Welcome to the Experian Thought Leadership Hub

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

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

Consumers expect e-commerce experiences to be seamless and secure but, as fraud threats evolve, merchants are struggling to keep pace — and consumers are losing trust in merchants. Drawing on this year’s U.S. identity and fraud insights, this report explores the key factors contributing to the e-commerce trust gap. 

You’ll learn:

• What’s driving consumer concerns in e-commerce.
• Consumers’ preferred security methods for seamless, safe transactions
• Actionable recommendations to enhance merchants’ fraud stacks

The scale of global cyberattacks continues to rise, and 2026 is poised to be the year of AI in cybersecurity.

In our 13th annual Data Breach Industry Forecast, we share our top predictions for the year ahead, including:

• The rise of synthetic identities built from stolen data
• AI overtaking human error as the top cause of breaches
• The growing risk of AI and quantum computing cyberattacks
• Emerging threats like mutating malware, brain hacking and a shrinking gender gap among hackers

Gain insight into the trends shaping the future of data security. Download the full forecast to prepare for what’s ahead.

The longest U.S. government shutdown has paused official labor data, but private-sector insights reveal key trends shaping the job market. Alternative sources show slowing job creation, modestly higher unemployment, and signs of resilience consistent with the Fed’s outlook.

• Job growth weakened in late 2025 across major indicators
• Layoff announcements rose, but claims remain low
• Unemployment edged up in line with Fed projections
• Labor market stress remains relatively contained

The U.S. economy continues to surprise with its resilience - growth forecasts are improving, equity markets are hitting new highs, and fears of an imminent recession are fading. Joseph Mayans’ Vision 2025 session, “Navigating 2026: Global Macro Shifts, U.S. Credit Trends and the Evolving Lending Landscape,” explored the economic forces shaping the next year - from the AI-driven equity boom to structural vulnerabilities in the white-collar labor market. His key takeaway: while AI innovation is fueling growth and optimism, it also introduces new dependencies and risks that will define the next economic chapter.

Highlights:

• The AI Trade’s Dominance: Economic optimism is increasingly tied to the AI investment cycle—AI spending fuels stock gains, which in turn sustain higher-income consumer spending.
• Potential Vulnerability: Overreliance on AI-driven growth leaves the economy exposed if those massive investments fail to deliver expected productivity gains.
• Labor Market Shifts: AI is intensifying existing white-collar labor market imbalances—more graduates, fewer roles, and increasing automation pressure.
• Credit Market Implications: Rising white-collar vulnerability poses a growing risk for prime credit segments, especially if economic momentum slows.
• Future Readiness: As Sol Rashidi emphasized, humans’ edge lies in creativity and critical thinking—skills that should be strengthened, not outsourced, to AI.

The U.S. economy shows signs of steady growth in Q3, yet challenges remain. A cooling labor market and persistent inflation create uncertainty, prompting lenders to stay cautious while adapting. Even in this dynamic environment, growth opportunities continue to emerge across the industry.

First-party fraud is notoriously difficult to separate from credit risk — but first-payment default (FPD) can be the key to earlier, more accurate fraud detection.

Key insights:

• What makes first-party fraud and credit risk so difficult to separate (and so costly to misclassify).
• Why FPD is the strongest, most reliable indicator of first-party fraud.
• Actionable takeaways for businesses to combat first-party fraud.