Equifax

Comprehensive Financial View: While the mortgage market remains stable with disciplined payment behavior, affordability challenges necessitate a more holistic view of consumer liabilities beyond just credit scores. Data and AI Integration: By combining traditional credit data with alternative insights and AI tools, lenders can improve efficiency and offer personalized guidance, making homeownership accessible to a broader range of qualified consumers.

Highlights: As of July 2026, total U.S. consumer debt reached $18.23 trillion, representing a 1.6% year-over-year increase, with mortgage debt maintaining a dominant 74% share of the total market. Total non-mortgage debt reached $4.74 trillion, with auto loans and leases accounting for 36.5% and student loans making up 27.1% of the non-mortgage portfolio.

Highlights Broad-based credit origination growth is currently driven by a surge in first mortgage and personal loan volumes, signaling active borrowing despite cooling overall annual debt growth. Financial institutions are observing a shift toward increased HELOC engagement alongside cautious bankcard utilization, while revolving product delinquencies continue their year-over-year decline.

Highlights: Equifax has partnered with AI-driven credit building platform Kikoff to help the 76 million thin-file or "credit-invisible" U.S. consumers create fuller financial pictures. The integration of alternative data not included in traditional credit reports – such as rental, utilities, and telecommunications payment histories – can help transform everyday financial behaviors into verifiable, scoreable credit assets.

Story highlights: For many, entering college is a first opportunity to build a credit history. Students can establish healthy financial habits by paying balances on time and working to keep credit utilization below 30%. Students can help protect their future by checking their credit reports on a regular basis and protecting important personal documents like Social Security cards. By making required payments on student loans, college grads can keep building positive payment history.

Home Business Insights Blog Moody’s Economic Update: The Economy Beneath the Headlines The U.S. economy is "broadly fragmented," with AI-driven growth and high-income spending masking significant headwinds from energy costs, inflation, and a tepid labor market. Lenders should look beyond aggregate economic indicators, as subprime delinquency rates have reached a 15-year high, signaling growing financial stress beneath the surface.

Story Highlights: With its $3 billion global, multi-year security and technology transformation principally complete, Equifax is leveraging the Equifax Cloud™ and patented EFX.AI technology to accelerate innovation to help its customers grow and help open up new mainstream financial services opportunities for more consumers. In the first half of 2026, Equifax delivered 54 new products that have AI capabilities directly embedded in the product architecture.

Home Business Insights Blog Moody’s Economic Update: The Economy Beneath the Headlines The U.S. economy is "broadly fragmented," with AI-driven growth and high-income spending masking significant headwinds from energy costs, inflation, and a tepid labor market. Lenders should look beyond aggregate economic indicators, as subprime delinquency rates have reached a 15-year high, signaling growing financial stress beneath the surface.

Government agencies charged with administering social service programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, have the vital responsibility of ensuring eligible applicants receive timely assistance. The Work Number® from Equifax supports this mission by helping agencies promote efficient and effective eligibility decisions as caseworkers better manage workloads. Here’s how it helps: 1.

Home Business Insights Blog Main Street Is Holding Up, but the Labor Market Is Becoming the Bigger Concern While consumer spending and business investment are supporting economic growth, the labor market has stalled in recent months, shifting the focus toward the quality and availability of workers for Main Street businesses.