FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn.–Blaze Credit Union has won a 2023 Economic Vehicle Accessibility Award (EVAA) from Open Lending, an industry trailblazer in automotive lending enablement and risk analytics solutions for financial institutions.
The inaugural EVAAs honor Open Lending’s partners for their commitment to driving access to vehicle ownership through equitable financing opportunities for consumers in the near- and non-prime credit tiers.
“Open Lending is proud to recognize the incredible work that credit unions and banks do to bring loan opportunities to underserved consumers,” said Kevin Filan, senior vice president of marketing at Open Lending. “Creditworthy near- and non-prime loan applicants are frequently overlooked, and they often need financing opportunities to become vehicle owners and achieve upward credit mobility. We established the EVAAs to honor partners like Blaze for going above and beyond in their service to these consumers, and to inspire other financial institutions to do the same.”
The awards are based on categories defined by the asset size of the credit union and judged by the number of Lenders Protection certified loans booked for the 2023 calendar year.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by Open Lending, but this is really about staying true to the credit union promise to serve those who might be underserved,” said Dave Walters, VP-consumer lending sales. “Purchasing a vehicle is empowering, and we’re proud to be able to work with so many members to get them behind the wheel, and at the same time building or rebuilding their credit with a successfully paid loan.”