What we're learning: Medical debt's impact on Alaska Native communities
There is a disproportionate impact of medical debt on American Indian and Alaska Native consumers, in Alaska and across the United States.
Blog archive
Credit card delinquencies are higher than in 2019 because lenders took on more risk
Credit card delinquencies increased rapidly since 2021 and are higher than in 2019. We show this increase is explained by lenders effectively loosening lending standards.
Financial struggles in Puerto Rico bite deeper than the rest of the United States
Our research shows that people in Puerto Rico have lower financial well-being compared to people in the rest of the United States.
Looking at credit scores only tells part of the story – cashflow data may tell another part
Cashflow data (regular savings, accumulated savings, paying bills on time) helps predict ability to repay and repayment risk, even when accounting for credit scores.
Office of Research blog: Initial Fresh Start program changes followed by increased credit scores for affected student loan borrowers
Credit reporting changes through the Department of Education’s Fresh Start program coincided with increased credit scores for nearly 2 million student loan borrowers.
Office of Research blog: Update on student loan borrowers during payment suspension
Delinquencies and scheduled payments for non-student-loans continue to rise for student loan borrowers during the federal student loan payment pause.
Office of Research blog: Who gets sued in civil courts? Civil judgments are not evenly distributed
Creditors can obtain civil judgments to garnish wages for unpaid debts, but civil judgments are much more common in some states and areas than others.
Our auto finance data pilot
The CFPB is piloting a new collection of auto data. As part of that effort, we issued orders to nine large auto lenders to provide information about their auto lending portfolio.
Why the largest credit card companies are suppressing actual payment data on your credit report
Credit card companies are failing to report your actual payment data to the nationwide consumer reporting companies. The CFPB asked why, and this is what we learned.
Office of Research blog: Higher interest rates leading to higher debt burdens for mortgage borrowers
Mortgage interest rates rose sharply in recent months. New research reveals that these increases are impacting borrowers’ monthly payments and debt burdens.
Enhancing public data on auto lending
CFPB announces a new initiative to address gaps in data and information on the auto lending market.
Office of Research blog: Update on student loan borrowers during payment suspension
Delinquencies on non-student-loan credit products continue to rise for student loan borrowers, signaling potential payment difficulties when scheduled payments resume.
Market monitoring insights: examining the potential credit impact of high vehicle costs for consumers
Examination of the potential relationship of rising car prices and car loan amounts, and the potential impact on consumers.
Exploring the connection between financial assistance for medical care and medical collections
CFPB explores the connection between eligibility for nonprofit hospitals’ financial assistance programs and the prevalence of medical collections.
Office of Research blog: Housing inflation is hitting low-income renters
Housing costs rose rapidly last year but some people experience this inflation more than others. New research shows that low-income renters’ credit card debt increased sharply last year.
Banks’ overdraft/NSF fee revenues evolve along with their policies
This blog post examines recent changes in overdraft and NSF fee revenues reported in call reports to understand how announced changes in overdraft policies affected these revenues.
New report explores the impact of credit card line decreases on consumers
Credit cards play a critical role for consumers. Lenders can cut card lines, and have done so especially during economic downturns. New CFPB research shows the impact line cuts have on consumers.
The student loan pause was extended—three things to keep in mind
The Department of Education announced that the student loan pause will continue through August 31, 2022. Here are three things to keep in mind.
CFPB releases report on diversity and inclusion within financial services
Release of report outlining diversity and inclusion based on public facing data and information reported to the Bureau.
Making Ends Meet series: Consumer finances during the pandemic
New analysis in our Making Ends Meet series shows consumers’ finances improved during the pandemic as pandemic policies protected consumers.
Comparing auto loans for borrowers with subprime credit scores
A new CFPB report looks at subprime auto lending, including the different types of lenders and the interest and default rates for their borrowers.
Credit access declined during the pandemic for credit cards, but increased for mortgages and auto loans
Since April 2020, Access to new credit cards has decreased, but access to mortgages and auto loans has increased since the start of the pandemic.
Credit card limits are rising for most groups after stagnating during the pandemic
Since April 2020, credit limits on credit cards largely stagnated, but have risen in recent months for most credit score groups.
Credit card use is still declining compared to pre-pandemic levels
Since April 2020, credit card balances and utilization rates have continued to decline, and the share of credit card borrowers that carry a balance rather than pay in full have also declined.
Trends in Reported Assistance on Consumers’ Credit Records
Since July 2020, consumers have transitioned out of assistance to varying degrees across all credit products, but a significant share of mortgage borrowers continue to receive assistance.
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