Unlocking growth in Mortgage lending: Capitalizing on the untapped potential of first-time homebuyers

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

Insights from Experian’s 2026 Mortgage Lender Playbook to help lenders drive growth and resilience:

• Expand access to credit using alternative data
• Capture rising home‑equity demand with streamlined solutions
• Improve pricing, risk controls, and performance precision
• Boost ROI with efficient income and employment verification

As the credit card landscape evolves, understanding how consumers and businesses are adapting has never been more important.

Our second annual State of Credit Cards Report provides a timely update on key market dynamics and dives into an often-overlooked segment within credit card portfolios: business accounts.

Key takeaways:

• 30+ DPD delinquency rates remained above pre-pandemic levels in 2025.
• Fintechs continue to gain share in the credit card market, posting a 71% YoY increase in account originations.
• Many businesses use consumer credit cards to support business-related activity, making this segment easy for lenders to overlook.

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