When it comes to underwriting consumer loans, some communitydevelopment credit unions have found success by looking at otherfactors besides credit scores.

The three leading national credit bureaus – Equifax, TransUnionand Experian – are meant to provide credit unions and otherfinancial institutions with a guide for their underwriting. A givencredit score can help speed up the process and give the creditunion a reasonable idea about the likelihood a given borrower willrepay the loan.

But credit scores are typically only a quick a summary of aperson's credit history.