Case Study: Verity Credit Union achieves inclusive, faster lending with Zest AI

People, planet, prosperity Verity Credit Union’s journey towards inclusive lending

Verity Credit Union, a $859M Community Development Financial Institution serving 40,000 members, faced biased, inaccurate generic scoring models that left qualified applicants behind. To build more inclusive, automated underwriting and gain portfolio insights, Verity selected Zest AI’s AI-automated underwriting and Lending Intelligence reporting, integrated with their MeridianLink LOS.

Zest AI deployed its AI underwriting and portfolio reporting, eliminating inconsistencies and speeding decisions—delivering a 235% average lift in approvals across protected classes and instant approval increases of 100% for auto, 84% for credit cards and 69% for personal loans. Those gains included group-specific lifts (e.g., +271% for age 62+, +177% African Americans, +375% Asian Pacific Islanders, +194% women, +158% Latinos), enabled additional CDFI funding and new products (no‑minimum CDs, Sharia‑compliant loans, microgrants), and let Verity lend more deeply with confidence.

Verity Credit Union

Elisabeth Hayes

Director of Lending