Consumer Finance

Consumer Finance
Block Says Traditional Credit Scores Shut Out 100 Million Americans
January 27, 2026

For much of modern consumer finance, underwriting has relied on static credit files that offer a delayed view of financial behavior. Those bureau-based models, Block Chief Risk Officer Brian Boates told PYMNTS, were designed for a slower economy and struggle to keep pace with how...

Consumer Finance
BNPL Use Rises as Credit Card Balances Jump
January 22, 2026

Household finances are increasingly shaped by credit use, as more consumers carry balances month to month rather than paying off purchases in full. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no...

Fed Data Shows the Consumer Holding up Until the Next $2,000 Emergency
January 20, 2026

Consumer spending continues to show resilience, even after years of inflation and economic uncertainty, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest Survey of Consumer Expectations. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to...

Consumer Finance
Study Finds Most Paycheck-to-Paycheck Households Expect Tariffs to Worsen Financial Strain
January 20, 2026

The latest round of tariff threats tied to global trade tensions, lobbed this weekend over Greenland, arrives at a moment when millions of U.S. households are already navigating thin financial margins, limited savings and heightened sensitivity to price changes. Get the Full Story Complete the...

Consumer Finance
Block’s Lending Tops $200 Billion Across Cash App, Afterpay and Square
January 20, 2026

Block has provided more than $200 billion in credit to customers across its Cash App Borrow, Afterpay and Square Loans products. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins...

Consumer Finance
AI Rewrites Lending for Borrowers FICO Scores Miss
January 12, 2026

For millions of individuals in the U.S., exclusion from credit markets has less to do with repayment risk than with how creditworthiness has traditionally been measured. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS...

Consumer Finance
Latest Government Credit Data Signals a Reset and Resilience
January 09, 2026

The new year has dawned with consumers in the United States navigating a cooling labor market, elevated borrowing costs and persistent inflation expectations. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no...

Consumer Finance
Proactive Technology Helps Extended Households Turn Strain Into Stability
January 02, 2026

Extended households have become a defining feature of U.S. consumer finance, even as they remain underrepresented in traditional financial models. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required....

Consumer Finance
1 in 3 Young Adults Turn to Friends and Family as Costs Rise
January 01, 2026

Rising costs are no longer just squeezing household budgets. They are reshaping how different generations make financial decisions, from grocery shopping to healthcare use, according to new PYMNTS Intelligence research. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free...