Without a doubt, the technology revolution taking place today has significant implications for community development practitioners and financial institutions. Computers in particular have allowed greater efficiencies and often better techniques for everything from lending procedures to payment delivery systems. Automated loan underwriting, frequently called credit scoring, provides new opportunities and raises new issues for underwriting, pricing, marketing, and collection efforts. New software developed by the Federal Reserve Bank to increase lending opportunities and improve leveraging techniques has been widely distributed. And Smart Cards provide new opportunities for payment delivery systems. All are featured in this newsletter. Our cover story addresses new electronic delivery systems for social programs that could save over $141 million a year. Electronic Benefit Transfer Systems affect everything from food stamps to AFDC benefits. Keeping up with new technology is a challenge. We hope you find this issue of Partners helpful in your quest to keep up. |
