If a new company has not yet established a credit history, many lenders turn to the business owner’s personal credit to evaluate risk. But does personal credit alone paint an accurate picture of a new business’s risk? Is there a more optimal way to determine how creditworthy a young company may be?

To find answers, Experian® randomly selected the credit files of 2.5 million U.S. small-business owners and compared them with the records of 1 million consumers. We then looked at the credit history of both groups, as well as key demographic data such as age, education and income. We also reviewed the number of open trades, delinquencies, bankruptcies and business survival rates. The results of this research are explained in this whitepaper.

Leading economists from Moody's Analytics and experts from Experian provide a deep dive on the Q1 2020 Experian/Moody's Analytics Main Street Report credit insights.Cristian DeRitis, Moody's Deputy Chief Economist provides an initial assessment of the impact from Coronavirus on the economy and an overview of macro-economic conditions impacting small business. Derrek Grunfelder-McCrank, Moody's Associate Economist provides a regional analysis of credit trends including business sectors that are performing well, and which ones are under pressure, and what's driving the trends. Brodie Oldham, Experian's Senior Director of Analytics Consultancy closes by sharing Experian's perspective on how small businesses are fairing.

Leading economists from Moody's Analytics and experts from Experian provide a deep dive into the Q4 Experian/Moody's Analytics Main Street Report credit insights. Ryan Sweet, from Moody's provides an initial assessment of the impact of Coronavirus on the economy, and Derrek G. McCrank provides an overview of regional credit conditions. Brodie Oldham, Experian's Senior Director of Analytics Consultancy closes by sharing Experian's perspective on how small businesses are fairing.

Confidence in a US-China trade deal helped to cushion business borrowing in the fourth quarter. Delinquent balances were up over the quarter due mainly to seasonal trends but were down from last year thanks to the continuation of the economy’s expansion. Weakness continued in agriculture and manufacturing businesses, but a trade deal could help these firms next year. All things considered, 2019 was a good year for small-business borrowing, and 2020 should bring more of the same.