This week’s research corner looks at the May’s job report and how improving labor market conditions support securitization. While jobs growth continues to be positive, which is supportive of consumer credit, the report also reflects a labor market still dealing with the lasting effects of the pandemic.

This week’s Research Corner examines how securitizations increase the lending capacity of lenders and provide small businesses with reliable access to capital.

This week’s Research Corner examines how stronger than expected first-quarter activity and a pickup in vaccine distribution have resulted in more optimistic outlooks.

This week’s Research Corner analyzes Community Development Financial Institutions, which are private financial institutions whose primary mission is to support community development by providing financing to low-income, low-wealth individuals — a population that has been historically underserved by traditional lenders.

Used vehicle prices rose 5.87% to 179.2 in March, as reported by the Manheim Used Vehicle Index. March’s value is 26% above its level one year ago and is a record high for the Index.

Revolving consumer debt, which primarily represents credit card balances, rose $8 billion in February to $974.4 billion, the largest month-over-month increase of this measure since 2019 according to the Federal Reserve’s G.19 Consumer Credit Report.

In 2020, mortgage originations for prime borrowers saw the strongest gains, as origination levels for borrowers with weak credit profiles either dropped or saw only modest growth.

The latest SFA Research Corner highlights how car manufacturers have been adding full-electric and hybrid electric vehicles (EV) to their lineup to comply with global environmental regulations and to meet rising consumer demand. Pledges by major automakers to become fully electric as well as recent proposals from the Biden administration and lawmakers have the potential to meaningfully boost U.S. sales.

The latest SFA Research Corner looks at the challenges around climate-related disclosures addressed by the Federal Reserve, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the House Committee on Financial Services over the past few weeks. How these challenges are resolved in the broader markets will ultimately influence on how the structured finance market addresses its own unique ESG-related reporting challenges, an effort led by SFA and its membership.

SFA’s latest Research Corner takes a look at the potential effect of President Biden’s proposed $10,000 federal student loan debt relief on our market. The impact on ABS backed by FFELP loans will depend on the scope of loan forgiveness.