A proposal to better access credit scores — to include non-loan payments such as rent, utility and cable bills — is gaining momentum in Congress as a way to help more Americans establish their creditworthiness.
Consumers’ credit scores are currently determined by the information supplied mostly by lenders.
The scores favor consumers who handle credit responsibly and penalize those who fall behind on payments.
The push to include borrowers’ payment histories on bills like monthly rent is now before Congress as part of the Credit Access and Inclusion Act, which was introduced in the summer.
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who co-sponsored this bill, said: “Our current credit reporting system leaves more than 50 million people without a credit score. … Including more data in credit reports will make it easier to get and improve a credit score.”