Welcome to the Experian Thought Leadership Hub

Spending during the first quarter exceeded expectations, providing much-needed cash flow for small businesses. This influx of capital has enabled small firms to reduce debt and consider future growth and capital expenditures. Despite inflationary pressures and tighter lending conditions, the outlook remains cautiously optimistic. The Federal Reserve's anticipated rate cuts, expected to begin late in 2024, could further stimulate economic activity and provide a boost to small businesses.

The threat of fraud persists, and consumer expectations for protection and experience remain high. To help you stay ahead, our experts share key business and consumer trends impacting the future of fraud risk and identity verification. They discuss findings from our 2024 U.S. Identity and Fraud Report to help you better protect your business and your customers.

Based on a survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers and 200 U.S. businesses, Experian's 2024 U.S. Identity and Fraud Report provides a snapshot of the current fraud landscape, shifting consumer expectations and actionable insights into how you can prioritize future fraud prevention technology investments.

See how Experian Instant Unlock enables consumers to temporarily unlock or unfreeze their credit profiles when applying for a loan with you online, resulting in a more seamless user experience.

Key insights for identifying and leveraging growth opportunities in the Alternative Finance Services market.

Our expert panel discusses the critical questions addressing machine learning in credit risk and key findings for best practices for building, fine-tuning and deploying robust and effective ML models.

Read the latest regional consumer spending and economic growth trends, as well as our in-house macroeconomic forecasts for the year ahead.

U.S. small businesses are navigating a mixed economic climate in 2024, balancing optimism with persistent challenges. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index reflects growing confidence, rising to 69.5, with 73% of businesses anticipating higher revenues and 46% planning increased investments. However, inflation remains a pressing concern for 55% of businesses, compounded by worker shortages, rising insurance costs, and wage pressures. Despite these obstacles, stable cash flows and increasing adoption of AI for efficiency and cost reduction offer hope. To sustain growth, businesses must prioritize operational efficiency and secure affordable funding to weather the economic heat.

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Explore state-level and industry level data that banks, credit unions and fintechs can leverage to track the downturn and be correctly positioned for the recovery in this monthly report.