How is a Credit Scoring Model developed?

To develop a credit scoring model, a creditor selects a random sample of its customers or a sample of similar customers if their sample is not large enough, and analyzes it statistically to identify characteristics that relate to creditworthiness.

Then, each of these factors is assigned a weight based on how strong a predictor it is of who would be a good credit risk. Each creditor may use its own credit scoring model, different scoring models for different types of credit, or a generic model developed by a credit scoring company. Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a credit scoring system may not use certain characteristics – like race, sex, marital status, national origin, or religion – as factors. However, creditors are allowed to use age in properly designed scoring systems. But any scoring system that includes age must give equal treatment to elderly applicants.