There are a few reasons why Karen might be more likely to get the loan if she is younger, even if she and Bob have the same current level of income and debt:
Age is often considered a factor in creditworthiness because younger people are generally considered to have a longer borrowing horizon than older people. This means that lenders may consider Karen to be a lower risk borrower because she has more time to repay the loan.
Karen may have a longer credit history than Bob, which could make her a more attractive borrower to lenders. Credit history is often considered an important factor in loan decisions because it reflects a borrower's past credit behavior and can be a good indicator of future creditworthiness.
Karen may have a higher credit score than Bob. Credit scores are used by lenders to assess the risk of lending to a borrower, and higher credit scores are generally considered a sign of lower risk. Karen may have a higher credit score because she has a longer credit history, has made timely payments in the past, and has a lower level of debt relative to her credit limits.
Overall, Karen may be more likely to get the loan if she is younger due to a combination of factors such as a longer borrowing horizon, a longer credit history, and a higher credit score.