Case Study: Suncoast Credit Union boosts loan approvals 24% with Zest AI

Increasing Instant Approvals with Suncoast

Suncoast Credit Union, the largest credit union headquartered in Florida, faced limits from legacy scoring that constrained loan growth and slowed decisions in the middle credit tiers. Suncoast engaged Zest AI to automate lending with an AI-driven auto‑lending model that could approve more members (including thin‑file applicants) without increasing portfolio risk and that would integrate with its existing IT despite limited internal data‑science resources.

Zest AI built and deployed a tailored auto lending model trained on nearly three years of in‑market loan data, exploring ~11,000 credit variables and selecting ~200 for a more accurate picture of creditworthiness. The Zest AI solution outperformed national scores across tiers and delivered a 24% approval‑rate increase, an estimated $450M annual rise in originations and a 76% lift in auto‑decisioning (results based on preliminary model test data).

Suncoast Credit Union

Victoria Lovett

EVP & Chief Operation Officer