How Navy Federal Credit Union Could Have Avoided a Disparate Impact Disaster
The landscape of mortgage lending endured a stark headline this week: “The nation’s largest credit union rejected more than half its Black conventional mortgage applicants". In the article , CNN reporters analyzed 2022’s figures and revealed that while over 75 percent of White applicants received a nod for new conventional home purchase mortgages, less than 50 percent of Black applicants were afforded the same opportunity, despite comparable incomes and other financial factors.
This disparity is more than just numbers—it speaks to a systemic issue that touches on the core of ethical lending practices. At Qualytics , we’re not just watching from the sidelines. We’re actively developing solutions to ensure such discrepancies don’t go unnoticed or unaddressed.
Our platform is built on the premise that data integrity and fairness are non-negotiable. It’s not just about the clear-cut figures of income or debt-to-income ratios, but about a holistic view that captures all variables, including relationships among data points that give insights beyond what is easily observable in the raw data alone.
A Navy Federal spokesperson defended their practices, emphasizing their commitment to equitable lending and the use of thorough employee training and statistical testing, the question remains: if your personnel and advanced systems can’t provide the necessary oversight to prevent these disparities, then what can?
With Qualytics, this failing would have almost certainly been spotted early as our system is designed to recognize patterns and flag outliers. Qualytics isn’t about casting blame but about offering a robust system that bolsters the integrity of mission critical datasets. We analyze data beyond the surface, automatically identifying relationships rooted in the statistical and historically informed patterns in your data - quickly discovering anomalies that cause downstream, bottom line business and regulatory impacts.
In a world where we have the technology to elevate fairness and compliance, headlines like these should become a thing of the past. Qualytics stands ready to support lenders in not just meeting but exceeding the standards for equity in lending. Because when it comes to fairness in financial opportunities, we believe it’s not just a matter of regulation—it’s a matter of principle.
BY Gorkem Sevinc / ON Dec 14, 2023
