Finding the Lending Diamonds in the Rough

While the US economy has so far avoided the worst-feared outcomes of higher tariffs, there remains significant uncertainty and concern over outlook, which is driving caution among lenders. In our just-released Q2 2025 Lending Conditions Chartbook, we break down the latest economic developments and do a deep dive into credit conditions across product segments, regions, and lender types. Key insights include:

• Unemployment remains low, but there are ongoing signs of softening in the labor market.
• Real incomes have improved somewhat after softening for most of 2024, which may continue to support consumer spending.
• The housing market continues to be constrained by high prices and interest rates, which are impacting affordability.

Economic uncertainty is often seen as a deterrent to growth, but for many Americans, it’s become the fuel for a fresh start. As inflation wavers and traditional employment structures shift, more individuals are stepping out of corporate roles to pursue business ownership. In this week’s Commercial Pulse Report, we take a closer look at what’s driving this wave of entrepreneurial activity.

Check out the full report to see how these trends could impact your strategy!

Subscribe to Commercial Pulse Report

The latest Experian Commercial Pulse Report provides a sharp look at how recent economic shifts are impacting small businesses across the U.S., with a special focus on supply chains, specifically the transportation industry, which is experiencing fallout from changing trade policies. Are industry-specific models effective in mitigating risk?

Check out the full report to see how these trends could impact your strategy!

Subscribe to Commercial Pulse Report

While the US labor market remains on decent footing, it has become increasingly challenging to land a job. For lenders, current dynamics suggest there could be greater-than-expected stress in higher-income households and in the Prime credit segments of the market if layoffs increase and job opportunities for these workers remain scarce. Insights include:

• Businesses are scaling back on hiring due to economic uncertainty and AI uptake
• Employment in both tech-centric and broader professional and business services has been stagnant
• Higher-educated/white-collar workers feeling the strain of a challenging job market