Off to Salt Lake City for the NCRA Annual Conference – Elevate 25’

Wait – Salt Lake City? Yep, I’m off to Salt Lake!

For reseller consumer reporting agencies, the upcoming NCRA Annual Conference  marks the final major event of the conference season. Honestly, it’s a welcome change of pace. Just as professionals in the mortgage industry attend events tailored to their sector, with vendors showcasing mortgage-specific tools and updates, this conference brings the same focus to credit resellers.  NCS is honored to be a sponsor of this year’s meeting.

The conference is a valuable opportunity for national CRAs and the many vendors that support our ecosystem to connect, share updates, and discuss emerging solutions. Most importantly, it is a time for resellers to collaborate and examine key topics impacting our verticals. Here are a few areas I will be watching closely:

1. FICO and VantageScore: Staying Neutral in the “Score Wars”

As I’ve shared in several interviews with my colleagues at NCS/S1, our stance in the ongoing FICO vs. VantageScore discussion is simple. We aim to remain neutral, or “Switzerland” in the transaction.  Our focus is on being score-agnostic and pursuing the advantages that best serve our customers.

2. The Changing Landscape of Reseller CRAs

In the simplest terms, reseller CRAs, defined under Section 603(u) of the FCRA, resell credit data sourced from the national CRAs (as defined in Section 603(p)). Within the mortgage sector, resellers merge data from Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax to produce tri-merge credit reports for originations.

The reseller industry has consolidated significantly. We’ve gone from hundreds of resellers to around 20 meaningful players today, with roughly 10 controlling most of the market. I am especially interested in connecting with reseller owners who may be considering a sale to an ethical, growth-focused family organization.

3. IRS IVES and SSA CBSV Programs: Policy Wins and Ongoing Challenges

I am pleased to report that the IRS IVES program (Income Verification Express Service) and teams handling Form 8821 processing operated normally through the government shutdown.  As I’ve emphasized in previous interviews, NCS has long advocated for IVES continuity during shutdowns because the program’s surcharge fees fully fund its operation.

Much of that win was thanks to NCS and especially the Mortgage Bankers Association, notably Rick Hill and former CEO Dave Stevens.  Dave was a great industry advocate on this topic to Treasury.

On the other hand, the Social Security Administration’s CBSV program has not adopted the same funding logic.  The form based CBSV program remained closed during the shutdown. Fortunately, eCBSV operated as usual.

4. Innovation and AI in Credit Reselling

Artificial intelligence will be a major topic of discussion at this year’s conference. The reality is clear: when application volumes rise due to lower interest rates or other market drivers, those who re-engineered their processes during slower times to take advantage of machine learning (ML), bots, or AI automation will lead in profitability.

At NCS/S1, we are already making strong progress in this area. Our next major initiative focuses on harnessing production data to help customers increase both profitability and volume. It is exciting work, and we are already looking forward to 2026.

5. Let’s Connect at NCRA

If you are a fellow reseller interested in white-labeling TRV services or expanding your offerings, let’s talk at the NCRA Annual Conference in Salt Lake City.

Safe travels, and see you there!