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Our news team investigates the technologies, benefits, costs, and limitations of leading financial products and services. Hear from personal finance leaders, resource providers, and finfluencers so you can make smart money moves.

From the Industry's Top Experts

John Ulzheimer Credit Expert
Erica Sandberg Finance Expert
Andrea Woroch Savings Expert
Ashley Fricker Senior Editor
Cash Flow Scoring Is Catching On — Here’s Why Lenders Like It

Cash Flow Scoring Is Catching On — Here’s Why Lenders Like It

Cash flow underwriting didn’t quietly make its way into the spotlight — it kicked the door open. Over the... read more »

Credit Unions

Remynt Launches CUSO to Help Credit Unions Turn Delinquencies into Growth and Loyalty

180 views

3 min read

Remynt Launches CUSO to Expand Delinquency Recovery Platform

Credit unions have a new partner in recovering late-stage delinquencies and charge-offs — without sacrificing their members. Remynt, a... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/19/25

Loans

Opinion: Student Loan Delinquencies are Soaring, and Credit Card Companies Can Help

304 views

5 min read

Opinion: Credit Issuers Can Help with Student Loan Delinquencies

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York recently released what at first glance seemed like optimistic numbers.  In the first quarter of 2025, credit... read more »

By: Erica Sandberg • 6/19/25

Credit Scores

Equifax Unveils an Interactive Credit Tool to Guide Borrowers — and Challenge Rivals

270 views

3 min read

Equifax Unveils Credit Tool to Guide Borrowers and Challenge Rivals

Equifax is counting on personalization once again with the launch of its Optimal Path™ Interactive Score Planner. It helps consumers map the... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/18/25

Auto

Amid Subprime Turmoil, Arra Finance Locks In Crescent Auto Deal to Scale Lending

400 views

1 min read

Arra Finance Expands by Securing Crescent Auto Deal

Arra Finance, a Pennsylvania-based lender, has agreed to buy Crescent Bank’s auto finance business, a move that points to a changing landscape in... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/18/25

Mortgages

Guild Implements FICO Score 10 T for Non-GSE Loans

364 views

3 min read

Guild Implements FICO Score 10 T for Non-GSE Loans

Guild Mortgage joins the recent roster of lenders that have begun implementing FICO Score 10 T to underwrite non-GSE loans, or loans that don’t... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/18/25

Student Loans

Lenders Take Note: States Step In as Student Loan Crisis Deepens

800 views

3 min read

States Step In as Student Loan Crisis Deepens

State ombudsman offices are stepping in to help those in their state who are among the more than 5 million delinquent borrowers of student loans... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/18/25

Mortgages

Consumer Shield: House Panel Passes Bill to Curb Predatory Mortgage Trigger Leads

372 views

3 min read

House Moves to Kill Predatory Mortgage Lead Tactics

Pressure is mounting in Washington to close down the resale of mortgage trigger leads — a business long criticized for dumping a deluge of... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/17/25

Lending

Congress Targets CFPB’s Funding Lifeline: A Turning Point for Lenders

480 views

3 min read

Congress Targets CFPB's Funding Lifeline

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could soon have its independent funding source taken away. A Senate plan within the broad “One Big... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/17/25

Loans

GOP Student Loan Repayment Plan Could Push Millions Toward Default, and Into Subprime Channels

627 views

3 min read

GOP Plan May Trigger Defaults, Boost Subprime Borrowing

A new Senate Republican bill to reform federal student loan repayments is coming under fire by consumer advocates who warn that its enactment... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/17/25

Credit Scores

Blockchain Credit Bureau Launch Is New Tool for Subprime Underwriting

1,350 views

1 min read

Keeta & Solo Launch First-Ever Blockchain Credit Bureau

Keeta, a startup funded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, has collaborated with digital wallet provider Solo on a blockchain-based, native... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/17/25

Banks

The Fed Reserve’s New Bank Supervision: Ease Requirements and Streamline Oversight

750 views

3 min read

The Federal Reserve Reveals Plans to Change Supervision of Banks

The Federal Reserve is looking anew at how it supervises banks. Michelle Bowman, the newly appointed Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision,... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/16/25

Credit Cards

Americans Lean Harder on Credit Cards; $17.9B April Hike Ups Subprime Lender Risks, Rewards

1,476 views

3 min read

Americans Lean Harder on Credit Cards

Credit soared in April with a jump of $17.9 billion in total consumer credit, boosting outstanding consumer debt to $5.01 trillion as recorded by... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/16/25

Loans

Maryland Steps Up With Emergency Loans as Federal Layoffs Spread

1,656 views

3 min read

Maryland Steps Up as Federal Layoffs Spread

The state of Maryland, home to tens of thousands of federal government workers, established an emergency loan program recently to help residents... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/16/25

Credit Reports

Equifax Challenges Standards with Redesigned, Consumer-Friendly Credit Reports

1,287 views

1 min read

Equifax Challenges Standards with Credit Report Redesign

Equifax has redesigned its physical credit report for U.S. consumers to help people gain a better understanding of their credit history and... read more »

By: Andrew Allen • 6/13/25

Loans

US House Bill Limits SBA Access to Citizens—Subprime Lending May Be the Safety Net

2,700 views

3 min read

US House Bill Limits SBA Loans to Citizens

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that has the potential to disrupt lending to thousands of small business operators, which... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/12/25

Auto Lending

How Banks Regained Ground in Car Lending—and What It Portends for Subprime Consumers

1,980 views

3 min read

The Comeback of Banks in Car Loans and Its Subprime Impact

Banks increased their market share in automotive financing in Q1 2025 to 26.55% compared with 24.79% a year before, the best recovery by... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/12/25

Credit Scores

An Oregon Bill Could Insulate Credit Scores From the Bite of Medical Debt

2,895 views

3 min read

An Oregon Bill Could Shield Credit Scores from Medical Debt

Oregon lawmakers passed a bill that would shield credit reports from medical debt preventing debt collectors, hospitals and clinics from... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/11/25

Auto

The Prohibit Auto Insurance Discrimination Act Could Redefine Rate-Setting Standards

3,838 views

3 min read

The PAID Act Could Redefine How Auto Insurers Set Rates

A bill to prohibit auto insurers from basing prices and premiums on credit scores, ZIP codes, and other non-driving factors has been reintroduced... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/11/25

Lending

Without the CDFI Fund, Subprime Markets Could Face a Credit Crisis

2,576 views

3 min read

Without the CDFI Fund, Subprime Markets Could Face a Credit Crisis

Eliminating the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund could have a crippling effect on subprime lenders, credit unions, and... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/9/25

credit bureau

Experian and Plaid Partner to Deliver Real-time Cashflow Insights for Smarter Credit Decisions

5,312 views

3 min read

Experian and Plaid to Deliver Real-time Cashflow Insights

Real-time cash flow information is the place to be right now, and Experian is anxious to lead the charge. Under the new partnership between... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/5/25

BNPL

Fintechs Push Back on New York’s BNPL Regulations

4,424 views

3 min read

Fintechs Push Back on New York's BNPL Regulations

New York state’s new Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) laws are under attack by fintech trade associations that claim the legislation unfairly holds the... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/5/25

Credit Cards

Emotional Strain of Credit Card Debt Emerges as Red Flag for Subprime Lenders

4,596 views

3 min read

Emotional Strain of Credit Card Debt a Red Flag for Subprime Lenders

Financial well-being and mental health are more interlinked than lenders would ever know. Debt.com’s recent survey revealed that 71% of American... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/4/25

Regulation

Regulation Backfire? The CCCA Poses Risk to Small Banks and Low-Credit Borrowers

4,128 views

3 min read

The CCCA Poses Risk to Small Banks and Low-Credit Borrowers

At first glance, the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) appears to be a boon to ordinary Americans tired of excessive interest rates and swipe... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/4/25

Mortgages

Pulte’s Critique of FICO Reignites Debate Over Mortgage Scoring Monopoly

6,210 views

3 min read

Pulte’s FICO Critique Reignites Mortgage Scoring Debate

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte’s public criticism of FICO’s escalating pricing model has set off industrywide speculation... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/3/25

Economy

Subprime Lending Access Grows As Consumer Spending Behavior Shifts

6,080 views

3 min read

Subprime Lending Grows As Consumer Spending Shifts

American households continue to feel the bite. Sixty percent of adults reported that increased prices, particularly on groceries and home living,... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/3/25

Credit Scores

Credit Scores Drop as Defaults in Student Loans Take Effect

5,070 views

3 min read

Credit Scores Drop as Defaults in Student Loans Take Effect

Student loan borrowers who fell behind on payments once the pandemic pause was over are beginning to see the effects on their credit histories.... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/2/25

Auto

Tariffs Spur Increase in Auto Loans as Consumers Grow Cautious, VantageScore Finds

6,105 views

3 min read

Tariffs Spur Increase in Auto Credit as Consumers Grow Cautious

Auto loans drove an unexpected surge in consumer lending in April, outpacing other categories to hit pre-pandemic levels. A mix of economic worry... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 6/2/25

Debt

Americans Take On Debt for Concerts, Signaling Shifting Financial Priorities

11,096 views

1 min read

Americans Taking on Debt for Concerts Signals Shift in Priorities

American consumers may be modifying their spending in response to inflation and economic instability, but one consumer segment has shown a... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 5/28/25

Loans

Subprime Resilience Shines Through as TransUnion Adjusts Credit Portrait for Inflation

7,712 views

3 min read

Subprime Shines as TransUnion Refines Credit Portrait for Inflation

Appearances can be misleading when it comes to consumer credit trends, according to a recent report from TransUnion. Consumer credit balances... read more »

By: Eric Bank • 5/27/25

Banks

Opinion: As CFPB Oversight Wanes, Financial Institutions Must Project and Maintain Trust

9,360 views

3 min read

Opinion: Less CFPB Oversight Means More Trust-Building

When people are in the process of deciding which financial institution they want to do business with, a firm belief that the bank or credit union... read more »

By: Erica Sandberg • 5/23/25

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