Experian is proud to be one of the sponsors and participate in the FinCon 2014 conference, taking place September 18-21 in New Orleans, Louisiana. FinCon is an opportunity for financial media to come together to learn what’s trending in personal finance, share best practices for successful social engagement and how, as a community we can enhance financial education. If you are going to FinCon, we have lots planned! Since the conference is just days away, we wanted to highlight some of the ways you can join in the Experian fun. Join Experian’s Mike Delgado on Friday at 1:30 p.m., as he moderates the session, How to Build a Thriving Community: Top bloggers share engagement strategies that work Are you a community builder or social media manager? Let's get together and chat over coffee on Saturday, September 20th at 8 a.m. Stop by our booth to say hi to the #CreditChat crew, learn more about credit and win some goodies! Find #FinConFreddie! Be on the lookout for “FinCon Freddie” throughout the conference venue. If you happen to spot one of these little hoppers, follow the instructions to claim your $25 gift card. There are eight chances to win, so keep your eyes peeled! Even if you can’t make it to #FinCon14, follow Experian on Instagram and @Experian_US on Twitter for clues where #FinConFreddie is hiding and to learn more credit insights.

The following article is a guest post from Dara Duguay, executive director, Credit Builders Alliance. A good credit history is crucial in today’s economy. Far more than just a number, a good credit score can make the difference in being able to access the affordable lending products necessary to go to college, buy a home, or start and grow a small business. Renting an apartment, paying for car insurance, signing up for utilities and even landing a job can also be affected by a person’s credit history – or the absence of one. Unfortunately, for many of the 64 million Americans with no or “thin” credit files, the ability to establish a good credit history is hampered by lack of access to affordable mainstream credit building financial products. A disproportionately large number of these individuals are low-income and many live in areas underserved by traditional financial institutions. They depend on predatory financial service providers who do not report their borrowers' on-time payments. Thus, many of these low-income households find themselves trapped in a vicious credit cycle: the use of predatory financial products prevents them from building good credit and their impaired or nonexistent credit furthers ongoing dependence on asset stripping alternative financial products. Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) launched CBA Reporter in 2006 as a way for non-profit lenders to help build the credit history of disadvantaged entrepreneurs and consumers by reporting their monthly repayments to the major Credit Bureaus. Experian has been a partner in CBA’s Reporter service since CBA’s inception. This service enables non-profit lenders to offer their clients not only a loan to start a business or meet a household need, but also the ability to build a positive credit history. By strengthening one’s credit history, their access to affordable financial products and services will also be strengthened. CBA is proud to have partnered with Experian in a first-ever national study of CBA’s membership to understand the impact of reporting loan repayments on one’s financial health. The analysis confirmed exactly what our experience has shown to be true—when people pay regularly on their credit obligations and these payments are reported to a credit bureau—individuals will benefit through building stronger credit reports and scores. The results of Experian’s analysis supports credit building as a strong tool to assist the most vulnerable to become more financially stable and prosperous.

Over the last few years, there has been a plethora of attention around hybrid and electric vehicles, from both consumers and media alike. Whether it’s due to the fact that consumers have become more environmentally conscience, or that fuel economy standards have begun to take shape, alternative-powered vehicles have steadily risen in popularity. But as the rest of the automotive industry continues to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles, can we expect this “green” car segment to keep growing? Register for quarterly updates: http://ex.pn/1AzlzXB According to Experian Automotive’s most recent report looking at automotive market share and registration trends, the answer appears to be that the segment’s growth has hit a wall. In the first half of 2014, new sales for alternative-powered vehicles decreased by 3.6 percent from the previous year. This marks the first time that “green” cars have experienced a regression in new sales since the recession in 2009. “Despite arguably being the most talked about vehicle segment in recent memory, we’re beginning to see new sales of alternative-powered vehicles come down slightly,” said Brad Smith, director for Experian Automotive. “While the reduction could be caused by any number of reasons, we have to keep in mind that there have been significant improvements in gas mileage across all car segments. This combined with the fact that smaller economy vehicles are typically several thousand dollars less than alternative-powered vehicles, consumers are able to get similar car value for their money.” Findings from the report also showed that entry-level CUVs took over the top spot as the number one vehicle segment among new registrations in the first half of the year. Small economy cars rose to the second spot, while full-sized pickup trucks, which was the top vehicle segment in the first half of 2013 fell to number three on the list. Additionally, the top five CUV models in the first half of 2014 were the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue. The top five small economy car models during the same time period were Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Sentra. Other findings from the report include: • Total vehicles in operation in the second quarter of 2014 reached 249.4 million, an increase of 1.5 million vehicles from a year ago • The average age of vehicles (rolling average of current 15 model year vehicles) decreased to 7.6 years in Q2 2014 from 7.7 years in Q2 2013 • Ford, International and Freightliner were the top three vehicle makes for medium and heavy duty vehicles on the road in Q2 2014 • In Q2 2014, 82.2% of all medium and heavy duty vehicles were powered by diesel fuel • All regions saw a decrease in used vehicle registrations in the first half of 2014, with the exception of the northeast, which saw a 1.8 percent improvement • Ford F-150, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord were the top 3 vehicle models in the first half of 2014

As the increased buzz about Big Data has filtered into Washington, D.C., policymakers have sought to learn more about Big Data, the technology that drives it, and the benefits and potential impacts for consumers. To that end, there have been three government reports released over the past year — two issued (1) by the Obama administration that focused explicitly on Big Data and one by the Federal Trade Commission (2) that centered on “data brokers.” The upside of Big Data: The reports found that in most instances Big Data promises important societal, public safety and economic benefits, including: • Aiding in the detection of health-related outbreaks • Reducing traffic • Fostering the development of innovative products The perceived challenges of Big Data: All three reports also focused on some of the challenges of Big Data, such as the need for greater transparency and accountability regarding data collection and use practices. They also found that Big Data presents the potential for discrimination against underserved communities. However, the reports failed to address the fact that there are fair lending, fair housing and equal employment laws already on the books (3) that regulators can use to address discriminatory practices. More important, however, is that all three reports failed to recognize that Big Data can bring immense opportunity for improving financial inclusion among our nation’s underserved communities. An estimated 60 million Americans are considered “credit invisible” Many reading this blog may take it for granted that credit can be accessed easily through a credit card or an auto, a mortgage or a student loan. However, for an estimated 60 million Americans who are considered to be “credit invisible,” this isn’t the reality. Today’s automated underwriting systems rely on a credit score. Thus, consumers without a proven track record of meeting financial obligations often are unable to access affordable credit simply because they don’t have a score or they have a credit history so thin that it cannot be scored. Without access to mainstream financial products, these consumers often are forced to rely on high-priced, short-term loans, some of which are from lenders that are predatory in nature. Big Data’s role in helping “credit invisibles” So how can Big Data help these people build a financial history and identity? While credit invisible consumers may not have traditional credit history, most make their cable, utility or mobile payments on time. This data, however, is not generally included in their credit file, as telecommunications companies and utilities typically report only late payments or when an account has been sent to collections. Of course this could be remedied if these entities started to report on-time positive payments to the credit reporting agencies, just as financial institutions do today. A recent study by PERC and the Brookings Institution found that including on-time payments from energy, utility and telephone firms would shrink the population of credit invisibles to around 5 million (4). Research (5) also has shown that it would be a net positive for underserved communities: • Twenty-two percent of Hispanics, 21 percent of African Americans and 21 percent of those earning $20,000 or less annually could be accepted for mainstream offers of credit • Fourteen percent of those aged 25 or younger could move into the traditional banking system Policymakers can help by clarifying that federal law allows for telecommunications companies and utilities to report on-time payment data and give consumers credit for paying their bills on time. Including this as part of the larger Big Data debate is critical in demonstrating that more predictive data in the credit system can help consumers. It’s not just telecommunications and utility data that can be included in credit reports. A recent analysis by Experian RentBureau uncovered how the addition of rent payment data to credit files can help financially excluded consumers gain access to traditional financial services. Specifically, 100 percent of the previously unscoreable study participants now are credit-scoreable, with the majority falling into the least risky prime category. Additional findings from the report are available here. Financial inclusion through improved scoring models and analytics Big Data’s financial empowerment potential can be unleashed through wider adoption of more inclusive credit scores. VantageScore® (6), for example, utilizes advanced analytics and reaches deeper into the credit file by integrating new data points, like rental payments, to help score consumers who previously were unscoreable. The impact of these analytics equates to bringing into the financial mainstream between 30 million and 35 million creditworthy consumers who previously would have been unscoreable using legacy credit scoring models. This is just one example of how advanced analytics using Big Data sets derived from credit databases can help achieve the goal of greater financial inclusion. In conclusion, as illustrated by the many examples provided throughout this blog post, Big Data can bring immense opportunity for improving financial inclusion among our nation’s underserved communities. At Experian, we remain committed to helping expand the creditworthiness of individuals and furthering financial inclusion through Big Data analytics — a clear positive for consumers, industry and our nation. Written By: Tony Hadley, Senior Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs at Experian     (1) http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/big_data_privacy_report_5.1.14_final_print.pdf http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/05/01/pcast-releases-report-big-data-and-privacy  (2) http://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/data-brokers-call-transparency-accountability-report-federal-trade-commission-may-2014/140527databrokerreport.pdf (3) Fair Credit Reporting Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Truth in Lending Act, among others (4) http://financialservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hhrg-112-ba15-wstate-mturner-20120913.pdf (5) http://www.perc.net/subsidiaries-affiliates/alternative-data-institute-adi/alternative-data-initiative-sign-letter/ (6) VantageScore® is a registered trademark of VantageScore Solutions, LLC.

The following article is a guest post from Paul Combe, President and CEO of Boston-based American Student Assistance. According to recent Experian research, student loans were the only type of consumer debt to increase during the recession, growing 84 percent from 2008 to 2014. Today, 40 million Americans carry college loans. The average borrower has nearly four different student loans for a total of $29,000. Keeping track of multiple loan payments and high debt can mean a rough financial start for newly minted college graduates. Evidence is mounting that student debt could be getting in the way of our economic recovery, as growing numbers of millennials delay forming their own households under the weight of their student debt burden. But amid all the student loan doom and gloom is this stark reality: higher education remains the key to unlocking the American Dream. It remains the surest path to individual prosperity and economic mobility. College graduates still enjoy far greater earnings and far less unemployment than those with no college degree. In fact, Experian’s data show 18- to 34-year-olds with student loans make an average annual income of $42,000, vs. $34,000 for all credit active consumers in the same age group. A college-educated workforce also contributes more in income tax, relies less on government-provided services, and overall helps the United States retain global competitiveness. In short, how do we reconcile these two things – the national need for a qualified, educated workforce on one hand, and on the other the need of the workforce to take on substantial amounts of debt to achieve that education? One answer is to teach students how to make the debt manageable. Sensational media coverage aside, student debt actually is controllable when students and graduates have the financial know-how, tools, and advice to cope with it. According to Experian, consumers aged 18-34 with at least one open student loan have credit scores 20 points higher than those without student loans, indicating that student loans can help build and establish credit for young adults. High scores also suggest that responsible student loan borrowing will potentially increase their scores and the ability to get credit in the future. At the nonprofit American Student Assistance®, we run a free-to-the-user educational resource called “SALT™” that provides students the money knowledge for college and beyond that they need to pay for and pay back college costs. SALT teaches three principles that all student loan borrowers, past and present, should live by: Borrow less. What’s the best way to manage debt? Not have it in the first place. That doesn’t mean you have to downsize your college plans or always go for the cheapest education possible. What it does mean is that you should exhaust all “free” financial aid, like grants and scholarships, before you turn to loans. Always fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), even if you don’t think you’re eligible for any federal aid. And if you’re borrowing to cover costs of living in addition to tuition, fees and books, remember the old adage to live like a student now so you don’t have to after graduation. Borrow smarter. Not all student loans are created equal. Federal student loans offer very flexible repayment terms that allow you to suspend or lower your monthly payment in times of unemployment or economic strain. Private student loans generally don’t offer the same repayment rights. Be mindful of the type of loan you’re borrowing and ask upfront about the repayment arrangements. A general rule of thumb is to always take out federal loans first and turn to private loans as a last resort. Repay well. Your student loan choices don’t end at the application process. Federal student loans come with a plethora of repayment plans that you need to thoroughly research and investigate, from spreading out payments over the standard 10 years, to extending the payment term, to paying interest-only for the first few years, to basing payment on your income. Evaluate all your options before you begin repayment, and then be sure to evolve your payment strategy as your economic circumstances change over the years. Bottom line: Policy debates about college costs and the value of education will rage on for years, but we can improve our nation’s student loan situation right now by teaching student borrowers how to make smarter decisions along every step of the student loan process. Paul Combe is President and CEO of Boston-based American Student Assistance, the nonprofit creator of the free educational resource SALT™ that provides students with money knowledge for college and beyond.

Experian® chosen for its integration with Symitar, along with streamlined delivery and advanced real-time decisioning  Costa Mesa, Calif., September 8, 2014 — Experian®, the leading global information services company, today announced that American 1 Credit Union and Credit Union of Southern California selected Experian’s Decisioning as a ServiceSM for its Instant Prescreen service that identifies quality prospects for additional product offerings. The real-time instant prescreen (also known as prescreen of one) capability of Decisioning as a Service integrated with the credit unions’ Episys® system from Symitar provides an opportunity for the organizations to cross-sell to creditworthy members and improve business performance. The credit unions were looking for a service that was cost-effective, quick to deploy and easy to integrate and provides accurate decisions based on Experian’s vast data and analytical assets. “American 1 chose Experian’s Decisioning as a Service for instant prescreen because we were looking for an additional tool to help us increase our auto loan and credit card portfolios,” said Martha Fuerstenau, executive vice president at American 1 Credit Union. “We recognize that the key to achieve our goal was to empower the frontline and give them confidence to make that cross-sell while they are serving the members. Because of this new feature, American 1 has increased the number of loan applications that are generated from the account specialist team.” “It was important to have a seamless process in place at the teller line so that the member did not have additional wait time while the instant prescreen was being completed,” stated Dennis Wendorf, director of research and development at American 1 Credit Union. “By using Decisioning as a Service, our frontline is able to view whether or not a member is preapproved for an auto loan or a credit card with just a few clicks on the Symitar system.” “Experian continually invests in developing services that make a positive shift in the way our industry operates and give more options to consumers that enhance their credit profiles,” said David Proctor, vice president, Consumer Information Services, Experian. “The instant prescreen aspect is just one extension of our Decisioning as a Service product. The foundation of our service is the integrity of our data assets, deep analytics capabilities and the predictability of the scoring models, which, when they are combined, provide a powerful holistic decisioning tool that assists businesses in attaining growth and increasing profitability.” Experian’s Decisioning as a Service is an instant decisioning service engineered to help clients gain greater value from data and decisioning products. It does so by providing flexible, real-time access to more data sources, attributes, scores and analytics for key decision areas such as instant prescreen and credit underwriting. Visit our Decisioning as a Service and Instant Prescreen sites to learn more.

Experian Marketing Services, a global provider of integrated consumer insights, targeting, data quality and cross-channel marketing, hosted a fireside chat with U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team goalkeeper Tim Howard at its 2014 Client Summit. In the following video clip from that fireside chat, Howard discusses how he decides to align with brands that match his personal and professional image. Specifically, Howard describes the formula he uses to make business partnership decisions. “We try and look for a good fit,” said Howard. “There’s not always a blueprint for that, but it’s a feeling.” He continues, “I don’t want to lend my name to just any old company. I have put in a lot of hard work into my own brand, which is basically on the field, trying to be a decent guy and a good player.” A video of the entire fireside chat featuring Howard and moderator Rick Erwin, president of consumer insights and targeting at Experian Marketing Services, can be viewed on the company’s YouTube channel with this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T19JM3i-brY Insights and stories shared by Howard connected directly to the theme of the 2014 Client Summit, reinforcing the importance of storytelling for marketers and how brands need to deliver exceptional and authentic customer experiences. During the Client Summit, Experian Marketing Services also unveiled several new capabilities that will help marketers drive customer acquisition, increase brand loyalty and improve marketing return on investment. The biggest highlight was the announcement of the Experian Marketing Suite, a cohesive, end-to-end marketing capability that enables brands to deliver authentic customer experiences every time, in any channel and via any device. To watch additional Client Summit videos, including event keynote sessions, visit http://ex.pn/W8ktEQ.

At Experian, we have a firm commitment to social responsibility. We show that commitment through a broad range of efforts that help communities realize their social and economic potential by investing in community and education programs that foster the financial health of individuals and small businesses across the globe. As part of this commitment, Experian has more than 100 employees who are certified as Experian Education Ambassadors. These ambassadors educate consumers throughout the United States about credit reporting, credit scoring, fraud and identity theft and other issues in which Experian has expertise. Presentations take place at youth organizations, schools, colleges and universities, faith-based organizations – anywhere people gather and request information about these important subjects. Experian Education Ambassadors volunteer their time, often nights and weekends to support programs and events in the communities where they live and work. They do this because of the personal gratification they receive from helping others. They do it because they work for Experian, and people expect us to be able to answer their questions about credit reports and credit scores. Experian is also awarding thousands of dollars in financial literacy grants to non-profit organizations serving in need consumer groups including youth, minority groups, first time home buyers, military, and small business entrepreneurs become more financially literate and capable throughout their lives. Investment in Early Education And recently, Experian partnered with Ubuntu Education Fund (Ubuntu) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, adding a new dimension of our culture of Corporate Social Responsibility at Experian. This partnership with Ubuntu included a donation of $15,000 to provide school supplies and educational development to children in the Port Elizabeth area, and parallels a nationwide school supplies donation drive across Experian’s North America region. Donations will go to local charity partners with the mission of improving education for underserved children. We believe investment in early education and development of youth is essential in any country to help give young people a strong foundation to succeed in life, This partnership with Ubuntu Education Fund, which will use our financial contribution to help not only provide basic education supplies, but also holistically care for children to give them a better chance of success. To learn more about our commitment to corporate responsibility go to: http://www.experianplc.com/corporate-responsibility.aspx

Experian Marketing Services, a global provider of integrated consumer insights, targeting, data quality and cross-channel marketing, gathered more than 1,000 top marketing executives from the world’s leading brands for the 2014 Client Summit. The event reinforced the importance of storytelling for marketers and how brands need to deliver exceptional and authentic customer experiences. During the Client Summit, Experian Marketing Services unveiled several new capabilities that will help marketers drive customer acquisition, increase brand loyalty and improve marketing return on investment. The biggest highlight was the announcement of the Experian Marketing Suite, a cohesive, end-to-end marketing capability that enables brands to deliver authentic customer experiences every time, in any channel and via any device. A video of the live unveiling and demo of the Experian Marketing Suite at the Client Summit can be viewed here: http://ex.pn/V2tgas The Experian Marketing Suite allows brands to accurately capture, link and enrich customer identities across channels while providing added intelligence to understand customer behaviors and preferences. Also included in the Marketing Suite is an Interactions Manager, which marketers can use to engage with their customers across channels an devices and then analyze and measure marketing performance. “This year’s Client Summit tapped into the heart of good marketing and provided our clients with a balance of inspiration, education and networking,” said Ashley Johnston, senior vice president, global marketing at Experian Marketing Services. “Our star-studded lineup of keynotes and educational panels left attendees with tangible and progressive strategies for becoming even better marketers and storytellers.” The 2014 Client Summit was held at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nev. Sessions included a keynote address by Adam Savage, co-host of MythBusters, discussing the synchronicities of art and science and how they can make both creatives and technologists better storytellers; a storytellers panel featuring Grammy winner and hip hop icon Jermaine Dupri along with top marketing leaders from The Limited, ShoeDazzle and Red Envelope. The Summit also featured two intimate fireside chats — one with U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team goalkeeper Tim Howard and one with Michael Strahan, co-host of LIVE with Kelly and Michael and Good Morning America, analyst for Fox NFL Sunday and pro football Hall of Famer. Comedy Central, GameStop and Zappos also were among the main stage client spotlight presentations, with marketing leaders from those brands providing specific and actionable examples of how they have raised the bar on customer experience, engagement and impactful storytelling. A highly anticipated event each summer for marketers, Experian Marketing Services’ Client Summit recently was recognized with a Stevie Award for Best Tradeshow/Conference at the American Business Awards. This year’s event continued the tradition of excellence and was praised by attendees. “Experian Marketing Services’ Client Summit once again proved to be one of the year’s ‘don’t miss’ marketing events,” said Don Steele, senior vice president, fan engagement, multiplatform marketing at Comedy Central. “I had a great time networking with colleagues and peers and hearing from some of the world’s best storytellers. It was a fantastic time at a great venue, and I can’t wait for next year.” More information on the Experian Marketing Suite can be viewed here: http://ex.pn/1shO4pY

 Precise ID® with FraudNet provides a single view of a consumer’s identity across devices Experian®, the leading global information services company, has announced the launch of a cross-channel fraud platform to better authenticate consumers, validate their mobile devices and identify mobile fraud. The platform combines Experian’s Precise ID®, an industry-leading risk-based authentication service, with FraudNet, a global fraud detection and prevention service from 41st Parameter®, a company Experian recently acquired. The combined offering provides organizations with a way to authenticate consumers confidently at multiple touch-points online, subsequently increasing revenues by significantly reducing false positives in their fraud processes, improving operational efficiencies and preserving a positive customer experience. Companies face significant pressure in authenticating consumers in non-face-to-face channels while protecting their brand from vulnerabilities and financial losses from fraud. Setting up accurate fraud detection processes has become more and more challenging as mobile and online channels have become widely used by consumers. At the same time, fraudsters’ techniques are becoming increasingly sophisticated. “Managing fraud risk and protecting customer identities are becoming more complex as the opportunity for fraud has increased with the proliferation of mobile devices being used for online transactions. Organizations need to confidently authenticate consumers without affecting their overall customer experience,” said Adam Fingersh, senior vice president of Experian Decision Analytics. “The Precise ID with FraudNet platform provides organizations with the ability to manage fraud risk associated with traditional identity information coupled with device-based information through a single platform regardless of channel, all while managing a positive customer experience.” Experian’s Precise ID with FraudNet platform uses a highly configurable rules-based engine designed to balance an individual business’s needs and fraud-risk appetite. The platform combines several features that collectively create a leading offering in the market: • Identity authentication — The risk-based approach considers credit data, noncredit data, questions, scores and analytics, leveraging Experian’s proven analytics and scoring expertise. Custom and configurable rules that support your credit, fraud and compliance policies with Fair Credit Reporting Act and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act compliance aids in meeting mandated government and industry regulations. • Device intelligence — Fraudsters are taking advantage of new technology and the proliferation of devices. The Precise ID with FraudNet platform enables clients to recognize known returning customers, authenticate new legitimate customers and flag fraudulent threats. By leveraging more than 100 device intelligence attributes and more than 500 actionable rules, Precise ID with FraudNet looks for suspicious and inconsistent device characteristics without the use of any cookies. • Link analysis tool — Investigators can rapidly assess the authenticity of the transaction or group of transactions. For example, the tool can identify common customer information and billing data, including name, multiple phones, multiple addresses and multiple email addresses from the same device, even if no other information is the same. • Risk analyzer — Reduce acceptance of bad accounts without negatively impacting profits via a highly customizable rules engine that is configurable to a company’s risk appetite to appropriately manage cross-channel risk in a portfolio. • Investigator workbench – simplifies case management via an online user interface. Precise ID with FraudNet also incorporates detection tools and full audit trails to decrease investigator training times, reduce the volume of manually reviewed transactions and save time and resources in the review process. Learn more about Precise ID with FraudNet

Summertime only comes around but once a year. And when it does, you can always expect to see the sun shining brightly, kids eating ice cream and folks heading to the beach. While all these may be staples of the season, none are more indicative of summer than seeing someone drive down the highway in a nice convertible with the wind blowing through their hair. Who gets to live this lifestyle, you ask? The answer: Successful, college-educated consumers living in California or Florida. According to a recent analysis, Experian Automotive found that more than 50 percent of all convertible car buyers had at least a bachelor’s degree, while only 38.2 percent of average new car buyers had a similar education level. Additionally, nearly 19 percent of consumers purchasing a convertible had an average household income in excess of $175,000, and 11.7 percent owned a home valued at more than $1 million. Conversely, only 10.7 percent of average new car buyers had a household income of the same level, and only 4.4 percent owned at home valued at the same price. The analysis also showed that a significant portion of convertibles were registered in predominately sun-filled states. In Q1 2014, 23 percent of all convertibles were registered in California (13.4 percent) or Florida (9.6 percent). Texas (7 percent), New York (4.3 percent) and Illinois (3.9 percent) rounded out the top five. And, now that you have an idea of who the person driving the convertible is, you probably also noticed that they were most likely driving a Ford Mustang. The analysis found that in the first quarter of 2014, the Ford Mustang was the convertible vehicle model of choice across all 50 states. The Chrysler Sebring, Mazda Miata/MX-5, BMW 3-Series and Chevrolet Corvette rounded out the remaining top five convertible makes and models in the United States. For more information on this analysis or other automotive-related insights, visit www.experian.com/automotive.

Ori Eisen, founder of the 41st Parameter, a part of Experian, and Frank Abagnale Jr. spoke with Bloomberg TV recently about new major new fraud threats emerging and how Experian can help protect organizations and their customers from becoming victims. Experian’s fraud prevention and identity management business helps clients combat the global fraud epidemic costing businesses hundreds of billions of dollars every year. You can the watch the interview here: Corporate account takeover is a growing issue as virtually any web site leveraging username and password authentication can be affected. Our Decision Analytics team wrote about the account takeover trend earlier.