Welcome to the Experian Thought Leadership Hub

Global Insights 2026 explores how financial institutions are shifting from rapid AI adoption to accountable, connected intelligence. As fraud grows more sophisticated and risk functions converge, success depends on governed data, orchestrated ecosystems, and explainable decisions at scale.

• Accountable AI with measurable ROI and governance
  
• Layered fraud and continuous identity verification
  
• Unified credit, fraud, and compliance intelligence

After outperforming expectations in 2025, the U.S. economy heads into 2026 with momentum - and meaningful risks. This Macro Moment explores the forces shaping the year ahead, from AI-driven growth and consumer resilience to evolving credit conditions and labor market uncertainty, helping leaders prepare for what’s next. Key takeaways include:

• The economic signals that mattered most in 2025 - and why they still matter
  
• How AI, consumers, and credit conditions are shaping 2026
  
• Where risks remain and what to watch in the labor market

As the credit card landscape evolves, understanding how consumers and businesses are adapting has never been more important.

Our second annual State of Credit Cards Report provides a timely update on key market dynamics and dives into an often-overlooked segment within credit card portfolios: business accounts.

Key takeaways:

• 30+ DPD delinquency rates remained above pre-pandemic levels in 2025.
• Fintechs continue to gain share in the credit card market, posting a 71% YoY increase in account originations.
• Many businesses use consumer credit cards to support business-related activity, making this segment easy for lenders to overlook.

The Regional Economic Health Tracker examines consumer health across the four U.S. census regions. It highlights how regional dynamics, from data center growth to housing costs and credit conditions, are shaping household finances today.

• Regional income, spending, and cost-of-living trends
  
• Housing market performance and price changes
  
• Consumer stress and 30+ DPD balances by product

ITIN holders are active, responsible participants in the U.S. credit economy — yet many remain overlooked by traditional lending models.

Our white paper takes a closer look at this financially active and resilient population, revealing key insights into their credit performance and long-term growth potential.

Some findings include:

• Most ITIN holders are concentrated in states that represent a large share of the U.S. economy: California, Texas and New York.
• 76.9% of ITIN holders remained current on trades after 12 months, a rate 15% higher than SSN consumers.
• ITIN holders maintain a lower debt-to-income ratio (25%) than SSN consumers.

Read the full white paper for more insights.

This summary outlines important research findings that help lenders drive a more inclusive environment for customers, while mitigating risk.

A few takeaways:

• Understanding the profiles of who’s more prone to exclusion informs risk management.
• Machine learning techniques can also be deployed to help detect economic interaction effects or shifts.
• Attributes like education level, occupation or rent/utilities payment history have predictive power in credit outcomes.

Gain actionable insights from Experian’s 2026 State of the U.S. Housing Market Report:

• Mortgage market shifts and evolving borrower behaviors
• Affordability pressures and what they mean for homeowners
• Home equity as a key growth lever for lenders
• Macroeconomic trends impacting housing demand and credit

Despite tariff headwinds in 2025, the U.S. economy exceeded expectations and is positioned for continued growth. Improving credit dynamics point to a stronger lending environment in 2026.

• Solid economic momentum heading into the new year
• Improving lending standards and rising credit demand
• Stable delinquency trends support healthier credit conditions

Read the latest findings about "Closing the credit gap" white paper, and what they mean for financial inclusion and risk management.

Key insights:

• Income and credit trends reveal significant disparities that impact access to financial products.
• Demographic shifts across gender, household structures, ethnicities, and generations are reshaping borrower profiles.
• Lenders who adapt their strategies and product offerings can expand their customer base, reduce default rates, and lead in inclusive finance.