MorganAsh has announced a new partnership with Infiinian, a provider of lending insights and data analytics for the consumer finance sector.

The new partnership is designed to provide financial services firms with a better understanding of the characteristics of individual customers, so that they can identify their vulnerabilities more accurately.

In April, MorganAsh launched its MorganAsh Resilience System (MARS), which provides a ‘resilience rating’ similar to a credit rating. It has been designed to enable firms to evaluate the vulnerability of individual customers more easily and consistently. The system and its rating methodology allows financial services firms to create more robust solutions based on a personalised understanding of the circumstances of individual customers.

The new partnership will allow MARS to work with Infinian’s data hub, which allows companies to interpret consumer finance data to improve decision-making. Infinian already works with a range of firms, including debt collection agencies, the gaming vulnerability sector, and risk and fraud agencies.

MorganAsh also recently enhanced its MARS tool by linking it with the Vulnerability Registration Service (VRS), which allows consumers to register themselves as vulnerable. The VRS draws on information from a range of organisations, including financial services suppliers, local authorities, utilities and charities.

Andrew Gething, the founder and managing director of MorganAsh, said: “It is important that organisations obtain accurate information on consumer characteristics so they can identify vulnerabilities correctly. We combine data directly from consumers, Infinian and the VRS to build a picture of the consumer’s characteristics, all expressed within our objective resilience rating.

“This not only enables organisations to understand their customers and take appropriate actions, but also provides a consistent record of events that is required for Consumer Duty regulations and can be audited.”

Ben Allott, commercial director of Infinian, added: “Infinian is a leading provider of lending insights and data analytics on the consumer finance sector. We offer unparalleled depth and coverage on the individuals associated with consumer lending, helping clients identify vulnerable consumers and stay ahead of the curve.

“We are delighted to begin working with MorganAsh, who share our goal of responsibly improving consumer decisioning of individuals.

“For MorganAsh, we will use vulnerability and affordability analytics to identify high-risk individuals and set up early warning alerts to mitigate risk and comply with regulation, using the MorganAsh MARS tool.”