As Car Prices Hit the Roof, Shoppers Hope to Keep Payments at Ground Level

Consumer visibility is changing Roughly 45 million Americans, or 1 in 5 consumers, are considered credit invisible or unscoreable.[1] They’re working, paying bills and participating in the economy, yet many are not fully visible during the lending process. That creates both a visibility challenge and a growth opportunity for lenders. In this Ask the Expert session, Corliss Hill, Senior Director, Inclusion and Belonging at Experian, joins Dr. Vaneesha Dutra, Endowed Professor of Finance at Morehouse College, to discuss how evolving consumer behaviors are reshaping conversations around financial inclusion and lending decisions. For lenders, visibility matters because confident decisions depend on reliable context and insight. Broader consumer signals can help institutions better understand repayment behaviors, financial stability and consumer capacity. “The benefit of banks using alternative data is that they capture a very significant and new consumer base. That's 20% of the population, 45 million Americans.”Dr. Vaneesha Dutra, Endowed Professor of Finance A more complete understanding of today’s consumers Today’s consumers often manage obligations across a wide range of payment types and financial channels, creating additional signals through cash flow activity, recurring payments and consumer-permissioned financial data. Rent, utilities, subscriptions and mobile phone payments can all provide meaningful insight into how consumers manage their financial lives. What’s changing isn’t the need for risk assessment. It’s the amount of consumer behavior lenders can now evaluate. For example, a consumer experiencing temporary financial disruption may fall behind on certain obligations while continuing to consistently pay rent, utilities and phone bills. Those recurring payment behaviors can provide important context into financial priorities and stability. “These are consumers that pay rent on time every month, pay utilities every month on time and meet many other financial obligations in a timely manner.”Dr. Vaneesha Dutra, Endowed Professor of Finance From visibility to more-informed decisioning Broader consumer insights may help lenders move from limited visibility to more informed decisioning. The conversation shifts when lenders move from asking: “Should we take a risk on this consumer?” to: “Do we have enough information to fully understand this consumer?” That broader context can help institutions: Strengthen risk assessment. Identify financially active consumers with strong repayment behaviors. Support more informed lending strategies. Alternative data isn’t about replacing established credit approaches. It’s about helping lenders build on trusted credit foundations with additional context and insight. Responsible lending starts with better context For lenders, the path forward is practical and actionable. As lenders evaluate broader consumer behaviors, three priorities become increasingly important: Modernize data strategies Incorporate broader consumer signals alongside existing credit data to create a more holistic view of repayment behavior and financial stability. Engage consumers earlier Earlier intervention may help lenders better support consumers before financial challenges become more severe. Create pathways to financial access Smaller lending opportunities can help consumers establish stronger financial profiles and demonstrate positive repayment behaviors over time. The institutions that lead will be the ones that can combine strong risk practices with a broader understanding of consumer behavior. Whitepaper: Bridging the credit divide: income, risk and inclusion in consumer finance Building on the themes discussed in this Ask the Expert session, Dr. Dutra explores how demographic shifts, evolving borrower behaviors and broader consumer visibility are reshaping lending strategies and what they mean for lenders seeking to balance growth, risk management and financial inclusion. Download whitepaper Explore alternative data with Experian Experian can help lenders combine broader consumer insights with trusted credit data to strengthen decisioning, improve risk assessment and support more-informed lending strategies. With solutions spanning identity, cash flow and advanced analytics, lenders can gain a more complete view of consumer behavior and expand access to credit with greater confidence. Learn more Watch episode 1 About our experts Corliss Hill Senior Director, Belonging Business Partner, Experian Corliss Hill is a collaborative leader well-versed in working with executive stakeholders, crossfunctional teams, external partners and community organizations to design and deliver initiatives and programs that create sustainable impact. With over 25 years of extensive experience in multicultural marketing, communications, PR and inclusion and belonging initiatives, she is dedicated to advancing equitable access to financial. Her mission is to drive impactful marketing initiatives that foster meaningful change and address systemic barriers to inclusion and the communities they serve.Hill has been a part of the Experian family since 2021, and resides in Atlanta with her daughter who is a rising 11-year-old entrepreneur. Vaneesha Dutra, Ph.D. Endowed Professor of Finance and Associate Dean, Morehouse College Vaneesha Dutra, Ph.D., serves as Associate Dean in the Division of Business and Economics. With more than 20 years of experience spanning higher education, banking and real estate, Dr. Dutra’s work focuses on the racial and gender wealth gap, financial literacy and financial decision-making. She is an active researcher and consultant whose work has earned numerous grants and fellowships, including serving as the inaugural Tracy A. Pruitt Visiting Research Faculty Fellow at the Wharton School of Business. Dr. Dutra has also been named a Research Faculty Fellow for both the Center for Black Entrepreneurship and the PNC Bank Center for Entrepreneurship. [1] Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Expanding access to credit.

Ian P. Moloney of the American Fintech Council discusses responsible fintech innovation and Experian’s role in expanding credit access.

For years, most electric vehicle (EV) adoption has been concentrated in California, New York, and other traditional early-adopter markets. And while those markets still lead the nation in total registrations, as of last year, some of the fastest-growing EV markets are in regions that haven’t played a significant role in the past. According to Experian Automotive’s 2025 EV Year in Review Report, EV adoptions seem to be entering a new phase that is spreading well beyond coastal strongholds. In fact, the top designated market areas (DMAs) that saw the fastest year-over-year growth for new retail individual EV registrations in the last five years were Detroit, MI (34.5%), Naples, FL (32.6%), Atlanta, GA (20.6%), Buffalo, NY (18.7%), and Charlotte, NC (17.3%). However, despite the growing demand in these market areas over the last few years, Los Angeles, CA still holds a strong lead in new retail individual EV registrations, with over 164,000 new adopters in 2025. Rounding out the top five were San Francisco, CA (85,000+), New York, NY (78,000+), Miami, FL (45,000+), and Seattle, WA (35,000+). EV adoption expanding well beyond the early-adopter markets could be a result of charging infrastructure growth, vehicle availability improvement, and consumer interest reaching new levels across the country. What does this mean for dealers? The extension of EV adoption into emerging markets signals that these vehicles are becoming a mainstream consideration for more consumers. As dealers look for ways to grow their presence in this segment, adopting marketing strategies, service operations, and inventory planning will be beneficial to meet changing buyer expectations and capitalize on the growing demand. The biggest takeaway isn’t necessarily which markets are selling the most EVs, it’s seemingly where adoption is gaining momentum. As new regions start to embrace these vehicles, it’ll be important to monitor the next phase of growth and where future opportunities may emerge. To learn more about EV insights, visit Experian Automotive’s EV Resource Center.