> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.methodfi.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Portfolio Monitoring & Retargeting

> Subscribe to account updates and credit score changes to monitor borrower health and identify retargeting opportunities.

After loan funding and debt payoff, your relationship with the borrower doesn't end. Method's subscription system lets you monitor the borrower's accounts for changes that matter: missed payments on remaining debts, balance increases that signal financial stress, credit score improvements that qualify them for better terms, and payoff events that open cross-sell opportunities.

This guide continues the James Rodriguez scenario. After consolidating his two credit cards through the [Debt Consolidation](/2025-07-04/guides/use-cases/lending/debt-consolidation) flow, James still has active accounts that you want to monitor: the Toyota auto loan, FedLoan student loans, and Rocket Mortgage.

## Portfolio Monitoring

### Subscribing to Account Updates

[Account Update Subscriptions](/guides/updates/subscriptions) deliver near-real-time balance and payment data as the financial institution reports changes. This is how you detect missed payments, early payoffs, and balance fluctuations without manually polling for updates.

Before enrolling accounts in subscriptions, check each account's `available_subscriptions` array to confirm the subscription type is supported. The `available_subscriptions` array works like `products` — it reflects Method's coverage for that specific merchant. All three of James's remaining active accounts (Toyota Motor Credit, FedLoan, Rocket Mortgage) include `update` in their `available_subscriptions`, so they're eligible for real-time monitoring.

**Subscribe to updates for the Toyota auto loan:**

```bash theme={null}
curl https://production.methodfi.com/accounts/acc_TmGPLxkz7Nrh6/subscriptions \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2025-07-04" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "enroll": "update"
  }'
```

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "sub_Rk7mPnXw4LjTq",
  "name": "update",
  "status": "active",
  "payload": null,
  "latest_request_id": null,
  "created_at": "2025-09-16T09:00:12.447Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-09-16T09:00:12.447Z"
}
```

**Subscribe to updates for the FedLoan student loan:**

```bash theme={null}
curl https://production.methodfi.com/accounts/acc_RkFqVbD8HjQxP/subscriptions \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2025-07-04" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "enroll": "update"
  }'
```

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "sub_Wx3nQmTk8PfRv",
  "name": "update",
  "status": "active",
  "payload": null,
  "latest_request_id": null,
  "created_at": "2025-09-16T09:00:45.892Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-09-16T09:00:45.892Z"
}
```

**Subscribe to updates for the Rocket Mortgage:**

```bash theme={null}
curl https://production.methodfi.com/accounts/acc_KpLnWzFt9Mjd3/subscriptions \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2025-07-04" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "enroll": "update"
  }'
```

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "sub_Jn5pLmYw2KhVx",
  "name": "update",
  "status": "active",
  "payload": null,
  "latest_request_id": null,
  "created_at": "2025-09-16T09:01:18.334Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-09-16T09:01:18.334Z"
}
```

Once enrolled, Method delivers webhooks whenever new update data is available. Each webhook contains the update path so you can retrieve the full details:

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "whk_Rm4nPqTx8LjWv",
  "type": "update.update",
  "path": "/accounts/acc_TmGPLxkz7Nrh6/updates/upt_Hx9mRnKw3PfTq"
}
```

<Note>
  You can also subscribe to `update.snapshot` for monthly snapshot data from credit bureaus, which provides a broader but less frequent view. Use `update` for real-time monitoring and `update.snapshot` for periodic reconciliation.
</Note>

### Subscribing to Credit Score Changes

Credit score monitoring tracks changes in the borrower's credit profile over time. This is valuable for both risk management (detecting deterioration) and opportunity identification (detecting improvement).

**Enroll James in credit score monitoring:**

```bash theme={null}
curl https://production.methodfi.com/entities/ent_qKNBB68bfHGNA/subscriptions \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2025-07-04" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "enroll": "credit_score"
  }'
```

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "sub_Tm8qNnLx5RjWk",
  "name": "credit_score",
  "status": "active",
  "payload": null,
  "latest_request_id": null,
  "created_at": "2025-09-16T09:05:33.218Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-09-16T09:05:33.218Z"
}
```

When a credit score change is detected, Method fires a webhook. You can then retrieve the updated score:

**Request the current credit score on-demand:**

```bash theme={null}
curl https://production.methodfi.com/entities/ent_qKNBB68bfHGNA/credit_scores \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2025-07-04" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc"
```

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "crs_Vn3mRkTx7PfLw",
  "entity_id": "ent_qKNBB68bfHGNA",
  "status": "pending",
  "scores": null,
  "error": null,
  "created_at": "2025-09-16T09:06:01.447Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-09-16T09:06:01.447Z"
}
```

The credit score request is asynchronous. Once completed, the `scores` field is populated with the borrower's score, model, and contributing factors.

### Detecting Distress Signals with Attributes

Beyond raw account data, [Attributes](/2025-07-04/guides/additional-products/attributes) can surface early warning signals. Periodically request attributes to monitor the borrower's credit health trajectory:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://production.methodfi.com/entities/ent_qKNBB68bfHGNA/attributes \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2025-07-04" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "attributes": [
      "credit_health_credit_card_usage",
      "credit_health_payment_history",
      "credit_health_entity_delinquent"
    ]
  }'
```

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "attr_Qk9nPmRw3LjTx",
  "entity_id": "ent_qKNBB68bfHGNA",
  "status": "completed",
  "attributes": {
    "credit_health_credit_card_usage": {
      "value": 12,
      "rating": "excellent"
    },
    "credit_health_payment_history": {
      "value": 98,
      "rating": "excellent"
    },
    "credit_health_entity_delinquent": {
      "value": false,
      "rating": "no_rating"
    }
  },
  "error": null,
  "created_at": "2025-10-15T09:15:44.218Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-10-15T09:15:44.218Z"
}
```

After the balance transfer paid off both credit cards, James's credit card usage dropped from 38% to 12% (`excellent`), and his payment history improved to 98%. These are positive signals for your portfolio.

Key distress signals to watch for:

| Signal                    | Attribute                                  | What it means                                           |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| Rising utilization        | `credit_health_credit_card_usage` > 75%    | Borrower may be accumulating new debt on paid-off cards |
| Declining payment history | `credit_health_payment_history` \< 90%     | Missed payments on remaining obligations                |
| Active delinquency        | `credit_health_entity_delinquent` = `true` | Borrower is behind on one or more accounts              |

## Retargeting & Reconsideration

The same monitoring infrastructure that detects risk also identifies opportunity. Subscription data can trigger automated workflows for second-look approvals, refinance offers, and cross-sell campaigns.

### Second-Look Approvals from Update Subscriptions

When a previously declined applicant's account data changes favorably, Update Subscriptions surface the change automatically. Common triggers:

* **Balance paydown:** An applicant who was over-leveraged pays down significant debt, improving their DTI ratio
* **Account closure:** An applicant closes a high-interest account, reducing their total obligations
* **Payment consistency:** Several months of on-time payments on existing debts demonstrate improved reliability
* **New payment coverage:** Method continuously expands its merchant network. An account that previously only supported `update` may gain `payment` coverage, opening new disbursement options for your product.

Because you're already subscribed to updates on the applicant's accounts, these changes arrive as webhooks without any additional API calls.

### Credit Score Improvement for Better Terms

Credit score subscriptions identify when previously declined or high-rate borrowers improve enough to qualify for better terms:

* A borrower who was approved at 12.99% APR sees their credit score rise 40 points — you can proactively offer a rate reduction or refinance
* A declined applicant's score crosses your minimum threshold — trigger an automated reconsideration workflow

### Tracking Repayment Velocity and Debt Trends

By comparing successive Account Updates over time, you can derive signals that aren't available in any single data point:

* **Repayment velocity:** How quickly is the borrower paying down your loan versus the scheduled amortization? Faster-than-expected repayment may indicate they're a candidate for a larger credit line.
* **Debt accumulation:** If the borrower's total liabilities are growing (new accounts, increasing balances on other cards), this may warrant a portfolio review.
* **Payoff events:** When an auto loan or mortgage is paid off, the borrower's monthly cash flow improves — an ideal time for a cross-sell offer.

## Putting It All Together

| Monitoring goal               | Method product                              | Trigger                                                                         |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Detect missed payments        | Account Update Subscription                 | `next_payment_due_date` passes without corresponding `last_payment_date` update |
| Track balance changes         | Account Update Subscription                 | `balance` field changes between update cycles                                   |
| Monitor credit score          | Entity Credit Score Subscription            | Score change detected by bureau                                                 |
| Assess credit health trends   | Attributes (on-demand)                      | Periodic pull or triggered by update webhook                                    |
| Identify refinance candidates | Credit Score Subscription + Account Updates | Score improvement + balance reduction                                           |
| Flag borrower distress        | Attributes + Account Updates                | Utilization spike, delinquency flag, or missed payments                         |

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Subscriptions Guide" icon="bell" href="/guides/updates/subscriptions">
    Deep dive into subscription types, webhook payloads, and management.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Credit Scores" icon="chart-simple" href="/guides/additional-products/credit-scores">
    Understand credit score retrieval, models, and subscription behavior.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Attributes" icon="chart-pie" href="/2025-07-04/guides/additional-products/attributes">
    Full list of available credit health attributes and their ratings.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Lending Overview" icon="arrow-left" href="/2025-07-04/guides/use-cases/lending/overview">
    Return to the lending use case overview.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>