Research | Credit Card Topics

How Accurate Are Your Credit Reports?

By: John Ulzheimer, 4/5/2021

Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. These are the names of the three major credit bureaus in the United States. The Big 3, as they’re often called, are in the business of collecting information about how you manage your credit obligations and saving it into what’s called a credit file database. They compile information from their credit file database into easy-to-read credit reports that they sell to lenders and other businesses that may want to review your credit history for one... read more »

17 Jaw-Dropping Credit Card Studies

By: Andrea Woroch, 8/17/2020

Credit cards have come a long way in the past 20 years. What once was considered a debt trap is now touted as a savvy financial tool that, when used wisely, can help you establish credit, earn valuable rewards, and get something back for the money you’re planning to spend anyway. However, not all credit cards are created equal, and not all consumers respond to them positively. Here’s a look at 17 credit card studies that shine a light on how these plastic forms of payment affect... read more »

Earth Island Institute Tackles Sustainability, Conservation, and Climate-Related Issues Around the Globe

By: Matt Walker, 7/31/2020

In a Nutshell: Since 1982, Earth Island Institute has been fighting for the health and sustainability of planet Earth. The nonprofit approaches this important work through a combination of key activist projects, teaching future generations to be good stewards of the environment, and raising awareness among the public. Earth Island Institute is currently involved in more than 80 initiatives around the world and runs three in-house programs as well. As a nonprofit organization, the... read more »

451 Research Brings Expert Insights on How COVID-19 is Impacting the Payments Industry via In-Depth Analysis and Reports

By: Matt Walker, 6/24/2020

In a Nutshell: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to the payments processing industry. 451 Research -- a global research and advisory firm -- has conducted in-depth investigations and analysis on this topic and recently shared its findings in the report, “COVID-19: The Impact of a Pandemic on the Payments Industry.” The payments ecosystem was seeing a drop in numbers as early as March, when consumer activity declined considerably. The firm also identified... read more »

Texas Demographic Projections Help Inform Policy Makers and the Public about Financial Decisions and State Needs

By: Matt Walker, 4/29/2020

In a Nutshell: The Texas Demographic Center provides valuable data to policymakers and various entities in the Lone Star State. The center does this by working closely with the U.S. Census Bureau and using census data as a jumping-off point to provide its own population estimates and projections about Texas. The center has observed, for example, that while the Texas population, in the aggregate, is growing, the population in certain counties is actually decreasing. This type of... read more »

The SEISMIC Project Unites 10 Public Research Institutions to Address Equity and Inclusion in STEM Courses

By: Matt Walker, 3/23/2020

In a Nutshell: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics -- also known as the STEM fields -- are extremely important to the advancement of society and national economies. The STEM fields have suffered from a lack of equity and inclusion over the years, but thanks to funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, future STEM demographics may look a bit different. The Sloan Equity and Inclusion in STEM Introductory Courses, or SEISMIC project, is bringing together 10 large public... read more »

DALBAR Sets Quality Standards in the Finance Industry via Research and Ratings While Providing Solutions to Help Businesses Improve

By: Matt Walker, 2/28/2020

In a Nutshell: In the competitive world of finance, DALBAR helps companies understand industry trends, keep up with competitors, and gain valuable insights into the industry. Since 1976, DALBAR has been helping set and raise standards in finance through its in-depth, independent research and ratings. The company also offers customizable solutions to improve performance in a wide range of areas, based on its rich data. DALBAR is also known for its prestigious awards that recognize... read more »

Plunkett Research Delivers Impactful and Insightful Research, Analysis, Statistics, and Trends to the Finance Industry

By: Matt Walker, 11/26/2019

In a Nutshell: Companies come and go, but the most successful businesses stick around in part because they understand their customers and the industry within which they operate. The finance industry is particularly competitive, and Plunkett Research helps companies maintain their competitive edge by supplying vast amounts of detailed data about the market and its leaders. Plunkett Research provides an array of off-the-shelf online and print reports and analytics. It also specializes in... read more »

GiveWell Uses Research to Help Donors Decide Where to Donate Their Money for Maximum Impact Toward Worthwhile Causes

By: Matt Walker, 11/14/2019

In a Nutshell: There are a lot of charities out there, and donors can have a difficult time knowing which ones are the most impactful and the most cost-effective. GiveWell is a nonprofit that conducts its own in-depth, independent research to help donors direct their funds to the charities best positioned to save or improve lives. The organization tends to focus its efforts in the poorest parts of the world because those are the areas where dollars can go the furthest. GiveWell... read more »

USAFacts: A Comprehensive Resource on Government Spending and Impact That Informs Personal, Financial, and Voter Decisions

By: Adam West, 5/13/2019

In a Nutshell: When Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie started looking for numbers to guide their own charitable giving decisions, they discovered how difficult it is to find, gather, and interpret government financial data. This led to the founding of USAFacts, a privately-funded not-for-profit that serves as a free, comprehensive resource for unbiased information on government revenue, spending, and impact. The organization also prepares annual reports and a 10-K... read more »

How Fake News Can Impact Financial Markets and How to Stay Vigilant Against Misleading Information Masquerading as Truth

By: Adam West, 4/25/2019

In a Nutshell: Fake news is very real in today’s media landscape. Researchers have discovered that false stories on financial websites can actually sway stock markets one way or another and impact trading levels. We spoke to the Founder of Media Bias/Fact Check — Dave Van Zandt — about how Americans can remain vigilant while getting their daily dose of news. Van Zandt said transparency about ownership, funding, and sources are major indicators that a story or website is credible.... read more »

Moody’s Analytics Economic Research Expert Tony Hughes on the Limitations of Artificial Intelligence in Banking

By: Matt Walker, 2/11/2019

In a Nutshell: Rapid innovation dominates the financial industry, in part, because of emerging technologies that rely on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities. Moody’s Analytics is the sister company of Moody’s Investors Service — one of the Big Three credit rating agencies — and conducts economic research on these types of cutting-edge trends in the finance world. We recently sat down with Tony Hughes, the Managing Director of Economic Research at... read more »

Bill.com Survey Results Show Strategies for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in 2019 Include Investments in Cloud-Based Tech, International Growth, and Talent

By: Matt Walker, 12/20/2018

In a Nutshell: Digital business payments provider Bill.com recently released survey results that revealed growth strategies for small and medium-sized businesses for 2019. Overall, the survey showed that SMBs are entering the new year with a positive outlook. A majority of SMB respondents — 71% — indicated they are embracing new technology and will increase their investment in cloud-based tech in the coming year. Nearly half of SMBs plan to expand either their customer footprint... read more »

A National Bureau of Economic Research Paper Explores How Increased Credit Access for the Jobless in Recent Decades Impacts Unemployment and the Economy

By: Matt Walker, 12/10/2018

In a Nutshell: Unemployment rates in the U.S. are often used to indicate the health of the economy. But what of the relationship between the unemployed and their accces to credit as it applies to state of the economy? A recent paper released by the National Bureau of Economic Research examines this connection, building off previous research that reveals how access to credit among unemployed households increased by significant amounts between 1977 and 2010. “The Impact of Consumer... read more »

FollowTheMoney.org: A Valuable Resource to Track Campaign Finances this Election Season

By: Matt Walker, 9/10/2018

In a Nutshell: With election season upon us, eligible voters can be inundated with information about political candidates and causes. A voter can learn a lot about a candidate by knowing where his or her campaign finance funds are coming from. FollowTheMoney.org is a website established by the non-partisan, non-profit National Institute on Money in Politics to help voters and other interested parties do just that. The website compiles campaign donor and lobbyist information from... read more »

Market Force Study Provides Insights into the Evolving Role of Bank Branches

By: Ray FitzGerald, 3/22/2018

In a Nutshell: Over three decades ago, some financial experts predicted the imminent death of brick-and-mortar bank branches, noting the advent of internet banking would overwhelm the industry and create a lot of excess real estate. While that grim outlook hasn't come to fruition, Market Force's US Banking Customer Experiences and Competitive Benchmarks Study found that consumers are visiting their bank branch in smaller, but still significant numbers. In fact, 22% of bank customers... read more »

Research Finds Adding Women to a Bank’s Board of Directors Increases Institutional Performance and Outcomes

By: Ray FitzGerald, 2/21/2018

In a Nutshell: Several studies on the effects of gender diversity on boards of directors returned results that were too wide-ranging to be conclusive. But recent research by Ann Owen, Professor of Economics at Hamilton College, and Judit Temesvary a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, attempts to reconcile previous other findings by using alternative research methods. Their research paper found that the impact of increasing gender diversity on a board of... read more »

Can Credit Cards be Recycled? Plastics Expert Keith Vorst Answers a Question that is More Difficult than You May Think

By: Ray FitzGerald, 2/20/2018

In a Nutshell: Most credit cards are made of polyvinyl chloride acetate — more commonly known as PVCA. The acetate in the cards make them difficult to recycle, as it limits the compatibility with the other plastics blended together at recycling plants. Since the material can be difficult — hence, more expensive — to repurpose, only a few companies work to recycle the more than 10 billion credit, debit, gift, and other cards put into circulation each year. Keith Vorst, Director of... read more »

Studies Link High Stress Levels with an Increased Urge to Spend — Here’s How to Fight Those Costly Impulses

By: Ray FitzGerald, 2/14/2018

In a Nutshell: Studies have found a common link between stress and diversion spending — that's where consumers buy things they don't necessarily need to lessen the effects of what’s bothering them. Diversion spending can increase debt, cause feelings of regret later, and increase stress levels even further when the purchase bills are due. To help negate the effects of stress on one’s body and mind, Raizelah Bayen, Spa Services Manager at Osmosis Day Spa in Freestone,... read more »

Milken Institute’s Center for Financial Markets Studies Washington DC’s Policy and Regulatory Approach to FinTech

By: Ray FitzGerald, 12/21/2017

In a Nutshell: Advances in FinTech have increased industry profits from $3 billion in 2012 to more than $40 billion in 2016. But the industry's rapid growth and development seems to have caught Washington, DC, regulators and policymakers off guard, as new technologies pose challenges to existing regulatory and policy frameworks. Legislative and regulatory developments in the FinTech space have been followed closely since 2014 by the Milken Institute’s Center for Financial Markets... read more »

Esri® Uses Human Geography and the Power of Social Mapping to Help Banks Cut Costs and Increase Customer Bases

By: Ray FitzGerald, 12/18/2017

In a Nutshell: Financial institutions today are charged with being everywhere their customers expect them to be without blowing their budgets by constantly opening new locations. To help connect with their customers, Esri has harnessed its half-century of experience as the market leader in mapping and analytics software. The company empowers more than 350,000 worldwide clients with hyperlocal studies on the markets they serve. Studies show how individual communities interact with... read more »

Georgetown Center for Financial Markets and Policy Brings Market Structure and Fintech Research to a Global Audience

By: Ray FitzGerald, 12/7/2017

In a Nutshell: The collapse and subsequent bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in 2008 knocked over the first domino that would topple several respected global financial institutions. From the chaos of that September came the birth of Georgetown University’s Center for Financial Markets and Policy. The center’s founding principle was to give a voice to the financial market at a time when few wanted to speak. Its focus today — on market structure and policy, corporate governance, and... read more »

FollowTheMoney.org Brings Transparency to Campaign Finance through Comprehensive Data & Research Resources

By: Adam West, 6/29/2017

In a Nutshell: Politics is already complicated, and that’s before you start to consider the role money plays in it. To shed light on how money changes hands in the political world and to better understand the special interests that politicians support or are supported by, there’s FollowTheMoney.org. The site was created by the National Institute on Money in State Politics and gives users an easy-to-use, interactive method of making sense of political funding information from... read more »

How MathWorks® Computing Software Powers Data Analysis & Modeling for Financial Decision-Makers Around the World

By: Brittney Mayer, 5/22/2017

In a Nutshell: Behind each important financial decision, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance report, is an extensive mathematical model. And many of those models are developed with MATLAB, the advanced mathematical computing software from MathWorks. By providing a versatile, easy-to-use analysis and modeling environment, MATLAB has become the behind-the-scenes force helping to power everything from pension fund investments and credit scoring to international currency transaction... read more »

TechTerms™ Uses Relatable Definitions to Help Consumers Understand Financial Services’ Jargon

By: Adam West, 5/5/2017

In a Nutshell: Navigating the complex language on financial platforms can cause headaches, but having access to an easy-to-understand, free dictionary of technology-related terminology can reduce your dependence on Tylenol. TechTerms is an online glossary that's consistently updated with definitions written in a language anyone can grasp. Through featured daily terms and quiz questions, regular visitors to the site can enhance their knowledge of complex words. The website's founder,... read more »

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