How Banks Spy on You

With lenders still skittish about making new loans, credit bureaus and others are hawking services that help banks probe deeply into your financial closet. The new offerings include ways to look at your rent and utility payments, figure out your income, gauge your home’s value and even rate your banking habits based on details like whether your direct deposits have stopped. All of this could influence your financial freedom—not to mention the number of junk-mail solicitations you receive. … ‘It’s a lot more than just your credit score today,’ says Ken Lin, CEO of Credit Karma, a credit-score information website.