Experian Announces Expanded Financial Education Programming to Address Evolving COVID-19 Landscape

COSTA MESA, Calif., March 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the urgent and rapid changes associated with COVID-19, Experian is accelerating and enhancing its financial education programming to help consumers protect their financial health in these uncertain times. With expected delays in bill payments, unprecedented layoffs, hiring freezes and related hardships, Experian seeks to aid consumers in understanding how the credit reporting system and personal finance overall will move forward in this landscape. Experian invites everyone to join its special eight-week series of #CreditChat conversations surrounding COVID-19 on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. ET on Twitter. The first chat will take place on Wednesday, March 25: How to Manage our Finances & Credit During This Coronavirus Pandemic. 

Experian's weekly #CreditChat program started in 2012 to help the community learn about credit and important personal finance topics (e.g. saving money, paying down debt, improving credit scores). The next several #CreditChats will be dedicated to discussing ways to manage finances and credit during the pandemic. Topics of these #CreditChats will include methods and strategies for bill repayment, paying down debt, emergency financial assistance and preparing for retirement during COVID-19.

"As the consumer's credit bureau, we are committed to working with consumers, lenders and the financial community during and following the impacts of COVID-19," said Craig Boundy, Chief Executive Officer of Experian North America. "As part of our nation's new reality, Experian is planning for options to help mitigate the potential impact on credit scores due to financial hardships seen nationwide. Our upcoming #CreditChat series and supporting resources will serve as one of several informational touchpoints with consumers moving forward."

Being fully committed to helping consumers and lenders during this unprecedented period, Experian has created a dedicated blog page, "COVID-19 and Your Credit Report," with ongoing and updated information pertaining to how COVID-19 may impact consumers' creditworthiness and – ultimately – what people should do to preserve it. The blog will be updated with relevant news as Experian announces new solutions and tactics. Additionally, the Ask Experian blog invites consumers to explore immediate and evolving resources on its COVID-19 Updates page.

In addition to this guidance, and with consumer confidence in the economy expected to decline, Experian will be listening closely to the expert voices in its Consumer Council, a group of leaders from organizations committed to helping consumers on their financial journey. Experian established a Consumer Council in 2009 to strengthen its relationships and to initiate a dialogue among Experian and consumer advocacy groups, industry experts, academics and other key stakeholders. This is in addition to ongoing collaboration with our regulators.

Additionally, Experian's Education Ambassador program enables hundreds of employee volunteers to serve as ambassadors sharing helpful information with consumers, community groups and others. The goal is to help the communities Experian serves across North America, providing the knowledge consumers need to better manage their credit, protect themselves from fraud and identity theft and lead more successful, financially healthy lives.

"Our commitment at Experian is to inform, guide and protect our consumers and customers during uncertain times," said Rod Griffin, Director of Public Education and Advocacy for Experian. "COVID-19 has impacted all industries and individuals from all walks of life. We want our community to know we are right there with them."

To easily follow Wednesday's #CreditChat, connect via http://www.tchat.io/rooms/creditchat. For more information on Experian's #CreditChat, visit https://www.experian.com/blogs/news/about/creditchat/

About Experian
Experian is the world's leading global information services company. During life's big moments — from buying a home or a car to sending a child to college to growing a business by connecting with new customers — we empower consumers and our clients to manage their data with confidence. We help individuals to take financial control and access financial services, businesses to make smarter decisions and thrive, lenders to lend more responsibly, and organizations to prevent identity fraud and crime.

We have 17,200 people operating across 44 countries, and every day we're investing in new technologies, talented people and innovation to help all our clients maximize every opportunity. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and are a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

Learn more at www.experianplc.com or visit our global content hub at our global news blog for the latest news and insights from the Group.

Contact:

Scott Anderson
Experian Public Relations                                                                              
1 949 205 9377
[email protected]

SOURCE Experian

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