FICO and Plaid partnership delivers an enhanced credit score that combines the trusted FICO Score with consumer-permissioned cash flow data
FICO (NYSE:FICO), global analytics software leader, today announced the general availability of the next-generation UltraFICO® Score, a credit score that combines the proven reliability of the FICO Score, used by 90% of top U.S. lenders, with real-time, consumer-permissioned cash flow data. Developed by FICO and powered by Plaid's data network, the UltraFICO® Score provides lenders with an enhanced measure of consumer credit risk, on the same industry standard score scale lenders trust, with minimal operational lift.
The UltraFICO® Score builds on traditional credit data by incorporating cash flow insights drawn from consumer-permissioned bank account data across Plaid's network of more than 12,000 financial institutions, including cash inflows and outflows, account balance stability, and spending behavior. The result is a single, enhanced score that delivers superior risk assessment without requiring lenders to overhaul their existing decisioning systems.
"Lenders want more insight without complexity," said Julie May, vice president and general manager of B2B Scores at FICO. "The UltraFICO Score advances credit scoring by delivering cash flow insights in a format lenders already understand, on the same score scale they already use, and within the workflows they already rely on. Our new score will enable more precise decisions with minimal operational rework, while recognizing consumers for financial behaviors not captured by traditional credit file data alone."
Because the UltraFICO® Score is aligned to the industry standard FICO Score scale, lenders can use this new score within existing credit policies and risk management frameworks from day one.
"Consumer financial lives have increased in complexity, requiring innovation in credit scoring so lenders have deeper context about borrowers and their ability to repay," said Adam Yoxtheimer, head of partnerships at Plaid. "FICO and Plaid are pairing trusted traditional credit scoring with high-quality cash flow data, enabling lenders to get up and running quickly, increase approvals responsibly, and maintain regulatory confidence."
By incorporating consumer permissioned indicators such as balance stability, deposit consistency, and spending behavior, the UltraFICO® Score helps lenders responsibly expand access to credit while maintaining sound risk discipline. Analyses of the UltraFICO® Score compared with traditional credit data alone show:
- A 7% relative increase in approvals with no incremental risk, and a 15% relative performance lift for prime applicants with limited credit histories
- 79% of non‑prime applicants with a history of positive account balances see higher scores
"The new UltraFICO® Score is a major breakthrough for credit decisioning analytics," said Craig Focardi, principal analyst at Celent. "By combining traditional credit bureau data with cash flow signals into a single score that fits existing FICO workflows, lenders can expand predictive lift without creating operational complexity. Enabled by open banking, this approach also broadens credit access for thin-file and non-prime consumers, creating a competitive advantage for lenders that move early."
The UltraFICO® Score is available now. Lenders can access it regardless of how they currently receive FICO Scores, as it is distributed through Plaid Check, Plaid's consumer reporting agency. Built on secure, consent-based data sharing and designed to meet compliance requirements, the UltraFICO® Score reflects FICO's continued leadership in advancing the most predictive, reliable credit scores, and the company's longstanding commitment to expanding financial inclusion.
For more information, visit https://www.fico.com/en/products/ultrafico-score
About FICO
FICO (NYSE:FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 200 U.S. and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, insurance, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 100 countries do everything from protecting 4 billion payment cards from fraud, to improving financial inclusion, to increasing supply chain resiliency. The FICO® Score, used by 90% of top US lenders, is the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the US and has been made available in over 40 other countries, improving risk management, credit access and transparency.
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About Plaid
Plaid is a data network that serves as the analytics layer for financial services. Plaid's data analytics solutions deliver faster, safer onboarding, credit decisioning, payments, and anti-fraud. Plaid works with thousands of companies, including fintechs, Fortune 500 companies, and many of the largest banks to empower people with more choice and control over how they manage their money. Headquartered in San Francisco, Plaid's network spans over 12,000 institutions across the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Europe. To learn more, please visit plaid.com.
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