Which of the following characteristics is not protected under ECOA?

Age is indeed not a characteristic that is explicitly protected under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The ECOA is designed to ensure fairness in lending and prohibits discrimination based on several specified characteristics. These include race, color, religion, national origin, sex (gender), marital status, age (if the applicant has the capacity to contract), and the presence of a good faith exercise of any rights under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.

While age is somewhat nuanced within the context of ECOA—such that discrimination against applicants based solely on age is not permitted—the act primarily addresses age in relation to the inability to enter into a binding contract. Therefore, while older individuals cannot be discriminated against if they have the legal capacity to contract, that specific condition makes age less clear-cut than other protected characteristics.

Gender, disability, and marital status all fall under the thrust of the ECOA as clearly defined categories where discrimination is prohibited. Their inclusion demonstrates the act's focus on providing equal opportunities for those who might face biases in the lending process based on these factors.