).

Is your position that taking debt to buy a house is bad unless you can sell it for a profit? Is working for the mortgage lender to accomplish that not worth it?

You can avoid it by renting, but then you’re just working for the landlord, so there’s no avoiding it.

Re: FICO to incorporate buy-now-pay-later loans into credit scores

#50
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that's a bit disingenuous. It's not always delaying work. There's only so much time and there are some people who cannot afford to live with the time in the day, the skillset they have, and the market conditions (both income and expenses). Your tone and word choice shows you don't understand the problem at all. If somebody can BNPL or otherwise credit lifesaving medicine (such as the many people in the USA wh…

Obviously there are edge cases. Debt can be a form of insurance for the individual. However, I stood in line behind someone who financed a bowl of noodles with afterpay, and it got me thinking. Those are the folks I'm talking about.

It’s not an edge case. The vast majority of debt is mortgages and student loans. Things that people pretty much need, unless you happen to have the upfront cash.
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