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Replay of a real run — captured 2 Jul 2026

Grounds

Adverse Action Agent

Every step below is a real trace event from the signed run ledger.

sc-grounds

Transcript

Groundssonnet
Steps8
Tools3
Tokens32k
Elapsed1:26
Briefed on the case

I'll start by retrieving the regulation text and the credit report simultaneously — they're independent and I need both before I can map reasons and record.

Both tools returned. Let me review what I have before committing:

Reg B anchor (§ 1002.9(b)(2)): The statement must be specific and indicate the principal reason(s). Saying the applicant "failed to achieve a qualifying score" alone is explicitly insufficient — the underlying credit characteristics that produced the score must be stated.

Decision factors → specific principal reasons (mapped):

Decision factorSpecific reason (Reg B compliant)
Credit score below program minimumScore of 561 is below the auto program minimum of 600
Recent charge-off and collectionCharge-off of $3,000 (~16 months ago) + collection of $1,200 (~9 months ago) on bureau file
Very high revolving utilization (88%)Revolving balances equal 88% of revolving credit limits

FCRA score disclosure — grounded on CR-L2:

  • Score confirmed: 561
  • Bureau key adverse factors: collection (9 mo ago, $1,200), charge-off (16 mo ago, $3,000), revolving utilization at 88%, 6 credit inquiries in the past 6 months

All three factors are confirmed by the bureau report. Recording now.

The decision brief

Action taken
Decline

Reasons recorded. Here is the complete adverse-action determination for application L2:


Adverse Action — Application L2 (Auto Loan) · Decline

Principal Reasons for Adverse Action

(12 CFR 1002.9(b)(2) — statement of specific reasons)

  1. Credit score of 561 is below the auto loan program minimum of 600. The applicant's credit score fell in the below-subprime band. A statement that the applicant "did not achieve a qualifying score" alone would be insufficient under Reg B; the underlying credit characteristics driving that score are stated in reasons 2 and 3.

  2. A charge-off of $3,000 reported approximately 16 months ago and a collection account of $1,200 reported approximately 9 months ago appear on the applicant's credit report. Both derogatory items are recent and were confirmed on bureau report CR-L2. These are among the most heavily weighted negative factors in any scoring model and in the creditor's underwriting policy.

  3. Revolving credit balances are 88% of available revolving credit limits, which is very high. Bureau report CR-L2 confirms 88% revolving utilization. High utilization signals elevated credit risk and is a principal contributor to the score outcome.


FCRA Credit-Score Disclosure

(15 U.S.C. § 1681m — required when adverse action is score-based)

FieldValue
Credit score used561
Score range(to be filled per scoring model's disclosed range)
Date score generated(per CR-L2 pull date)
Score sourceBureau report CR-L2

Key factors that adversely affected the score (as reported by the bureau):

  1. Derogatory account — collection reported approximately 9 months ago ($1,200)
  2. Derogatory account — charge-off reported approximately 16 months ago ($3,000)
  3. Proportion of revolving balances to revolving credit limits is too high (88%)
  4. Too many inquiries in the last 6 months (6 inquiries)

Legal Basis

  • Reg B notice: 12 CFR 1002.9 — written adverse-action notice with statement of specific reasons required within 30 days of the decision.
  • FCRA score disclosure: 15 U.S.C. § 1681m — credit score, key factors, source, and range must accompany the adverse-action notice when a credit score was a factor in the decision.

Notes / Compliance Flags

  • All three principal reasons trace directly to decision.factors — no invented, softened, or generic reasons used.
  • No prohibited basis (race, sex, age, national origin, etc.) appears anywhere in the decision or these reasons.
  • Score (561) confirmed against CR-L2; key bureau factors are grounded in the report's actual tradeline and derogatory data.
  • LTV (126%) appears in policyBasis but not in decision.factors; it was not stated as a principal reason per the mandate to derive reasons strictly from the decision's own credit factors.
  • ⚠️ The notice must also include the ECOA tagline, the supervising agency name/address, and the creditor's name/address per § 1002.9(a)(2) before it is sent to the applicant.
Cost$0.1108
Turns4
Time86.7s
Recorded to the audit ledger · tamper-evident