Report

The overall outlook for small-business credit is positive. Outstanding balances rose in the first quarter, as did the average balance outstanding per business. Delinquencies were down and default rates rose slightly, suggesting that credit conditions have peaked as the economy is in a late-cycle expansion. Continuing strength in the macroeconomy will keep small-business credit moving in the near term, along with higher profits from the recently passed tax legislation. Small-business credit will be less certain in the medium to long term as rising wages, interest rates and changes to the tax code take a toll.

The overall outlook for small-business credit is positive. Outstanding balances rose in the fourth quarter, as did the average balance outstanding per business. Delinquency and default rates rose slightly, suggesting that credit conditions have loosened. Continuing strength in the macroeconomy will keep small business moving in the near term, along with higher profits from the recently passed tax legislation. Small-business credit will be less certain in the medium to long term as rising wages and tax code changes take a toll.

The overall outlook for small-business credit is stable. Outstanding balances on small-business credit declined slightly in the third quarter, continuing a two-year trend. Delinquency and default rates were steady to declining, and business balance sheets continue to improve. Continued improvement in the labor market and economic growth bodes well for credit performance in the short term. Despite the overall optimism, pockets of localized weakness are developing and will warrant observation over the next few quarters.

Most companies are likely to undergo a data migration project at some point. Our 2017 global data benchmark report revealed that 83% of data migrations fail or exceed their budgets and schedules. Given all this business investment, doesn't it make sense to invest in the quality of data being migrated before it costs your organization?

This white paper takes a look at the biggest obstacles in data migrations, how to complete a migration project in time and on budget, and provides a pre-migration impact assessment checklist to ensure your data migration success.

Small-business delinquency rates experienced broad-based improvement in the second quarter. With job growth expected to continue, putting more money in consumers’ pockets, small businesses will continue to outperform in the short term. As performance on small-business loans and lines of credit improves, credit is expected to flow more freely as banks and other lenders compete for business. Although tax reform and infrastructure investment could provide an additional boost to small-business activity, consumer spending will be the driving force for small-business credit over the next quarter — and throughout the rest of the year. Read our blog post for more details.

Credit utilization rates expanded briskly in the first quarter of 2017. Taken with upside risk, which at the moment outweighs downside risk, credit conditions for small businesses are looking up. Rates of severe delinquency are declining broadly, and credit constraints should ease as a result. However, balance growth is threatened by the lack of clarity regarding fiscal policies. Small-business credit will be defined this year by what happens with the potential revisions to government policies and how full or nearly full employment translates into activity for small firms.

As organizations today look to their data to power business opportunities, the role of the chief data officer (CDO) is becoming increasingly mission-critical. While the value a CDO brings to businesses is widely acknowledged by C-level executives, not all CDOs are set up for success. In our latest research report, Experian Data Quality spoke with over 50 CDOs to understand how their roles have changed in recent years, and how the realities of the position may differ from CDOs' expectations.

Small business credit balances expanded broadly in the fourth quarter driving delinquency rates down. Taken with upside risk, which at the moment outweighs downside risk, credit conditions for small businesses are looking up. Balances are growing in the Southeast and West, and delinquency rates are low throughout the country. The theme for 2017 will be robust balance growth and falling delinquencies. Combined with the prospect of tax reform, small businesses look set to thrive in the near future.

Organizations today recognize the importance of the data they hold, but a general lack of trust in the quality of their data prevents them from achieving strategic business objectives. For 2017, Experian Data Quality's global data management benchmark report looks at responses from more than 1,400 data management professionals across the globe to understand how data is being used within organizations and how perceived trust in that data impacts business priorities.

Small-business credit declined slightly in the third quarter, led by the mining and transportation/utility industries. Businesses have access to plenty of credit, and utilization rates remain low. The low delinquency/bankruptcy environment combined with low utilization rates leads to an overall positive outlook over the next several quarters. However, this optimism could change rapidly if interest rates rise or slow economic growth persists. Agriculture and construction credit remain bright points in the small-business credit outlook. Despite some downside risks, the sectors remain stable and well-positioned for growth.

At Experian Data Quality, we believe data is at the heart of every organization, and the quality of that data is fundamental to future business success. If you're looking to implement a data quality program at your organization, it's likely that you'll need to present a case to your business's leadership. We surveyed more than 400 professionals around the globe who have direct experience with developing proposals for data quality to learn about the challenges they faced and how they achieved success. In this report, we discuss our findings from this unique study and provide proven best practices to help you expedite the process of putting forward a proposal for data quality. At the end of the report, you'll find a business impact worksheet that will help you to identify and quantify data quality needs at your organization.

Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) litigation continues to be a risk for companies that communicate with consumers. In this Q&A, Expert Michael Goodman will help you understand the latest happenings with the TCPA so you can minimize your exposure.

The Experian/Moody’s Analytics Main Street Report brings deep insight into the overall financial well-being of the small-business landscape. Small-business credit conditions improved in the second quarter. With the exception of some specific segments, delinquency and bankruptcy rates declined. Sentiment among small businesses is positive, with 11 percent planning to increase employment and 26 percent considering additional capital investment. Despite some downside risks, the sectors remain stable and well-positioned for growth.

Overall email marketing trends for the first quarter

Key findings include:

• Email volume rose by 25.9% compared to Q1 2015, while open rates matched or were above those in Q1 2015.
• Unique click rates rose 8.5% over Q4 2015
• 30% of brands saw statistically significant increases in transaction rates in Q1 2016.

In this report's spotlight on section, we examine mobile text message campaigns and their performance over the past 5 months. Download the report to learn more about how consumers are interacting with mobile.

As marketers apply a more customer-centric, cross-channel approach to their marketing efforts, mobile has become one the most critical channels and tools for marketers to effectively acquire, engage and convert customers.

The guide includes:

• The current state of the mobile market and top business challenges marketers face with their mobile strategies
• Tactical approaches for developing a successful mobile marketing program that supports true, end-to-end intelligent engagement
• Examples of intelligent mobile interactions based on best practices from Experian Marketing Services’ mobile experts

This guide contains data from our quarterly email benchmark series. To download the latest email benchmark report, click here.

Experian®, the leading global information services company, and Moody’s Analytics have teamed up to develop the new Experian/Moody’s Analytics Main Street Report. Unlike previous quarterly analyses, the new report brings deeper insight into the overall financial well-being of the small-business landscape, as well as providing commentary around what certain trends mean for credit grantors and the small-business community as a whole. Key factors of the Main Street Report include a combination of business credit data (credit balances, delinquency rates, utilization rates, etc.) and macroeconomic information (employment rates, income, retail sales, investments, etc.).

The 2016 Digital Marketer Report covers the top challenges and priorities of marketers today, with a special focus on what we heard from executive-level marketers at enterprise companies. The research includes insights from more than 1,100 marketers around the world, plus Experian Marketing Services’ expert analysts.

The Relevancy Group’s annual assessment of email marketing service providers has been released for 2016, and Experian Marketing Services took the top spot in the report among all vendors, coming out as both the largest ESP and #1 in the Leader’s Ring.

Our top placement can be attributed to a number of positives, including:

• Most native functionality of all vendors in both omnichannel and content/personalization tools categories
• More than 2X the data centers of any other vendor
• Client satisfaction across the board – Experian Marketing Services received multiple client satisfaction awards in seven categories, and all clients boasted about the partnership they share with Experian

Insights from more than 1,000 marketers worldwide

The 2015 Digital Marketer Report provides trends, benchmarks, best practice examples and insights from our expert analysts on topics such as:

• How the top challenges to cross-channel marketing can also be your biggest opportunities
• Identifying your customers regardless of channel or device
• Planning and orchestrating customer-centric cross-channel campaigns

Every year, Experian Data Quality conducts a study to look at the global trends in data quality. This year, research findings reveal how data practitioners are leveraging and managing data to generate actionable insight, and how proper data management is becoming an organization-wide imperative. Our annual global benchmark report takes a close look at the data quality and data management initiatives driving today's businesses. See where you line up and where you can improve.

In 2008, a short two years after the first online marketplace lenders opened for business, the Great Recession began to wreak havoc on worldwide financial markets. Small businesses struggled to survive, banks failed and access to capital was limited. More online lenders saw an opportunity and opend for business. These technology-driven newcomers hired an army of data scientists, coders and digital marketers. In the fall of 2015 the innovation, industry disruption and regulatory uncertainty that characterize this dynamic sector led Experian to produce a series of articles focusing on different aspects of online marketplace lending. This report contains those articles.

Whether you are a federal, state or local government professional, we have the comprehensive data and integrated analytics you need to prevent fraud, waste and abuse, verify eligibility requirements, protect against cyber-security threats and improve collection outcomes. Please complete this short survey for us to best identify your area of need. You will then receive resources to help your agency succeed.

Data has become a central part of any organization¿s strategy, but the impact of bad data can be huge. On average, U.S. companies say 32 percent of their data is bad. Experian Data Quality surveyed more than 1,200 professionals on their organization data management practices. Learn how practitioners today are managing and using valuable data to generate actionable insight with our Data Quality Benchmark Report.

Since the financial crisis, lenders are less willing to take on credit risk, particularly of smaller business customers. However, as the CFO Magazine ebook entitled Gaining efficiencies and access: Finance and the credit lifecycle demonstrates, streamlining the credit-risk-management life cycle enables lenders to feel more confident extending credit to prospective small businesses, thus revitalizing our economy and business growth. In order to make wise decisions about credit extensions, senior finance executives need a blend of external and internal information to gain the best possible perspective on their risk: a forward-looking (rather than merely historical) perspective that takes potential upside opportunities into account (rather than focusing exclusively on possible downsides).

As companies across the globe realize the transformative effects of better harnessing their data, a new role is growing in popularity: the chief data officer (CDO). To better understand this trend, Experian Data Quality conducted a study of CIOs and CDOs to understand typical data challenges within organizations, the changing data management landscape and the growing need for the CDO (and consequences for CIOs). Key findings and CDO-related statistics are detailed in our comprehensive report. Download our CDO Research report to learn more.

Fraud continues to grow and evolve, affecting consumers, businesses and agencies alike. As technologies evolve and information security tightens, the savvy nature of fraudsters becomes more sophisticated. Fraudsters are continually striving to be one step ahead of the next fraud-prevention strategy. As consumers move from face-to-face interaction to online and mobile transactions, there is a pressing need for more elaborate and accurate fraud prevention.

In this update we report on improvements in our data coverage and provide a progress report on alternate data sources.

In this update we provide an overview of Commercial Risk Database Plus along with data quality improvement statistics.

According to a recent data breach preparedness study by the Ponemon Institute, much has changed in the world of data breaches in the past year; some are positive, others a bit more challenging. It's no secret that, according to the study, more companies suffered a data breach in 2013 versus the year before. To date, nearly half of organizations have experienced at least one breach incident that impacted personal records; an increase of 10% from 2013, and 17% were unsure if they had been victimized. Fortunately, more companies are taking basic steps to prepare themselves for the increasing likelihood of a breach. A majority of them (73%) now have a data breach response plan in place and nearly half have increased their investment in security technologies in the past 12 months. Vigilance is key. The more organizations can do to prepare themselves, by developing and maintaining a comprehensive data breach response plan, the better off they will be in the months and years to come.

Turning the page from recovery to growth, small businesses continue to have access to a wider availability of credit, as credit conditions reached the highest level on record, improving for the third consecutive quarter. Outstanding credit balances grew by 2.2 percent from a year ago, while delinquency rates declined to a cyclical low of 8.5 percent, both of which contributed to the improvement in the index.

Following a full year of steady improvement, small-business credit conditions stumbled during the first quarter of 2014. Credit balances receded slightly from the end of 2013 and the delinquency rate ticked higher to 9.8 percent from 9.6 percent. The setback was fueled in part by harsh winter conditions which may have also slowed employment gains. Weaker GDP growth and a decelerated retail sales growth rate of only 0.3 percent also contributed to the Q1 shortcoming.

Small-business credit conditions improved for the fourth consecutive quarter in the final three months of 2013. The Experian/Moody's Analytics Small Business Credit Index advanced 1.2 points to 117 from a revised 115.8 (previously 118.5*) in the third quarter. The fourth quarter reading is the highest since data tracking for the index began and is a solid indication that small businesses are finally reaping some of the benefits of the nearly five-year-old U.S. recovery.

The number of data breaches both experienced and reported is expected to continue to rise, with new security threats and regulations pushing for more transparency on the horizon. All signs are pointing to 2014 being a critical year for companies to better prepare to respond to security incidents and data breaches.

Small-business credit quality improved markedly in the third quarter, lifting the Experian/Moody's Analytics Small Business Credit Index 2.3 points higher to 118.5 from an upwardly revised 116.2 (previously 111.7*) in the second quarter. The most recent index value is the highest since its inception and is an encouraging sign that small firms' financial houses are finally starting to fall into order. The index measures credit quality for firms with fewer than 100 workers and has trended upward for the past year. Credit balances expanded at their fastest pace in at least two years, and the delinquency rate has fallen consistently. Ten percent of outstanding small-business credit balances were past due in the third quarter, down 0.7 percentage point from a year ago and the smallest share since the recovery began. *Recalibration of the index led to the larger-than-average revision.

Small-business credit conditions strengthened in Q2, lifting the Experian/Moody's Analytics Small Business Credit Index to the highest level since it began tracking in 2010. Though small-business recovery has been inconsistent regionally, findings from the report indicate that firms have steadily reduced their delinquent debt over the past year. Balance volumes for all business sizes receded measurably from last year, bringing down delinquency rates. Furthermore, credit quality has strengthened for every business size. At an average of 10.2 percent, the total share of delinquent dollars is 2.4 percentage points lower than it was a year ago and is at the lowest point on record. Looking forward, small-business credit quality is expected to continue improving at a modest pace until spending growth accelerates sometime in 2014.

Although higher tax burdens on U.S. households were expected to make it more difficult for small companies to pay down debts, small business credit conditions improved in the first quarter of 2013, reversing much of the deterioration seen during Q4 2012. The improvement in credit quality has largely been the result of firms keeping a tight lid on labor costs. And while the overall picture has brightened for small companies over the past year, credit conditions are improving unevenly, both by firm size and geographically. Looking at the future, buyers are expected to continue closely watching their finances through the next quarter, limiting their discretionary spending which will cap revenue gains at small companies. Additionally, small-firm employment is likely to stay flat through the fall in preparation for "Obamacare" taking into effect in 2014.

Small business credit quality continued to deteriorate in the fourth quarter as the Experian/Moody's Analytics Small Business Credit Index dropped 6.8 points to land at 97.3, its lowest reading during our observation period. The index was driven lower by a slowdown in personal income growth and an increase in delinquent balances, which kept retail sales in check and drove small business revenues lower. Over the next few months, small companies will face setbacks as buyers adjust to smaller paychecks and hiring is quelled by political uncertainty, but credit quality is expected to improve by year's end and going into 2014.

Findings from the Q2 2012 Experian/Moody's Analytics Small Business Credit Index report finds small business credit conditions have improved slightly amid economic concerns.

This survey reveals that 43 percent of healthcare organizations grade their ability to counter information security threats as poor, failing or in need of improvement. This can lead to an increased risk of a data breach. Learn what preparing for a data breach means and the steps that need to be taken from our industry experts.

The Business Benchmark Report is a quarterly look at how U.S. businesses are faring. Designed to monitor the progress of business recovery, the report looks at four key indicators of business health.

The report shows that all U.S. businesses have demonstrated an increase in slow payment compared with September 2010, with large businesses showing the greatest increase.

The Business Benchmark Report is a quarterly look at how U.S. businesses are faring. Designed to monitor the progress of business recovery, the report looks at four key indicators of business health.

The Business Benchmark Report is a quarterly look at how U.S. businesses are faring. Designed to monitor the progress of business recovery, the report looks at four key indicators of business health.

Buy Here/Pay Here market consists of just under 24,000 Dealers, Over 1.8 million loans, $24 billion in originations and over half a billion total vehicles in the U.S. and Canada.

Over $1 billion paid out in fraudulent benefit claims & social housing provision could be eradicated if simple fraud-prevention techniques were implemented more widely across the public sector.

This survey reveals the lack of awareness many Americans have about medical identity theft and the devastating consequences it can have. These include financial loss, incorrect medical records and harm to their credit scores. Moreover, medical identity theft appears to be an easy crime to commit.

The Business Benchmark Report is a quarterly look at how U.S. businesses are faring. Designed to monitor the progress of business recovery, the report looks at four key indicators of business health.

The Business Benchmark Report is a monthly look at how U.S. businesses are faring. Designed to monitor the progress of business recovery, the report looks at 4 key indicators of business health.

The Business Benchmark Report is a quarterly look at how U.S. businesses are faring. Designed to monitor the progress of business recovery, the report looks at four key indicators of business health.

The national avg. days that businesses paid their bills beyond contracted terms remained flat when compared with September, but this metric has seen a 10% increase since the beginning of the year.

The percentage of dollars delinquent has increased by 6%. This has been following a consistent trend over the last 6 months, where percentage of dollars delinquent has shown a 14% increase.

The national average number of days that businesses paid their bills beyond contracted terms increased by 2 percent in July compared with June.