Credit card debt declined in the first quarter of 2024; however, with other types of debt rising, consumers may simply be trading one problem for another. CardRatings’ credit card experts explain why this drop in debt might not actually be good news.
Regardless of a credit union’s size, members expect digital-first capabilities that can compete with what for-profit financial institutions (FIs) offer. While many CUs are rising to the innovation challenge, there are differences across the CU landscape. To measure CUs’ current and planned innovations, PYMNTS Intelligence developed the Innovation Readiness Index (IRI). Scores indicate how well CUs’ current products, features and planned innovations align with what members want and the products and features linked to higher satisfaction levels.
In a notable move to ease the pressures of medical debt and protect consumers’ financial well-being, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has introduced a proposal. This proposal aims to update credit reporting practices by removing medical bills from most credit reports, enhancing privacy protections, improving credit scores and loan approvals, and curbing coercive debt collection tactics.
In April, FDCPA (+12.7%) and FCRA (+12.7%) suits were up over March, and TCPA (+26.2%), FDCPA (+15.2%) and FCRA (+27.4%) suits were all up YTD. CFPB complaints were also up for the month (+2%) and the year (77.9%!). The only holdup from a complete sweep was April TCPA suits, which ticked down -2.9% from March.
Embedded lending — the burgeoning category of payments in which borrowers apply directly within the merchant or provider’s platform — is finding traction with consumers. In fact, five out of six lenders provide access to embedded lending products to consumers, addressing the high demand for embedded financial experiences. That’s one of the top-level findings from a new report from Visa and PYMNTS Intelligence that unpacked the opportunity that embedded lending solutions can offer