Recorded live at MBA Annual25 in Las Vegas, host Rebecca Kritzman and guests Ashley Sellers, Elaina McFarland, and Bobby Deery break down what lenders are asking for right now: AI-driven workflow efficiency, expanding use of soft-pull strategies, and dual processing to analyze Vantage Score alongside existing scores.
Who are the speakers?
Together, they explore the intersection of innovation, compliance, and customer trust.
What were the major insights from Day Two?
What challenges did attendees highlight?
Widespread uncertainty dominated discussions — from pricing implications and trigger-law timing to confusion around single- vs. tri-bureau models. Customers expressed concern about misinformation and asked for help educating both lenders and consumers on what these changes truly mean.
What recommendations did Equifax leaders share?
Recorded live at MBA Annual25 in Las Vegas, host Rebecca Kritzman, SVP of Experience and Partner Marketing at Equifax, sits down with Emmaline Aliff, Tom Ciulla, and Chris Mock to unpack the biggest themes from Day One — from innovation and data-driven lending to the industry’s ongoing dialogue around tri-merge vs. single-bureau credit models.
Who are the speakers?
Together, they bring perspectives from marketing, data strategy, sales, and economic analysis.
What are the major takeaways from MBA Annual25 Day One?
Why is innovation such a key theme this year?
Rapid regulatory shifts, market uncertainty, and announcements about credit scoring models have pushed lenders to explore new data sources, smarter automation, and more personalized credit insights. The conversation centered on how innovation can serve both lenders and consumers — improving efficiency while promoting fair access to credit.
What challenges did the speakers highlight?
The group noted miscommunication and uncertainty around policy changes and data use. They stressed the need for industry education, transparent communication, and data-backed decision-making to reduce fear and misinformation.
What gives them hope about the mortgage market?
Every guest emphasized a shared sense of responsibility and care within the industry — a collective commitment to helping people live their financial best through responsible, data-driven lending.
As the U.S. government shutdown delays key economic data, the Equifax Advisors team steps in with deeper insights. Host Emmaline Aliff is joined by Jesse Hardin, Tom O’Neill, and Maria Urtubey to unpack the indicators that matter most when visibility is limited—and to debut the Market Pulse Index, a new holistic measure capturing the intersection of credit, income, assets, and financial behavior across populations.
Economist Justin Begley of Moody’s Analytics delivers our macroeconomic update.
In this episode:
What is the Market Pulse Index?
The Market Pulse Index is a new measure developed by Equifax Advisors that combines multiple financial dimensions—credit performance, income, debt, assets, and affluence—into one holistic view of consumer and market health. It helps lenders and policymakers understand economic conditions beyond single metrics like CPI or GDP.
Why is the Market Pulse Index important right now?
With the U.S. government shutdown delaying key data releases, traditional indicators such as the jobs report and GDP updates are unavailable. The Market Pulse Index fills this gap by integrating real-time, multi-source data to reveal trends in affordability, financial durability, and consumer well-being.
How does the Market Pulse Index differ from other metrics like CPI or GDP?
Unlike single-dimension indicators, the Market Pulse Index combines hard data (credit, income, assets) and soft data (consumer sentiment) to provide a multi-layered view of economic conditions. It can reveal disparities across populations, regions, and credit tiers—helping decision-makers identify who’s thriving and who’s struggling.
What is the K-shaped economy and how does it relate?
The K-shaped economy describes uneven recovery patterns—where high-income consumers see wealth gains while lower-income groups face rising debt and affordability challenges. The Market Pulse Index captures these differences, offering a clearer picture of financial resilience across demographic groups.
How can lenders and businesses use the Market Pulse Index?
Organizations can use the Market Pulse Index to:
If you have questions or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to riskadvisors@equifax.com.
Host Jesse Hardin sits down with Stephanie Gunselman, head of Federal Government Relations at Equifax, for a wide-ranging look at how Washington is shaping the future of lending and credit reporting. From a cooling labor market and inflation to evolving priorities at the CFPB, they explore the latest legislative and regulatory developments — including open banking, data privacy, AI governance, medical debt rules, and more. Whether you’re a lender, policy watcher, or data-driven strategist, this conversation will help you prepare for the policy shifts that could impact your business in 2025 and beyond.
Economist Justin Begley of Moody’s Analytics delivers our macroeconomic update.
Equifax Advisors Maria Urtubey, Emmaline Aliff, Tom O’Neill, Jesse Hardin, and Dave Sojka share what they’re hearing directly from Equifax lending customers across industries. From student loan repayment impacts to shifting auto lending dynamics and tariff uncertainty, the team highlights the questions lenders are asking, the insights uncovered in one-on-one advisory sessions, and the recommendations that have resonated most in 2025.
Economist Shandor Whitcher of Moody’s Analytics delivers our macroeconomic update.
What is this episode about?
This episode of the Market Pulse Podcast brings together Equifax Advisors Emmaline Aliff, Tom O’Neill, Jesse Hardin, Maria Urtubey, and Dave Sojka to share what they are hearing in one-on-one customer advisory sessions.
What are lenders most concerned about in 2025?
Advisors discuss the resumption of student loan payments, the ripple effects of tariffs, shifts in auto lending, and how these issues vary across industries such as credit unions, banks, and fintechs.
How are customers using Equifax advisory sessions?
Advisory conversations allow lenders to bring their own portfolio challenges to the table and get tailored insights—turning market data into actionable strategies.
Equifax Senior Advisor Tom O’Neill sits down with Ian Wright, Chief Strategy Officer at IXI, to unpack the shifting landscape of consumer wealth in a post-COVID economy. Drawing on exclusive IXI data, they explore how total U.S. household assets have grown to over $66 trillion—while the median household has actually lost ground. The conversation dives into the shrinking mass affluent segment, the rising influence of retirees, regional trends in affluence, and how financial institutions can better target high-potential markets.
Economist Justin Begley of Moody’s Analytics delivers our macroeconomic update.
In this episode:
· Post-COVID wealth trends and overall asset growth
· The shrinking mass affluent segment and rise of the “barbell effect”
· Disparities in wealth distribution across income tiers
· Differences in financial outcomes by age group (Gen Z, Gen X, retirees)
· Geographic variations in wealth concentration
· Stock market and investments as primary drivers of wealth growth
· Declining deposit levels and implications for banks
· K-shaped economic and credit recovery
· Strategic marketing approaches for targeting affluent households
· Outlook for deposits and investments through 2025–2026
Host Emmaline Aliff is joined by economist Amy Crews Cutts, President at AC Cutts and Associates, and a panel of Equifax experts—Maria Urtubey, Tom O'Neill, and Dave Sojka—to unpack the latest signals from both hard and soft economic data. From shifting consumer sentiment to rising tariffs and the ripple effects on credit, lending, and affordability, the team explores the impact on consumers as we head into the second half of the year.
Host Olivia Voltaggio is joined by Shandor Whitcher, Economist at Moody’s Analytics, for a timely check-in on the U.S. economy. They discuss the recent shift from early-year optimism to growing uncertainty driven by shifting trade policy, rising jobless claims, and inflation concerns. Shandor breaks down the latest GDP and consumer credit data, explores warning signs from small businesses, and shares the top economic indicators he’s watching for the rest of the year.
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In this Small Business Month edition, experts from Fiserv and Equifax unpack how small businesses and consumers are responding to ongoing economic uncertainty. Darryl Tyndorf, Director of Economic and Analytical Insights at Fiserv; Mike Spriggs, Head of Consumer Insights at Fiserv; and David Adams, Head of Commercial Product Marketing at Equifax dig into a range of topics, from shifting spending patterns and tariff impacts to the rise of side hustles and cautious optimism.
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Equifax advisors Jesse Hardin, Dave Sojka, Tom O'Neill, and Maria Urtubey explore the disconnect between positive hard data and declining consumer sentiment, rising concerns over tariffs, and their disproportionate impact on households and businesses. They dig into leading indicators to watch—like delinquency rates, employment trends, and consumer spending—and offer practical recommendations to help lenders and businesses navigate uncertainty.
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With President Trump’s administration in full swing, we’re joined by Shandor Whitcher, economist at Moody’s Analytics, to break down key economic trends shaping the year ahead. Get the latest on inflation, labor market dynamics, and the Federal Reserve’s approach to interest rates, along with the impact of global trade policies, emerging technologies and more.
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The Equifax Advisory Team dives into predictions for 2025, exploring key economic themes such as tariffs, immigration reform, and the ongoing housing affordability crisis. The discussion also touches on potential policy impacts from the new administration and how unexpected events could shape economic outcomes.
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The Equifax advisory team reviews the U.S. economy in 2024, discussing key developments and their implications for lenders and consumers. Jesse Hardin, Em Aliff, Tom O'Neill, Dave Sojka, and Maria Urtubey explore interest rates, inflation, housing, labor trends, and consumer credit.
The Federal Reserve's rate cuts aimed to cool inflation and support affordability, yet high borrowing costs persisted, impacting home purchases and refinances. The labor market showed resilience, with steady job creation, but challenges like rising unemployment and slower hiring added complexity. Consumer behaviors reflected cautious optimism as high credit card rates and rising debt levels strained budgets.
The panel revisits their 2024 predictions and look ahead to 2025’s economic landscape.
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Host Tom O'Neill sits down with Equifax’s Chief Strategy Officer, Ian Wright, to discuss strategies for growing and protecting deposits in today’s competitive financial landscape. With traditional banks, fintechs, and neobanks all vying for deposit share, how can institutions gain a competitive edge? Ian shares insights on leveraging financial data to identify valuable customer segments, including young affluents and high earners, and how banks can nurture loyalty with targeted strategies.
The Risk Advisor team at Equifax discusses the recent 50 basis point rate cut by the Federal Reserve and its wide-reaching impact on the U.S. economy. Topics including consumer sentiment, the housing and auto markets, and the lending landscape offer valuable insights into how these changes will affect both households and financial institutions. The panel also explores potential challenges ahead, including the federal deficit and global economic factors.
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In this illuminating panel discussion, Tom Aliff, Risk Advisors Leader at Equifax, delves into key economic concerns and forecasts with economists Amy Crews Cutts, President at AC Cutts and Associates LLC; Robert Wescott, Founder and President of Keybridge; and Mark Zandi, Chief Economist of Moody's Analytics. They explore the implications of budget deficits on interest rates, with varying views on how these factors might influence economic growth and policy decisions. The conversation covers potential Fed rate actions, the impact of global events like the conflict in Ukraine and China's economic slowdown, and the differing economic visions of the U.S. presidential candidates.
Bob Homer, General Manager and VP of Insurance and Alliances at Equifax, and Stephen Crewdson, Senior Director of Global Business Intelligence at JD Power, discuss the sharp rise in home and auto insurance premiums, driven by both economic and social inflation, and the impact on consumer affordability and behavior. Bob and Stephen explore how insurers are responding to these challenges, including staffing reductions, ad spend cuts, and proactive communication with customers.
In this episode:
· Rising Insurance Premiums: Post-pandemic premium surge and reasons behind it
· Economic and Social Inflation: Impact on insurance costs from inflation and litigation
· Consumer Impact and Behavior: Response to higher premiums, increased shopping, uninsured drivers
· Insurer Responses: Managing affordability with staffing, ad spend cuts, communication
· Customer Trust and Satisfaction: Effect of rising premiums on trust and relationships
· Popularity and benefits of usage-based insurance policies
· Predictions and strategies for managing insurance affordability
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The Equifax Risk Advisors team explores the complexities of the current economic landscape, discussing key topics such as the K-shaped recovery, inflation's impact on consumer sentiment, and rising delinquency rates. They also respond to recent comments by economists on trends in consumer spending, credit risk, and the nuanced effects of economic policies.
With 93% of small business owners anticipating growth, the timing of potential Fed interest rate cuts remains a critical factor. Sarah Briscoe, lead commercial statistical analyst at Equifax, sheds light on the latest trends in small business lending, delinquency, and default rates, highlighting the unique insights from the Equifax small business indices.
In this episode:
Connect with Sarah Briscoe at sarah.briscoe@equifax.com
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Our all-female panel of financial experts answer your burning questions about consumer credit, loan performance, and economic trends shaping affordability. Our panelists including Amy Crews Cutts, president and chief economist at AC Cutts & Associates, and Equifax’s own Maria Urtubey, Anna Fisher, and Mariette de Meillon address questions submitted during the March Market Pulse webinar.
In this episode: