How Buy Now, Pay Later Loans Could Alter Credit

How Buy Now, Pay Later Loans Could Alter Credit
A sign outside a 'Speedy Cash' cash loans shop in London, England on Nov. 1, 2012. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
The Associated Press
Updated:

Expanding access to credit is a worthy goal. Too many people can’t get a mortgage or an emergency loan at a reasonable rate because they can’t show a solid credit history. They may pay more for insurance or make large security deposits to get utilities or rent an apartment.

Recently, the three major credit bureaus announced plans to incorporate “buy now, pay later” plans, a hugely popular type of point-of-sale financing that until now remained mostly outside the traditional credit ecosystem.