TransUnion: Extra Credit

Recorded live at TransUnion’s 2026 Financial Services Summit, this episode features a timely conversation with S&P Global Chief Economist Paul Gruenwald on the forces shaping the macroeconomic outlook for lenders and financial institutions. While the global economy faces significant headwinds, including tariffs, energy market disruption and geopolitical tensions, Gruenwald explains that growth...

In this episode, Craig LaChapelle is joined by VantageScore’s Jeff Richardson and TransUnion’s Matias Petersen to unpack the growing importance of credit score choice. They discuss how market volatility, competition and regulatory shifts are driving adoption across lending segments, from mortgage to auto and cards. The conversation highlights practical considerations — from model performance and g...

Join Craig, Josh and Charlie Wise, TransUnion’s EVP of Global Research and Consulting, as they unpack the forces shaping the 2026 consumer credit landscape. From a stabilizing macroeconomic backdrop to evolving lender strategies, Charlie walks through key trends across credit cards, auto, personal loans and mortgage. He also explores the implications of affordability pressures, interest rate expec...

As 2025 comes to a close, economic uncertainty and volatility remain top of mind for lenders and consumers alike. In this episode, Jason Laky, EVP of Financial Services at TransUnion®, joins Josh and Craig to unpack the year’s biggest credit trends — from resilient consumer demand to challenges in mortgage and auto — and what they signal for 2026. Jason also explores how lenders are leveraging alt...

Pete Turek — a TransUnion® SVP responsible for overseeing relationships with more than 120 of the nation’s leading financial institutions — join Josh and Craig this month to unpack insights from the latest Consumer Industry Insights Report. The discussion highlights a “K-shaped” dynamic in lending, with strong growth at both ends of the credit spectrum, record personal loan originations and Gen Z’...

Christian Widhalm, CEO of Bloom Credit, joins the latest episode of Extra Credit to unpack the evolving landscape of credit data furnishment. Christian shares how Bloom is tackling the limitations of legacy credit reporting formats — originally designed for traditional products and monthly cycles — and helping lenders report both conventional and alternative data more accurately and in real time....

In this episode of Extra Credit, Harmon Lyons, VP of Strategy and Market Development for TransUnion’s financial services marketing solutions, joins Craig and Josh for a deep dive into the evolving role of data in financial services marketing. Harmon shares insights from nearly 30 years in the industry, highlighting how all FS marketers — from regional credit unions to national banks — can overcome...

The latest installment of Extra Credit has Dawn Figlioli, VP of Sales, Financial Services at TransUnion, stepping into the host seat, guiding a conversation with Craig and Josh on the latest credit market insights. The trio explores the current lending environment, marked by both stability and caution, and dives into the surprising growth at both ends of the credit spectrum. They discuss rising de...

DJ Cox joins this month, flipping the script on Craig and Josh with the most-asked questions he’s hearing within the credit and lending space. As they reflect on 2025 so far, Josh highlights signs of recovery in card originations and improving delinquency trends. And Craig adds a macro perspective, describing consumers as “cautiously stable” amid mixed economic signals. Looking ahead, the conversa...

In this special episode, recorded live from TransUnion's annual Financial Services Summit in Chicago, hosts Craig and Josh are joined by Paul Gruenwald, Chief Global Economist at S&P Global Ratings. The conversation kicks off with an in-depth exploration of the economic impacts of tariffs, financial implications of tightening federal spending, and why tracking the labor market is key to predic...

TransUnion Sales VP Brad Deja is in the studio this month to talk shop! Josh starts by highlighting signs of a stabilizing market, including a slower decline in loan originations and the return of prime and below prime card issuance to pre-pandemic levels. Brad inquires about market expectations for Q1, noting a number of consumers are still struggling with inflation. Craig explains why he believe...

Jason Laky, Executive Vice President of Financial Services at TransUnion, returns for the first time since June 2022! Things kick off with a review of past predictions, including a recession forecast and an assessment of the current consumer credit market. Jason is optimistic about stable interest rates and potential regulatory improvements benefiting financial services. Josh and Jason discuss 202...

TransUnion Sales VP Danielle Parry-Hill joins the podcast this month to discuss the state of the card market and growing concerns around fraud. Danielle and Josh kick things off by noting while originations are down, charge-offs, delinquencies and card utilization are rising. Danielle raises a key question from CFIs: Have delinquencies peaked? Craig advises issuers to adjust their risk strategies...

With Steve Manion joining the podcast this month, the conversation kicks off with a year-over-year review of consumer card usage. Josh examines shifts in bankcard balance and origination growth; Craig reveals which consumers are taking on far less new debt; and Steve wants to know how current charge-off balances compare to pre-COVID levels. Steve and Craig then discuss how lenders are leveraging t...

Part Two: Live From TransUnion’s 2024 Financial Services Summit, Las Vegas In part two of the 2024 FS Summit episode, TransUnion’s Sean Flynn sits down with Union Credit co-founder and CRO Barry Kirby to highlight some key challenges facing credit unions today. Sean and Barry start by discussing the contradiction credit unions are running into as they balance growing their young member bases with...

Part One: Live From TransUnion’s 2024 Financial Services Summit, Las Vegas In part one of the 2024 FS Summit episode, credit union VPs Heather Dufourny (Service Credit Union) and Heather Sullivan (Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union) sit down with Craig and Josh in Las Vegas to discuss the goings-on in the credit union industry. Craig is curious to hear which products members are most interested...

Guest FJ Guarrera puts Craig and Josh in the hot seat this month with questions around recent consumer performance, trends and preferences in the card industry. The conversation kicks off with a macroeconomic view of the market since last quarter — ranging from consumer sentiments to card balances and originations to the impact consumer stress levels are having on their financial health. FJ asks h...

Matt Spiegel and Patrick White join the podcast this month to discuss the ongoing transformation of marketing strategies and operations. Josh kicks things off by remarking on the lack of financial advertising in this year’s Super Bowl; Matt discusses how financial services marketers should be connecting brand and performance data for more precise results; and Craig and Patrick discuss the opportun...

Paul Siegfried who leads the card and banking business at TransUnion returns to Extra Credit for the third time to discuss what’s ahead for card issuers and consumers in 2024. Paul cautiously forecasts how rates, delinquencies and charge-offs might look by the end of the year; Craig asks what the market can expect to see in terms of unemployment and wage growth; and Josh wants to know how prioriti...

TransUnion financial services sales leader Stephanie Donaghy joins this month's podcast to ask Craig and Josh about recent trends in the card market — based on key questions she’s hearing from within the industry. The conversation covers everything from consumer credit health and sentiment continuing into 2024; how consumer spending is impacting balances across risk sectors; and the relationship b...

Craig kicks off the last Extra Credit episode of the year with a macro recap of 2023, ranging from the impact of increased interest rates on markets and consumers to economic and geopolitical disruptions to the growing presence of artificial intelligence. Taking a more micro view of the market over these last 12 months, Josh highlights interesting patterns around originations, delinquencies and ca...

SMBC ManuBank CRO Mike Leary joins the podcast this month to discuss the relationship between risk and financial institutions in today’s economic environment. Mike and Craig discuss the lesser-known risks impacting portfolios today, including hidden buy now, pay later loans and credit score inflation. Mike weighs in on positioning a card portfolio in uncertain times; explains why some banks are us...

TransUnion SVP of Auto, Satyan Merchant, joins Craig and Josh this month to discuss emerging trends within the US auto financing market. We begin with Satyan touching on today’s top auto industry headlines — from supply chain issues and high interest rates impacting consumer affordability to major shifts in market share. Satyan describes how technology-forward dealerships and lenders are modernizi...

TransUnion Head of US Government Relations, Allison Shuster, returns to Extra Credit this month to discuss the political and legislative activities currently impacting the US financial services industry. Craig and Allison start by discussing the proposed Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) rulemaking process expected to take place later in 2023, whether government partisanship is as challenging as it...

Joining Craig and Josh this month is Melissa Koide, Founder and CEO of FinRegLab — a nonprofit organization that tests and researches technology to help inform public policy and advance financial inclusion. Melissa touches on some of FinRegLab’s key initiatives, including the use of cashflow data to predict credit risk and assess populations with limited or no credit history; new research the orga...