Margin test

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. Many of us will be starting to think about (or if you’re very organised, have already finished) their Christmas shopping. Black Friday sales will kick-off this week’s online bonanza, as bargain hunters pursue the best deals online. However, while we are all busy getting into the spirit of things, it has never been more vital that we do what we can to protect ourselves from identity fraud. As the popularity of the Black Friday sales season has grown, we’ve also seen a marked increase in the volume of fraudulent activity, as criminals use stolen or illegally obtained personal details to apply for credit in someone else’s name. According to our latest analysis of National Hunter Fraud Prevention Service data, the fraud rate for credit card applications has increased by 43% in the last three months to 69 confirmed fraudulent applications per 10,000 applications. It’s expected the rate will rise even more in December, as criminals look to take advantage. It’s naturally worrying if you are a victim of ID fraud. The fraudster will likely have tried to obtain credit in your name – perhaps on multiple occasions – and you’ll be concerned about how and from where they got hold of your information in the first place. Fortunately, there’s a host of things you can do to protect yourself. Checking your credit report on a regular basis is one of the best ways to spot if fraudsters have used your personal information to attempt to access credit, and our dedicated teams can help guide you through the steps if the worst happens and your identity has been stolen. New services and solutions are also helping companies identify and prevent more fraud. In part, the rise in rates can be attributed to better detection, helping fraud teams focus their energy on fraudulent applications, rather than genuine ones. So, while you’re browsing for gifts this festive season, make sure you are mindful of those looking to spoil your Christmas spirit. Help is available and you can read more on how to guard yourself against identity fraud on our website.

Experian is a passionate believer in the role of data as a force for good in the world. Now more than ever, data has a role to play in helping people and businesses across the UK as they recover from the pandemic and look to the future. The National Data Strategy sets a direction for a dynamic and successful Britain, building on a foundation of data insight and analysis. We’re pleased to be able to host the NDS Forum’s Midlands launch today, and to work with organisations from across the region to support its future success. Working together, we can harness the opportunities ahead to deliver positive outcomes for people, businesses and the economy – both in the Midlands and across the wider United Kingdom. Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure, Julia Lopez, said: "Data is transforming our economy and society by powering better public services and creating new jobs. We want to unlock the power of data through our National Data Strategy and this event will see us work with local communities in the Midlands to see how we can use data to improve people's lives and build back better from the pandemic."  

Over the past 18 months, we’ve monitored insights related to consumer and business economic outlooks, financial well-being, online behavior and more. One of the most significant insights was the accelerated shift toward e-commerce and digital financial services. In fact, there has been a 25% increase in digital transaction across the globe since the start of the pandemic including shopping, banking, and transacting online. Our latest 2021 Global Insights Report found that the increase in online activity held steady, even with the return of physical shopping and banking. The study also found that consumers are spending again. Nearly 10% of consumers are spending more and putting less away in retirement or emergency savings than from one year ago. However, even though customers are spending more, loyalty to online businesses is declining. We found that 61% of consumers say they are staying with the same online service provider they used prior to COVID-19. This a decrease of 8% from one year ago. The continued increase in online activity, coupled with heightened consumer expectations, dwindling customer loyalty, and increased competition, could lead to potential revenue loss or gain. Businesses must find solutions to improve digital engagement and customer acquisition. Fortunately, improving digital engagement and customer acquisition are companies’ top priorities as they maneuver the pandemic-accelerated boost in digital transactions. They are leveraging advanced technologies like digital credit risk decisioning, passive authentication, and artificial intelligence to improve the digital customer experience and grow their business. According to Experian’s report, 90 percent of companies are investing in business automation, 76 percent are improving or rebuilding their analytics models and 65% intend to increase fraud budgets. Adoption of AI has risen from 69% to 74% and machine learning from 68% to 73% in one year. We also found that 50% of companies are exploring the use of expanded data sources. To develop the study, Experian surveyed 3,000 consumers and 900 businesses across 10 countries around the world including Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. This report is part of a longitudinal study and published series that started in June 2020 through October 2021 exploring the major shifts in consumer behavior and business strategy throughout COVID. Access all global research reports here. To learn about more findings, download the  Global Insights Report and visit the Global Insights blog.

Growing up, my family rarely talked about money. So, in college, when I had the opportunity to get my first credit card, I also found myself in a little trouble when the first bill came. Most of us simply don’t learn about money matters until we find ourselves in these difficult situations. That’s one of the reasons why we’re excited to launch a creative and new program to teach young adults about the basics to building a financial legacy. “Protect The Bag” debuts today. It’s a six-part web series produced in partnership with Grammy-award winning artist, entrepreneur, author and community advocate, Lecrae. We first met Lecrae when he supported a United for Financial Health initiative in his hometown last year. “Protect The Bag” is a hip master class with finance and credit basics presented in an authentic way. Lecrae describes it as “edutainment” that includes scripted skits and interviews with everyday people. His friends Tyler Lockett, Coco Jones and WHATUPRG, among others, join him and share their financial health journeys as part of the shows as well. “Protect The Bag” is not just about credit. It’s about all aspects of personal finance. We’re proud of this innovative way to help consumers understand topics like saving, investing, budgeting and identity protection through someone they admire and trust. We hope you tune in every Tuesday, starting today, for the next six weeks. Episodes will appear on Lecrae’s YouTube channel starting at 7:00 p.m.EST/4 p.m.PST.

I am delighted to have announced our new partnership with Code First Girls, a non-profit organisation that teaches women to code for free, and helps increase the number of women – an under-represented group – working in tech.     As a South African woman of Indian heritage, a single parent of two bi-racial girls aged 18 and 22, and a human resources executive with a passion for talent, leadership, and development, I work daily with my team to support Experian deliver on its brand promise of powering opportunities to create a better tomorrow for our people, consumers and businesses globally. So I am personally and professionally very proud of this development.    Our partnership means four young women can study for a Code First Girls‘ Nanodegree, while working as paid interns in EMEA for the next nine months.    These young talents come from diverse backgrounds, helping us diversify our workforce and bringing fresh thinking and new perspectives. They’ll benefit from our flexible ways of working, being based primarily from home. They’ll gain international experience as they are joining our Data Science and Innovation teams in South Africa and Italy.    Moreover, they will help us drive our financial inclusion agenda by working on our United for Financial Health programme. This means we will have four young women working on financial inclusion solutions for women and four 18 to 25-year-olds working on financial inclusion solutions for the same demographic.  This is a people-led innovation that contributes to the circular economy and adds purpose to our Company’s commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in its fullest sense, supporting our sustainable business goals.   This isn’t philanthropy or theory. This partnership means our interns will work hard, learn and develop themselves as they prepare for a career in data and tech. It means we will also learn and evolve through this initiative.    I’m curious: how do young, fresh talented people experience us?  Will this partnership really enable four young women to start sustainable, fulfilling careers in tech, data, artificial intelligence, or software development?  Will it help Experian attract and retain the best early tech talent in future?    As with every innovative step we take, we’re unsure of the outcome, and that’s OK, as well as exciting. What is important is that we’ve started a new journey together, and  I’m excited to see where it takes us.    If you’d like to meet our EMEA interns and track their journey, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.