Welcome to the Experian Thought Leadership Hub

Experian’s latest Commercial Pulse Report dives into the financial health of the restaurant sector amid rising costs and shifting consumer behavior.

Key insights:

• Menu prices at Full-Service Restaurants rose 4.6% in August — outpacing inflation.
• Limited-Service Restaurants are showing improved credit risk scores, suggesting stronger adaptability.
• Credit access is tightening across the board, with average credit limits falling below $6,000.
• Revolving credit utilization is climbing — an early signal of potential cash flow strain.

What does this mean for lenders and decision makers?

✅ Not all restaurant types face the same risks.

✅ Segmenting credit strategies is more important than ever.

✅ Watch utilization and inquiry trends closely — they may be early indicators of distress.

Check out the full report to see how these trends could impact your strategy!

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A strong credit risk decisioning strategy is crucial for any financial institution looking to stand out from the competition, book more high performing loans, and drive revenue. Lenders can achieve this by implementing next-gen AI technology to: 

• Build and deploy models faster 
• Optimize lending criteria 
• Reduce fraud risk 

Watch this video to learn how you can level up your credit decisioning journey across the customer lifecycle with the Experian Ascend Platform.

GenAI is transforming the financial services industry by drastically improving productivity and efficiency. Experian Assistant, our award-winning GenAI solution, can help lending institutions: 

• Automate complex tasks 
• Provide real-time coding support 
• Minimize compute power 
• Speed up the modeling lifecycle 

Watch this video to discover how Experian Assistant can help your business unlock the full power of your data with less friction and faster results.

Behavioral analytics enables Terrace Finance to stop advanced fraud threats and prevent losses from reaching their partners.

Hear directly from Andy Hopkins, CEO of Terrace Finance:

• Why fraud prevention is a crucial investment area for Terrace Finance
• How behavioral analytics helps Terrace protect its lending partners from evolving fraud attacks
• Hopkins’ advice for other leaders looking to invest in fraud prevention

The construction industry has experienced significant growth over the last seven years, but fresh data reveals mounting signs of financial stress that commercial lenders and Chief Risk Officers should be closely monitoring.

Check out the full report to see how these trends could impact your strategy!

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According to Experian’s latest Commercial Pulse Report, business formation remains strong:

• 471,000 new business applications were filed in July alone
• Between 2018 and 2023, the number of new businesses establishing commercial credit rose by 38%
• New businesses today look more financially stable than those from earlier years

What’s driving this resilience?

👉 Faster tech adoption

👉 Hybrid business models

👉 Stronger financial fundamentals

The pandemic forced small businesses to transform at record speed. Now, they’re leveraging those lessons to build smarter, more adaptable enterprises.

Check out the full report to see how these trends could impact your strategy!

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Outstanding student loan debt in the U.S. has reached an all-time high of $1.63 trillion, and the ripple effects are being felt far beyond the personal finance arena. This unprecedented debt burden is now shaping the way many small business owners borrow, manage credit, and maintain financial stability.

Check out the full report to see how these trends could impact your strategy!

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As temperatures rise across the U.S., so does the nation’s appetite for travel—and the Leisure & Hospitality sector is feeling the heat. In this week’s Commercial Pulse Report, we examine how soaring consumer demand intersects with evolving credit conditions for businesses in travel, lodging, and transportation.

Check out the full report to see how these trends could impact your strategy!

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As the automotive sector adapts to rising vehicle prices, shifting consumer behavior, and persistent inflation, the ripple effects are clearly visible in commercial credit activity. Experian’s latest Commercial Pulse Report (July 22, 2025) dives deep into the evolving credit dynamics within the auto industry—and one trend is clear: credit access is contracting across nearly every segment.

Check out the full report to see how these trends could impact your strategy!

Subscribe to Commercial Pulse Report