Faster home equity decisions
Learn how Community Choice Credit Union partnered with Zest AI to modernize underwriting with machine learning, improving loan decisions and expanding financial access.
The zest AI effect
At a glance
Community Choice Credit Union's reliance on generic credit models limited data inputs, created high manual review demand, and produced inconsistent decisions, making it hard to deliver the fair, instant lending experience their members expected.
Community Choice partnered with Zest AI in 2023 to bring more accurate and inclusive decisioning across credit card, auto, and personal loan portfolios before expanding into home equity underwriting, integrating seamlessly with MeridianLink across all portfolios.
Within just 90 days of launching Zest AI's home equity solution, automation jumped from 0% to 57%, with 300+ borrowers receiving same-day approval decisions.
The choice to put community first
Since 1935, Michigan-based Community Choice Credit Union (CCCU) has been dedicated to ensuring the financial well-being of its members. When it came to serving all members inclusively on the lending side, generic credit models made this goal difficult to achieve. With limited data inputs and high demand for manual review, generic credit models slowed the process down and led to inconsistent decisions. The lending team needed a solution that could give all members a fair, instant decision, keeping in line with consumer expectations and the credit union’s commitment to serving all members of the community.
That’s why CCCU partnered with Zest AI in 2023—not only could Zest AI’s technology provide more data and better math to create more accurate and inclusive decisions, but its members could receive those decisions in an instant. After one year of increasing automation and overall approvals in its credit card, auto, and personal loan portfolios, CCCU decided to start assessing home equity applications with Zest AI’s technology to improve accuracy, fairness, efficiency, and speed.
Big results, little time
From an easy, frictionless implementation with MeridianLink for all portfolios, to the hands-on service and support from Zest AI’s Client Engagement team, CCCU has been able to seamlessly deliver faster decisions for its members.
In CCCU’s first 90 days using Zest AI’s home equity underwriting solution, the lending team has gone from 0% to 57% automation. This boost in efficiency allowed them to see results quickly with 300+ borrowers approved on the same day they applied. As they continue to grow their home equity portfolio with Zest AI’s technology, they aim to increase efficiency and fast experiences for their members.
Trusted and mission aligned
Since 2009, Zest AI has been innovating and perfecting AI lending technology. A US-based technology as a service company, and pioneer in the field serving over $5.6T in assets, Zest AI aims to make best-in-class AI available to FIs to help broaden access to equitable lending.
Community Choice Credit Union
AVP, Consumer Lending
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