FICO and Plaid announced a partnership on November 20 2025 to launch the next‑generation UltraFICO® Score, a credit‑scoring model that blends the traditional FICO Score with real‑time cash‑flow data sourced from Plaid’s extensive banking network.
The new score builds on the original UltraFICO® model by adding continuous transaction monitoring, allowing lenders to see a borrower’s cash‑flow patterns in near real time. The integration is expected to sharpen risk assessment for consumers with thin or low credit histories, giving lenders a more complete view of financial health and potentially expanding credit access for underbanked households.
For consumers, the enhanced score could translate into more accurate credit decisions, lower interest rates, and faster approval times. By incorporating real‑time cash‑flow, lenders can better gauge repayment capacity and reduce default risk, which benefits both borrowers and financial institutions.
The partnership aligns with FICO’s recent Q3 2025 performance, when revenue rose 20% year‑over‑year to $536 million and the company raised its full‑year guidance. The new product is part of FICO’s broader strategy to monetize alternative data and drive growth in its high‑margin Scores segment.
Plaid’s role is to provide the data infrastructure that feeds the score, leveraging its network of over 12,000 financial institutions. The collaboration differentiates FICO from other alternative‑data providers by offering a single, integrated metric that can be embedded directly into lenders’ underwriting systems.
Will Lansing, FICO’s CEO, said the partnership “demonstrates our commitment to innovation and to expanding credit access for consumers who have historically been underserved.” Analysts view the launch as a positive step toward capturing the growing market for alternative data in credit underwriting.
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