Category Archives: Market Structure and Dynamics

FICO, after conducting a study with Affirm, intends to launch FICO Score 10 BNPL and FICO Score 10 T BNPL this Fall, a credit scoring model for Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) activity. The unique characteristics of BNPL, such as the frequent turnover...

U.S. retail sales in May dropped more than expected as the pre-tariffs surge in purchases subside. The drop in sales was led by a decline in auto purchases. Reuters notes that it is unclear if tariffs are...

Borrowers falling 90 days behind on their student loans are being sent to debt collectors and their credit scores dropping as a result. Student Loan payments were restarted last month by President Trump. ABC News reports that...

The May CPI Report found that inflation rose by 2.4 percent year-over-year in May. This increase was lower than the expected 2.5 percent. This month’s lower-than-expected inflation numbers may be due to falling energy prices. Inflation remains...

Junk bond and investment grade bond sales are expected to rise as U.S. companies work to get ahead of pending tariffs. Junk bond sales reached $32 billion in May and passed $8.6 billion during the...

A report by researchers from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Moody’s, and Harvard found that private credit’s exponential growth and inherent opaqueness could be the cause of future market turbulence. The report recommends more transparency in the...

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins stated that he is open to changing SEC rules that currently restrict the sale of closed-end funds that invest 15 percent or more of their assets in private...

The downgrade of the U.S.’s sovereign credit rating has caused borrowing costs for the U.S. government to rise. Reasons for the downgrade include questions about the sustainability of the U.S. debt burden, especially amid higher...

The availability of private credit in financial products is likely to increase as financial institutions try to create products that are attractive to retail investors, according to Reuters. Many financial firms have partnered together to create...

Following the restart of student loan payments on May 5, many seriously delinquent student loan borrowers are now in collections. These borrowers will begin receiving notices from the Treasury about the withholding of certain federal...

Early tariff announcements initially caused large capital outflows from U.S. stocks and bonds, according to Reuters. While outflows have since slowed as investors re-engage with the market, widespread economic uncertainty has caused their investment strategy...

House Republicans have released the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings Plan which would restructure the Federal student loan system. Changes include new limits on how much a student can borrow, eliminating certain hardship protections, and limiting the...