Market Pulse

What does the Equifax Market Pulse Index reveal about the true financial health of American consumers? Equifax Advisors Emmaline Aliff, Jesse Hardin and Tom O'Neill explore how the Market Pulse Index uncovers financial stress and resilience that traditional economic measures often miss. The conversation examines the growing K-shaped economy, the "illusion of the average," generational wealth trend...

The Equifax Advisory team breaks down the realities behind today’s “K-shaped” economy—from rising consumer debt and delinquencies to lending risk and shifting borrower behavior. With insights on everything from interest rates and inflation to auto loans and student debt, the team translates complex economic signals into practical guidance for lenders and business leaders. In this episode: What is...

Emmaline Aliff sits down with Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jeremy Robb to unpack the forces reshaping today’s auto market—from affordability pressures and credit expansion to the growing wave of used EVs. As consumers navigate rising costs and lenders adapt to shifting risk, the conversation explores what’s really driving demand—and what dealers and lenders should watch next. In this episode: Wh...

The mortgage industry is debating whether to move away from the long-standing TriMerge credit reporting standard. Wendy Hannah-Olson of Equifax speaks with mathematician and behavioral modeling researcher Joni Baker at Andrew Davidson & Company about new research analyzing credit score differences across the three credit bureaus. Their discussion reveals how shifting to single or bi-merge cred...

Ashley Sellers of Equifax sits down with Jordan Sullivan, Director of Retail Lending at CSL Financial , to explore how modern credit scoring is reshaping mortgage lending. As one of the first lenders to adopt VantageScore for underwriting, CSL shares real-world results, from higher approval rates and lower costs to stronger portfolio performance. The conversation dives into affordability, trended...

Jennifer Henry of Equifax sits down with Christina Randolph of Freddie Mac to discuss how lenders can drive efficiency, improve data quality, and build resilience through digitization and automation. From reducing origination costs to leveraging tools like Loan Product Advisor, AIM, and verified income data, the conversation offers practical insights to help lenders prepare for the next market cyc...

Emmaline Aliff of Equifax sits down with Matt Orlando, Chief Experience Officer at Informative Research, to unpack one of the most talked-about developments in mortgage lending: FICO’s new Mortgage Direct Licensing program and what it could mean for lenders, credit providers, and borrowers. In this episode: What is FICO’s Mortgage Direct Licensing program? FICO’s Mortgage Direct Licensing program...

Bobby Deery sits down with Praveen Chandrahomhan, SVP of Origination Growth at Cotality, to explore how AI is reshaping mortgage lending. They discuss the rise of “micro AI” in origination, the balance between speed and empathy in the borrower journey, and why personalization and retention are becoming critical in a purchase-driven market.  In this episode: How is AI changing mortgage lending? AI...

Recorded live at MBA Annual25 in Las Vegas, this special edition of the Equifax Market Pulse explores how data, workflow automation, and AI are reshaping mortgage lending. Tanja Cleve , SVP of Solution Sales at Equifax sits down with Craig Rebmann, Product Evangelist at Dark Matter Technologies, to discuss capturing data earlier in the process, automating complex borrower scenarios, managing costs...

Recorded live at the 2025 MBA Annual in Las Vegas, this special episode of Market Pulse explores how down payment assistance programs can help unlock homeownership amid today’s affordability challenges. Joel Rickman of Equifax sits down with Rob Chrane, Founder and CEO of Down Payment Resource, to discuss how lenders, real estate professionals, and technology can better connect buyers to thousands...

In this special holiday edition, Emmaline Aliff is joined by Equifax Advisors Tom O’Neill, Dave Sojka, Jesse Hardin, and Maria Urtubey for a “Santa Scorecard” look back at what was naughty or nice in the 2025 economy, and what may change in 2026. The group unpacks AI adoption, rate cuts, equity market resiliency, and rising consumer stress signals—from student loans to auto and mortgage delinquenc...

Jennifer Henry of Equifax sits down with Andrew Davidson, president of Andrew Davidson & Co. and a leading voice in mortgage analytics, to unpack one of the most misunderstood elements of housing finance: credit scores. They explore what a credit score actually measures, why different models and bureaus produce different results, how VantageScore’s adoption could reshape risk evaluation, and w...

HousingWire CEO Clayton Collins brings together an unprecedented trio — Joel Rickman (Equifax), Michele Bodda (Experian), and Satyan Merchant (TransUnion) — for a first-of-its-kind conversation on how data is redefining the mortgage process. The three leaders also unpack key topics dominating the MBA Annual 25 conference floor — from the tri-merge debate and the cost of credit reports to regulator...

How are innovation, data, and AI are transforming the mortgage experience? Wendy Hannah-Olson, SVP of Digital Alliances and Strategy Execution at Equifax, sits down with Jonas Moe, SVP of Marketing at ICE Mortgage Technology to discuss this evolution, from streamlining operations and improving borrower engagement to keeping the human connection at the heart of lending. In this episode: How are len...

Emmaline Aliff of Equifax joins Dr. Amy Crews Cutts, Chief Economist at AC Cutts & Associates, to unpack the real costs and competitive dynamics of mortgage credit reporting. They dig into what the data actually shows about tri-merge pricing, lender negotiation power, fallout loans, and the entry of VantageScore. In this episode: What is the true cost of pulling a credit report for a mortgage?...

Recorded live at MBA Annual 2025, HousingWire CEO Clayton Collins talks with Joel Rickman, SVP of Verification Services/Workforce Solutions at Equifax, and Justin Demola, President of Lenders One, about the ripple effects of FICO’s new pricing model, the rise of VantageScore , and how smarter lending data can drive efficiency, affordability, and innovation across the housing market. In this episod...

At MBA Annual 2025, HousingWire CEO Clayton Collins interviewed Rikard Bandebo , Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Economist at VantageScore , about one of the biggest industry shifts in decades: the entrance of VantageScore into the mortgage ecosystem.  In this episode: Why is credit score competition important? For decades, the mortgage industry has relied on one scoring model. With the Federal H...

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? Rebecca Kritzman – SVP, Experience & Partner Marketing...

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? Rebecca Kritzman – SVP, Experien...

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 a...

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, med...

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 recommendati...

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...

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...

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 sha...