Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 3: Saying “Yes” to More Underserved Consumers

Sep 30, 2025

In this conversation, Matt Zalubowski, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Atlanticus, shares insights on expanding responsible credit access for underserved consumers. He discusses the effectiveness of cash flow underwriting as a more nuanced data source, offering a 15% lift in approvals. Matt highlights how partnerships with affiliates like MoneyLion mitigate friction in obtaining consumer consent and delve into using cash flow data to enhance account servicing and underwriting strategies. Tune in for valuable perspectives on bridging the credit gap!

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INSIGHT

Serving The Overlooked Middle

Atlanticus serves the underbanked between prime cards and payday-style products by offering fairer subprime credit options.
Cash flow data helps them widen access responsibly while avoiding predatory structures.

INSIGHT

Cash Flow Is A ‘Meatier’ Signal

Atlanticus treats cash flow as a meatier supplemental attribute that improves underwriting signal.
They use it both to say yes at acquisition and to improve post-approval account management.

INSIGHT

Resolving Bureau Noise With Deposits

Cash flow data acts as an arbiter when bureau scores disagree by showing real income and cadence.
It reduces noise from inconsistent bureau pulls and reveals trends in deposits.

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Hello, and welcome back to Cash Flow Conversations, a new miniseries sponsored by Nova Credit.

Episode 3 is my conversation with Matt Zalubowski, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Atlanticus, a subprime lender focused on offering credit cards and personal loans.

The challenge in this market is finding more ways to fairly and responsibly say YES.

Cash flow data is proving to be a natural fit, driving about a 15% lift on top of traditional bureau data while widening the credit box without adding risk (and giving consumers better terms and pricing that go beyond a simple yes/no decision).

We dig into how Atlanticus uses cash flow data to bridge the gap between prime cards and payday-style products, why affiliates like MoneyLion help reduce friction in permissioning, and how cash flow data enables smarter line sizing and pricing. Plus, some early results!

I learned a lot in this conversation, and I trust you will, too.

Subscribe now to catch the rest of Cash Flow Conversations as it comes.

This miniseries is brought to you by Nova Credit.

Nova Credit is a credit infrastructure and analytics company that enables businesses to grow responsibly by harnessing alternative credit data.

The company is a CRA that leverages its unique data infrastructure, compliance framework, and credit expertise to help lenders fill in the gaps that exist in traditional credit analytics.

Deploy cash flow underwriting confidently with Nova Credit's proven platform. Check them out at www.novacredit.com.

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