SAN FRANCISCO — When bankers of the future decide whether to make a loan, they may look to see if potential customers use only capital letters when filling out forms, or at the amount of time they spend online reading terms and conditions — and not so much at credit history.
These signals about behavior — picked up by sophisticated software that can scan thousands of pieces of data about online and offline lives — are the focus of a handful of start-ups that are creating new models of lending.
Image: Executives in a meeting at Affirm, which offers alternatives to credit cards for online purchases. Credit Jason Henry for The New York Times
