Auto Financing Access: Data from the newest 'Dealertrack Credit Availability Index' indicates a surge in auto credit access. The index reached 96.4, its highest level since late 2022, signaling that lenders are successfully navigating economic uncertainty to provide vehicle financing.

Validate consumer and business bank accounts, confirm ownership, detect fraud, and assess risk 

Why Financial Literacy Should Be a Core Subject

In today’s fast-paced world, financial literacy is more than just a buzzword; it's a lifeline. Imagine navigating the turbulent seas of adulthood without a compass— that’s what life feels like for many young people when it comes to handling their finances. As we approach 2026, the conversation around integrating financial literacy into school curriculums is gaining momentum, and rightfully so. Let’s dive into why this fundamental skill should be a core subject in every educational institution.

Understanding Financial Literacy

So, what exactly is financial literacy? In simple terms, it’s the ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills, including personal financial management, budgeting, and investing. Think of it as the toolkit you need to build a stable financial future. Without these essential tools, how can anyone expect to construct a solid financial foundation?

Read more at BRAINRIZE

Looser mortgage lending rules, regulation will destabilize financial system

At least 10 million Americans lost their homes during the 2008-09 global financial crisis. In the aftermath, Congress passed the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which was intended to promote financial stability, protect consumers from predatory financial practices and prevent taxpayer-funded bailouts.

Those regulations, though, came with a cost. Recently, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, “Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit,” that takes aim at lending regulations the administration says increase the cost of mortgage loans, limit credit access for qualified borrowers and weaken community bank participation in lending.  

However, by reducing lending regulations and rolling back oversight, Trump’s executive order threatens to destabilize the financial system, according to Brittany Lewis, an assistant professor of finance at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Read more at Washington University in St. Louis

Have a tax law question?

Our #IRS Interactive Tax Assistant has answers.

Watch this short video to learn more:

https://youtu.be/y6HkaBkdKdU

Jose L. Santiago

Public Affairs Specialist

Tax Outreach, Partnership and Education

Email: jose.l.santiago@irs.gov

Introducing the Institute for Consumer Financial Choice: A New Voice for Research, Policy, and Consumer Choice: by Alan S. Kaplinsky

At a time when consumer financial regulation is both rapidly evolving and deeply contested, the launch of the Institute for Consumer Financial Choice (ICFC) represents a significant and timely development. Housed within the Law & Economics Center at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, the ICFC is designed to bring rigorous, evidence-based analysis to some of the most important questions in consumer finance.

Addressing a Critical Need in Consumer Finance

Policymakers and regulators today face increasingly complex issues—from fintech innovation and access to credit to the appropriate balance between consumer protection and market competition. Yet, despite the importance of these issues, there has been a relative lack of institutions dedicated to producing empirical, testable research focused specifically on consumer choice.

Read more at Ballard Spahr L.L.P.

Young Adults Rely on Social Media for Financial Advice

Younger Americans are taking financial risks and using online avenues for their source of income.

Key Points

• Many young adults seek financial advice from social media "finfluencers" over parents or professionals.
• Lack of formal financial education drives youth toward accessible but sometimes unreliable online advice.
• Social media blurs entertainment and education, raising concerns over authenticity and monetization motives.

This is amazing research, and I want to kind of drill down into this because I think there’s a lot to unpack here, especially for those of us maybe a little older and for those who work in the financial services industry. But at a very high level, it seems like younger generations aren’t going to their mom and dad for financial advice.

Read more at The Street

Are you looking to grow your portfolio?

Smart Financial Strategies for 2026: Building Wealth in a Digital Economy

This is a brand-new internet economy that is constantly evolving. It will address growth, investment, and prudent money management in addition to generating money. As 2026 approaches, people will look for more effective ways to build wealth, reduce their financial responsibilities, and give themselves and their family long-term stability.

Learning the principles of contemporary finance may greatly improve your situation, regardless of how experienced you are with money. With the correct tools, information, and mindset, anybody can take charge of their financial destiny.

The Shift Toward Smart Money Management

Conventional financial advice frequently emphasized debt avoidance and setting aside a percentage of income. Even while such ideas are still important, the current financial environment necessitates more aggressive approaches.

Read more at BREAKINGAC.com

Musk pushing to make X an 'everything app' with new banking and payment platform

X Money promises cashback, free transfers and an interest rate on cash savings roughly 15 times the national average

More than three years after acquiring Twitter, Elon Musk says he’s nearing his long-stated goal of turning it into an “everything app” with a new financial services tool that he pledged to launch for the public this month.

X Money, a banking and payments platform built inside the social network now known as X, is expected to make its early public access debut imminently, based on the timeframe offered by Musk last month. Early users testing the service have touted competitive perks, including three per cent cash back on eligible purchases and a six per cent interest rate on cash savings — the latter of which is roughly 15 times the national average.

Read more at The National Post

Home Prices Have Surged 551% Since 1980, Far Outpacing Income Growth

New analysis shows widening gap has pushed the price-to-income ratio to more than 5, nearly double historical norms

U.S. home prices have increased significantly faster than household incomes over the past four decades. According to a new analysis from Clever Real Estate and Best Interest Financial, home prices have risen 551% since 1980, compared to income growth of 373% over the same period.

That divergence has pushed the national price-to-income ratio to approximately 5.08, nearly double the level of about 2.6 that is widely considered affordable.

As of 2024, the median U.S. home value is about $412,000, while the median household income is just over $81,000, according to the report.

Read more at National Mortgage Professional

NuBank hired a TikTok exec. Learn From the Competitors Or Miss Out.

I was at Fintech Meetup in Las Vegas in early April, and somewhere between the hallway collisions and the ten-minute business conversations at exhibit booths, I pulled Alex Johnson from Fintech Takes and Mary Wisniewski from Cornerstone into the best impromptu podcast I've had yet

Alex described the show as "nuclear fission:" atoms smashing into each other and energy everywhere. That's about right. But underneath all the energy, the real conversation was about something that doesn't have that kind of momentum inside most financial institutions: urgency.

As NuBank hires a TikTok executive, and famous YouTuber Mr. Beast buys a fintech company, competitive pressure is accelerating.

Read more at Digital Banking Report

Loved by collection agencies, debt buyers, and lenders handling diverse portfolios.

BNPL is popular, but compliance worries hamper bank adoption

American Banker's 2026 BNPL Tradeoff Survey

The growing popularity of buy now/pay later lending among consumers has kick-started a race among financial institutions seeking to expand into previously untapped markets.

American Banker’s 2026 BNPL Tradeoff Survey was fielded online during March of 2026 among 186 banking professionals who occupy a variety of roles across banks, credit unions, neobanks and payments firms.

Top findings from the report

• BNPL adoption is mixed among financial institutions, as nearly equal shares of respondents currently offer it or are choosing not to in the near future.
• Competitive pressure is the main driver for those offering or planning to offer BNPL.
• Risk and regulatory worries are holding back the pace of BNPL adoption.

Read more at American Banker

Federal policy shifts are reshaping access to capital and contracts for Latino- and minority-owned businesses: BROOKINGS

Access to capital and contracts shapes how small businesses grow, manage cash flow, and build long-term economic footing. Credit helps firms cover payroll, invest in equipment, and bridge revenue gaps, while public contracts can provide predictable demand and pathways to scale and wealth. To support these functions, the federal government administers a range of lending, procurement, and business development programs across multiple agencies.

For Latino-owned businesses and firms owned by entrepreneurs of color, these levers have long been challenging to reach. Minority-owned firms are more likely to report credit constraints, receive smaller loan amounts, and face higher borrowing costs. Participation in public contracting has also been shaped by administrative complexity and certification hurdles. 

Read more at The Brookings Institution

Our Vision is to become the leading

PAYDAY + ALTERNATIVE LENDER in NORTH AMERICA

US Department of Labor updates online financial literacy tool kit supporting disabled workers with resources for families, caregivers: U.S. Department of Labor

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced significant updates to its online resource offering financial education information and practical guidance to help disabled workers build economic mobility and independence.

The updated toolkit, Secure Your Financial Future: A Toolkit for Individuals with Disabilities, features a new section geared toward service providers, direct support professionals, and family members – all people who may play a critical role in supporting workers with disabilities as they navigate careers and financial planning. 

“Americans with disabilities deserve the opportunity to participate in President Trump’s Golden Age of America, and that means being able to work and save for goals of their choice,” said Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Julie Hocker. “The updates to the ‘Secure Your Financial Future’ toolkit provide vital resources that empower disabled workers to make informed financial decisions as they pursue rewarding work opportunities. Financial independence is central to the American Dream and ensures that the talent and potential of all Americans can be fully realized.”

Read more at U.S. Department of Labor

The Fintech Stock That Could Disrupt the Credit-Scoring Business Over the Next Decade

For decades, credit bureaus Equifax (NYSE: EFX), Experian (OTC: EXPGY), and TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) dominated the industry they largely shaped. There was no room or reason for another player.

As has been the case for so many other businesses, time and technology are changing this one. A relatively young outfit appropriately called Upstart (NASDAQ: UPST) is disrupting the credit-scoring industry in a way that TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax arguably should have when they had the chance.

Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need.

Read more at The Motley Fool

E-Complish, LLC Launches: IntellAgent™, a 24/7

AI Companion for Customer Account Management & Payment Processing

Top fintech stocks redefining banking, payments and investing

Financial technology, or fintech, is transforming the global financial landscape by making financial services faster, more accessible and increasingly customer-centric. By integrating finance with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, Big Data and cloud computing, fintech has disrupted traditional banking, payments and investment models around the world.

One of fintech’s most meaningful contributions has been its role in advancing financial inclusion. Digital wallets, mobile banking platforms and peer-to-peer lending services have opened the door to financial access for millions of unbanked and underbanked individuals. Cross-border payments, which were once slow, costly and inefficient, are also becoming faster and more affordable through fintech-driven innovation.

Fintech has further reshaped payments and lending by improving both convenience and efficiency. Contactless payments, buy now, pay later offerings and app-based lending solutions have streamlined everyday transactions for consumers while helping businesses serve customers more effectively. In capital markets, robo-advisors and algorithm-driven trading platforms are broadening access to investing by lowering costs and reducing traditional barriers to entry.

Read more at ZACKS.com

Home Sale Profits Drop Below 45%, Pressuring Move-Up Buyers And Concessions

Lower home sale returns are reshaping borrower equity, concessions, and transaction stability across U.S. markets

Home seller profits just slipped below a key threshold, and for mortgage professionals, the impact isn’t theoretical. It’s showing up directly in deal structure, concessions, and whether transactions hold together.

A new report from ATTOM found that the typical home sale in Q1 2026 generated a 44.1% return, down from 47.2% in the prior quarter and 50.2% a year ago. It’s the first time margins have fallen below 45% since 2021, continuing a steady normalization from the 2022 peak above 60%.

Read more at National Mortgage Professional

Payliance enables organizations to streamline

payment acceptance, minimize processing costs,

and reduce the risk of fraud.

An immigration slowdown led to widespread declines in population growth in America’s major metro areas: BROOKINGS

• Immigration now plays a pivotal role in population growth in America’s major metro areas (those with more than 1 million residents)
• Over the past year, all 56 of the nation’s major metro areas saw declines in new immigrants, in total dropping from 2.06 million people in 2023-24 to just 969,000 last year.
• As a result, last year all but one major metro area experienced slower population growth, a shift from growth to decline, or an even greater population decline than the previous year.
• These new data may represent just the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to future immigration declines, which are projected to fall further, eventually leading to lower or even negative national population growth and a steep drop in the working-age population.

Read more at The Brookings Institution

Big-bank execs are embracing the Federal Reserve and AI

American Banker's 2026 Predictions Report

For national bankers, while trust in the Federal Reserve and the promises of artificial intelligence are on the upswing for 2026 compared to their smaller peers, growing worries around real-time payments fraud cast a shadow on hopes for the year ahead.

American Banker’s 2026 Predictions report was fielded online during October and November of 2025 among 174 banking professionals who work across a variety of executive roles at banks, credit unions, neobanks and payments companies.

A closer look at national banking leaders’ responses reveals what large bank leaders care about most.

Read more at American Banker

Banks’ Marketing Budgets Are Accelerating, But Still Losing to Fintechs

Marketing Spend Benchmarks: How Much are Banks Really Investing?

Does your bank make a serious investment in marketing or just the bare minimum? If you do put some chips on marketing, is your institution getting the payoff it hopes for?

In the first installment of a series, we examine how much banks are spending on marketing relative to their overall budgets and assets, the rebound in marketing investment in 2025, and how traditional banks stack up against fintech competitors on spend alone.

Read more at The Financial Brand

Top tax frustrations for Americans: Feeling that some wealthy people, corporations don’t pay fair share

With the annual IRS filing deadline approaching, majorities of Americans continue to be bothered by the feeling that some wealthy people and corporations do not pay their fair share in federal taxes.

Roughly six-in-ten adults now say the feeling that some wealthy people (61%) and corporations (60%) don’t pay their fair share bothers them a lot. These percentages are largely unchanged in recent years.

A Pew Research Center survey, conducted Jan. 20-26 among 8,512 U.S. adults, also finds that:

• 51% of Americans say the complexity of the federal tax system bothers them a lot. That’s roughly on par with past years.
• 41% are bothered a lot by the amount they personally pay in taxes. That share has grown steadily over the last several years.
• Only 12% say a sense that lower-income people don’t pay their fair share bothers them a lot.

Read more at Pew Research Center

Our Vision is to become the leading

PAYDAY + ALTERNATIVE LENDER in NORTH AMERICA

Where High-Income Borrowers Can Buy Faster

Midwest markets lead in doctor home affordability, with purchase timelines as low as 1–2 years versus 11+ in high-cost states

A new analysis from MedMoneyShow, a physician-focused financial education platform that helps doctors understand money, risk, and long-term financial decision-making, is reframing affordability through a timeline lens, focusing not just on where doctors can buy, but how long it actually takes them to get there.

The study ranks all 50 states based on the time required for physicians to afford a home, revealing a wide gap between markets. At the top, Nebraska ranks No. 1, where doctors can afford a home in just 1.3 years. Other Midwestern states, including Kansas and Ohio, also fall into the 1–2 year range.

Read more at National Mortgage Professional

What types of news do Americans seek out or happen to come across? PEW

A growing share of Americans say they mostly get news because they happen to come across it, not because they’re actively seeking it out. About half of U.S. adults (49%) say this is the case today, up from 39% when we first asked this question in 2019.

However, Americans are especially likely to find certain types of news by chance and actively look for others, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey from the Pew-Knight Initiative.

The types of content that most Americans say they get by chance tend to be reactions to news: humor and opinions. About two-thirds of adults say they see funny posts (66%) and opinions (64%) about the news mostly because they happen to come across them. Meanwhile, 21% say they get opinions mostly by looking for them, and 14% say the same for funny posts.

Read more at Pew Research Center

Are you looking to grow your portfolio?

Visa (V) Among Best Fintech Stocks According to Billionaires

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is one of the 10 Best Fintech Stocks to Invest In According to Billionaires. On April 20, BMO Capital initiated coverage on Visa Inc. (NYSE:V), giving the stock an Outperform rating and setting the price target at $365.

The research firm sees Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) as a best-in-class company with a highly diversified business and defensible moat.

BMO Capital analyst Andrew Bauch pointed out that Visa Inc.’s (NYSE:V) economic moat is continuing to expand. The research firm believes this view is supported by the company’s unmatched global scale, its growing mix of services revenue, and its expanding role in digital credentials.

Read more at INSIDER MONKEY

Earned paid time off should be a basic right: BROOKINGS

Key takeaways:

• Betsey Stevenson proposes an update to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that would give all workers the right to earn paid time off.
• Earned paid time off would accrue with time worked, cover all workers, and could be used for any type of leave, for example, sick leave, personal time, caregiving, and vacation.
• A survey fielded by RAND in March 2025 found that nine out of 10 Americans support making earned time off a right for all American workers. 

Read more at The Brookings Institution