Research | Credit Card Topics

How Accurate Are Your Credit Reports?

By: John Ulzheimer, 3/29/2021

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, 8/18/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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, 10/19/2020

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 »