Equifax Introduces Income Qualify to Deliver Insights Earlier in the Mortgage Lending Process and Help Lenders Manage Costs
Rhea-AI Summary
Equifax (NYSE: EFX) launched Income Qualify on December 10, 2025, a product that delivers verified income and employment insights from The Work Number to mortgage lenders during prequalification and pre-approval alongside the Equifax consumer credit file.
Income Qualify supplies name/SSN, employer name, tenure, and prior-year total income where available, aiming to speed initial assessments, reduce borrower burden, and help lenders manage costs and purchases of The Work Number at origination.
Separately, Equifax said it will offer VantageScore 4.0 mortgage credit scores at an over 50% reduction from FICO 2026 prices and commit to a $4.50 VantageScore price for two years, including a free VantageScore with each FICO score purchased.
Positive
- Product launch: Income Qualify delivers verified income and employment at prequalification
- Data points: Name/SSN, employer name, tenure, prior-year total income provided
- Pricing move: VantageScore 4.0 offered at >50% discount versus FICO 2026 prices
- Committed price: $4.50 VantageScore pricing guaranteed for two years
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Peers showed mixed moves, with VRSK and BAH down while FCN and HURN were up, suggesting EFX’s modest -0.6% move was more stock-specific than part of a broad sector trend.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 04 | Survey insights | Positive | +0.7% | Release of Social Services Outlook Index showing strong efficiency and automation trends. |
| Dec 01 | Investor conferences | Neutral | -0.1% | Planned participation in Goldman Sachs and UBS investor conferences with executive speakers. |
| Nov 18 | Product integration | Positive | -0.2% | Kikoff integrating Equifax Optimal Path™ score planner for over one million members. |
| Nov 17 | Acquisition | Positive | -0.2% | Acquisition of Vault Verify to enhance employment and income verification offerings. |
| Nov 13 | Product launch | Positive | +0.1% | Launch of AI-driven AML Compliance Solutions with broad sanctions and watchlist coverage. |
Recent product and partnership announcements have generally produced small price moves, with occasional divergences when positive news coincided with slight declines.
Over the past month, Equifax has focused on product innovation and ecosystem expansion, including AML Compliance Solutions on Nov 13, the Vault Verify acquisition on Nov 17, and the Kikoff Optimal Path™ integration on Nov 18. Additional items included survey-based insights for public-sector clients and participation in investor conferences in early December. Today’s Income Qualify launch continues this pattern of data-driven solutions, particularly around mortgage and verification, building on The Work Number® capabilities highlighted in prior actions.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement introduces Income Qualify, extending verified income and employment data from The Work Number® into the mortgage prequalification and pre-approval stages. It complements Equifax’s earlier move to offer VantageScore 4.0 mortgage scores at a reduced price of $4.50 for two years. Together, these steps emphasize cost management and richer data for lenders. Investors may watch for adoption indicators and any disclosures on how these offerings influence mortgage segment growth and margins.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
New Offering Delivers Income and Employment Insights from The Work Number®
Currently lenders are limited in their ability to confidently make prequalification offers. Income Qualify provides verified income and employment data earlier in the process, empowering mortgage lenders to conduct an initial assessment faster and with less burden on the borrower. This helps reduce risk in the lending process and supports affordability in the home buying process.
"Mortgage lenders are facing increased competition for qualified buyers. They need to be able to assess borrower eligibility and make critical lending decisions more quickly while also managing costs," said Joel Rickman, General Manager and Senior Vice President of
Home ownership is an important goal for many
Leveraging data from The Work Number, Income Qualify provides the following data points alongside the Equifax Mortgage Credit Report, where available:
- Name/SSN: Gain confidence in the name of the potential borrower.
- Employer Name: Capture the name of the borrower's employer, helping to reduce employer name match errors during later submission to Government-Sponsored Enterprise platforms.
- Tenure: Provides confidence in the borrower's job tenure and informs the lender on future income data needs for underwriting.
- Prior-Year Total Income: Allows for high-level debt-to-income (DTI) ratio assessment and categorical confirmation of data provided on an application.
With this information available before origination, Income Qualify can help lenders assess borrowers earlier in the loan process. Additionally, it can help lenders manage costs by making more informed purchases of The Work Number at origination.
Equifax is focused on developing innovative solutions that can help lenders reduce the cost of home ownership and help consumers build generational wealth, while providing deeper insights alongside its credit reporting products. As part of this effort, the organization also announced in October that it would offer VantageScore 4.0 mortgage credit scores at an over
For more information about Income Qualify, please view the product sheet.
ABOUT EQUIFAX INC.
At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Dan Jenkins for Equifax Workforce Solutions
mediainquiries@equifax.com
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SOURCE Equifax Inc.