Welcome to the Experian Thought Leadership Hub

Download the latest Alternative Financial Services Trend Report to reveal new insights on growth and risk, including:

• Loan volume is up 21% YoY across installment and single pay products
• Installment bad rates declined 6.8% YoY
• Returning borrowers grew 26.5% YoY in RTO/LTO

Gain a clearer view of how consumers earn, spend, and manage their money in today’s evolving economic landscape. In this webinar, Experian experts break down the financial behaviors shaping demand, risk, and growth—using macroeconomic trends, credit data, and transaction-level cash flow insights.

• Key trends in spending, income stability, and cash flow
• What credit and cash flow signals reveal about your customers
• How to apply these insights to marketing, risk, and growth strategies 

The consumer credit market entered 2026 on stable footing, but rising uncertainty - from geopolitical conflict, energy costs, and interest rates - is reshaping the outlook for lenders and consumers alike. Explore what’s changing and what it means for your strategy.

• Delinquencies stabilizing, standards easing
  
• Rising costs pressuring consumer affordability
  
• New risks shaping lending growth outlook

Financial Frontiers explores the structural shifts, emerging technologies, and regulatory developments reshaping financial services. In this inaugural brief, we examine how stablecoins are moving from niche crypto instruments to institutional financial infrastructure — and what that means for strategy, liquidity, and competitive positioning.

• Why stablecoins are gaining institutional traction
  
• Regulatory momentum and implications for financial firms
  
• Strategic questions leaders should be asking now

Mortgage lenders face rising fallout, affordability strain, and shifting borrower expectations. This white paper explores how embedded financial wellness strengthens conversion, reduces risk, and builds long-term trust.

• Improve inquiry-to-close conversion
• Manage risk with real-time credit insights
• Address affordability pressures proactively
• Deepen engagement and drive sustainable growth

The U.S. economy continued to expand in Q4 2025, though the pace of growth slowed and underlying indicators presented increasingly mixed signals. Real GDP rose at a 1.4% annualized rate, reflecting continued expansion but marking a deceleration from earlier in the year. In January 2026[GS1.1][SM1.2], inflation moderated to 2.4% year-over-year, providing relief to businesses and consumers alike. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained relatively low at 4.3%, underscoring ongoing labor market resilience.

However, beneath these stable headline indicators, signs of cooling emerged. Consumer spending and retail sales slowed during the quarter, suggesting households are becoming more selective amid elevated borrowing costs and slower wage growth. While consumer sentiment edged slightly higher in December, spending momentum weakened. Wage growth continued to moderate, and labor market churn declined, with lower quits and softer hiring activity signaling a gradual normalization rather than contraction.

According to the Experian Small Business Index™, business credit conditions remained within the typical 40-60 range. Lending availability showed slight tightening during the fourth quarter, while APRs remained elevated but stable. Entrepreneurial momentum remained strong. New business formations averaged approximately 509,000 per month, with acceleration most pronounced in the South and West.

Despite these pressures, optimism improved modestly among both consumers and small business owners. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index and University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index both recorded gains in December, suggesting confidence has stabilized even as economic momentum slows. As 2025 closesclosed, small businesses remained fundamentally stable but increasingly cautious, navigating a higher-cost credit environment and moderating demand.

Read our first-annual 2026 Public Sector Trends & Impact Report to understand the forces reshaping agency operations and trust:

• Rising fraud and program integrity risks
• Modernization challenges across legacy and digital systems
• Workforce strain and responsible automation
• Securing citizen access without increasing friction

Read our first-ever State of Energy and Utilities Report examining the forces shaping the industry this year.

• Rising arrearages and affordability pressures
• Expanding digital channels and identity-related fraud exposure
• AI-driven demand, data center growth and grid resiliency challenges
• Data-driven strategies to reduce risk and strengthen customer trust

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