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The recent wildfires in Los Angeles are now among the most destructive recorded in California’s history. Thousands of structures have been damaged or destroyed, and many families are facing the heartbreaking loss of their homes, businesses and personal belongings. The fires have also tragically claimed lives and caused significant injuries.  In the wake of such devastation, the immediate priority for everyone is, of course, ensuring the safety and well-being of themselves and their loved ones.   As communities come together to navigate this challenging time, we are committed to being a resource to consumers. Our hope is to help those impacted by the fires preempt or prevent potential impacts to their financial health and identity where possible.   If you or someone you know has been impacted by the Los Angeles fires, here are some key points to keep in mind.   1. Safeguard Your Identity  Natural disasters can unfortunately create opportunities for identity theft. Important documents containing personal information may be lost or scattered. According to the Federal Trade Commission, instances of identity theft have nearly tripled over the last decade and scammers often exploit chaotic situations and vulnerable consumers.   Be Wary of Scammers: Sadly, following natural disasters, opportunistic fraudsters often deploy schemes tied to charity and donations, insurance, new financing, construction or clean up, and more. These perpetrators may lift and deploy tactics that were successful following natural disasters in other areas and deploy them to target those impacted by the LA wildfires. Stay vigilant against fraudsters who may try to steal your personal information or money through disaster-related schemes or offers that sound too good to be true.  Use Free Credit Monitoring and Fraud Alerts: Take advantage of these services to keep an eye on your credit activity. If you notice anything suspicious, report it immediately to your bank or financial institution.  Consider Freezing Your Credit: If your personal information has been compromised, freezing your credit with the three major credit reporting agencies can prevent new fraudulent credit applications. You can freeze your credit for free with Experian by clicking here or enrolling in its free app on your mobile device.   2. Contact Your Lenders  In times of crisis, many financial institutions are willing to work with affected consumers. If you’re worried about paying your bills on time due to the fires, reach out to your mortgage, auto loan, and credit card companies as soon as possible.  Your lenders can report accounts as deferred or in forbearance if you live in an area impacted by the fires. This means no late payments will be reported, allowing you to focus on immediate concerns. However, interest might continue to accrue on the balance, so be sure to understand the terms of any agreement.  3. Use Your Credit Report as a Financial Tool  Tracking down contact information for each of your lenders can be overwhelming. Your credit report, which you can access for free at annualcreditreport.com or via the Experian website or its free app on your mobile device, can be a helpful starting point.  While, understandably, protecting your credit history or identity may not be your immediate concern, taking a proactive approach could help prevent any or further damage to your financial health at a time when you need access to credit the most.  For more tools and resources to protect your credit standing and financial health, please visit Ask Experian.  

Experian is celebrating the one-year anniversary of The Legacy League Game Show™, a dynamic and interactive event that has revolutionized financial literacy education for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). This innovative program, part of the B.A.L.L. for Life™ initiative, combines the excitement of a game show with essential lessons on credit and financial management. We marked the occasion where it debuted in 2023: at EntreprenUTSA at the University of Texas San Antonio. The Legacy League Game Show™ has traveled to ten universities such as Morgan State and Shaw Universities and major events across the United States. The National Urban League describes the event as transformational; HomeFree-USA calls it a “model for how to teach anything to Gen Z and other generations.” Thousands of students have participated across the country, and more than 99% report an increase in their financial literacy after the experience. As someone whose family didn’t discuss money matters growing up, this impact is especially gratifying. In addition to making learning fun, The Legacy League Game Show™ addresses a critical issue: financial invisibility among young consumers, particularly within communities of color. Forty percent of consumers under 25 are credit invisible, with 26% of Hispanic and 28% of Black consumers affected, compared to 16% of their white and Asian peers.   Special guests, including rapper and college basketball standout Flau’jae, comedian and actor Mike Merrill, Louisiana State University wide receiver Chris Hilton, Jr. and Grammy-nominated D Smoke have joined the game show, adding star power and excitement. Next year, The Legacy League Game Show™ will hit the road again, visiting more schools and events. We already have stops planned at the #IYKYK Pitch Competition in partnership with HomeFree-USA, the University of Illinois in collaboration with the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE), and the UnidosUS National Conference. Check out the action from our 2024 stops by clicking here.Learn more about Experian’s commitment to underserved communities in The Power of YOU 2024: Diversity, equity, inclusion and social impact report.

Modernizing the conversation around credit and financial literacy is a key commitment for Experian, especially for young adults. That’s why we partner with organizations like the Singleton Foundation to produce “Your World on Money,” to meet young people where they are, with engaging, easy-to-understand video shorts about credit, budgeting, and saving and more.   We’re thrilled this commitment and creativity has earned both Gold and Bronze Anthem Awards, which recognize excellence in social good, celebrate the impactful work of organizations and initiatives that are driving positive change. Financial literacy is often not taught in schools, and the language around credit and personal finance can be intimidating. By normalizing these conversations, we hope to inspire confidence and action, helping young adults make informed financial decisions as they navigate life’s milestones. Our United for Financial Health partnership with the Singleton Foundation continues with our new series, the Finance Couch, where college students join our experts on a coach in the middle of a Los Angeles campus to answer their money questions. And our Anthem Award-winning series, HeartBroke, helps couples whose relationships are tested with financial issues to determine if they can work through it or end up HeartBroke(n).

Throughout time, we’ve seen examples of how new technologies can reshape the way we live our lives and manage our finances. As a millennial, the standouts to me are the start of the internet and the rise of the smart phone and mobile banking. Each innovation has opened new ways of learning and simplifying the way we do things.  Now, we find ourselves on the brink of another intriguing shift with the rise of generative AI. This development is especially timely, as we know consumers are hungry for information and resources to improve their credit scores and overall financial health. To get a better sense of how consumers are tapping into this technology, we deployed a survey which showed a significant number of Americans are already embracing generative AI. In fact, 63% of consumers are familiar with generative AI, including 84% of Gen Zers and 79% of millennials. Having learned about finances through trial and error (an approach I wouldn’t recommend), and now dedicating myself to consumer education advocacy, I find this incredibly exciting. Especially considering many consumers, nearly half, are also beginning to tap technology to help manage their personal finances. It’s perhaps no surprise this resonates most for America’s youngest consumers, with 67% of Gen Zers and 62% of millennials stating they use or are considering to use the technology to manage their personal finances. The good news is consumers who are using the technology for personal financial management are reporting an overwhelmingly positive experience – an impressive 96% reported positive experiences and 77% stated they use generative AI for personal financial tasks at least once a week. Key findings include: FINDINGSTOTALGEN Z (18-27)MILLENNIAL (28-43)GEN X (44-59)BOOMER (60-78)SILENT (79+)Indicate they are somewhat or very familiar with GenAI technology63%84%79%58%40%29%Indicate using GenAI to learn about a new topic or personal finances33%46%43%28%19%18%Indicate they are using or considering using GenAI powered tools or apps to help with managing personal finances47%67%62%41%28%23% As we continue to explore the benefits of generative AI, it’s clear this technology can be a valuable resource for improving financial literacy as we look ahead. We believe that the responsible use of AI can open new opportunities for consumers seeking to enhance their financial health. However, as with anything new, there are a few things consumers should keep in mind if they are currently leverage, or considering leveraging generative AI to learn about or manage their finances or credit scores, including: Don’t forget the basics: While there’s no question generative AI can be a helpful tool for managing your finances, consumers shouldn’t lose sight of the “old school” ways to protect their financial health and credit standing. This includes checking your credit report and scores regularly. You can get a free copy of your Experian credit report and FICO® Score[1] updated daily at www.experian.com or via Experian’s free mobile app. Consumers can also get a free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies once a week at www.annualcreditreport.com.  Verify your findings: Generative AI tools are only as good as the information they consume and there’s no shortage of misinformation about managing your credit scores and finances that exists online. Always cross-check AI-generated financial advice with reputable sources. You can find answers to many personal finance and credit-building questions on Ask Experian—Experian’s free credit advice blog. Be safe and use generative AI responsibly. Many of the generative AI tools that exist today collect and store user data. Be mindful of the personal information you share with generative AI tools to ensure your information is protected. In short, the rise of generative AI marks a pivotal moment in personal finance education, and an exciting one for me. As we embrace this technology, I believe we can create a more informed and financially empowered consumer base. [1] Credit score calculated based on FICO® Score 8 model. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than FICO® Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether. Learn more.

We believe that financial literacy leads to empowerment. That is why Experian supports initiatives and partners with community organizations to deliver financial education. We also develop products and services that give more control to consumers over their credit profile and financial health. As part of advancing our mission of Financial Power to All®, we are proud to announce we are helping more than 5,000 Hispanic individuals nationwide by relieving $10 million dollars of consumer debt. To provide families with this boost, we joined forces with ForgiveCo, a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), to administer the acquisition and cancellation of qualifying consumer debt for the selected recipients. Beneficiaries will also receive a one-year premium Experian membership for free that offers access to their Experian credit report in English and Spanish[i], FICO® Score[ii], bilingual educational content, and other financial resources. We hope this effort helps raise awareness of the importance of financial literacy for everyone, and that Experian has resources to help individuals reach their financial dreams.  To amplify the message, we collaborated with multi-platinum, award-winning singer and songwriter Prince Royce and you can see his video here. In fact, we have been making a concerted effort the last several years to evolve our educational resources and products to better support all underserved communities. Some of our other activities include the creation of the B.A.L.L. for Life initiative that connects African American and Hispanic youth with financial education, supporting scholarships for Asian Americans through the Ascend organization, providing custom resources for Out & Equal and Born This Way Foundation for the LGBTQ+ community, supporting the NextGen Innovation Lab for Disability:IN, and sponsoring credit counseling for the military community with Operation HOPE. For resources in Spanish, Experian offers a credit e-book and consumers can access a full suite of articles at the Ask Experian blog here. [i] Only Experian credit reports are available in Spanish. All other services associated with an Experian membership are available in English only. English fluency is required for full access to Experian’s products.  [ii] Credit score calculated based on FICO® Score 8 model. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than FICO® Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether. Learn more.

Today we released our annual Future of Fraud Forecast to help consumers and businesses stay one step ahead of emerging fraud trends and scams. Here’s what we expect in 2023: Fake texts from the boss: Given the prevalence of remote work, Experian predicts there’ll be a sharp rise in employer text fraud. This occurs when the “boss” texts the employee to buy gift cards using a bogus reason, and then asks the employee to email the gift card numbers and codes. Fraudsters then use the gift cards, leaving the employee and/or the company with the expense.Beware of fake job postings and mule schemes: Amid uncertain economic conditions, Experian predicts fraudsters will create fake remote job postings, specifically designed to lure consumers into applying for the job and providing private details like a social security number and date of birth on a fake employment application. The job never materializes, and the fraudsters use the information provided to commit identity theft. Experian also predicts that consumers could fall prey to mule recruiting schemes. This happens when people sign up for work from home jobs and unintentionally act as a re-shipper of stolen goods or help move money through their personal bank accounts on behalf of fraudsters.Frankenstein shoppers spell trouble for retailers: Synthetic identity fraud is the fastest growing financial crime in the United States, according to The Federal Reserve. This type of fraud involves a fraudster creating a synthetic or “Frankenstein” identity by combining real and false information and opening and building up lines of credit, eventually maxing out their credit limit and never paying it back. Experian predicts a new version of this fraud could result in major losses for retailers in the coming year. Fraudsters can create online shopper profiles using synthetic identities so that the fake shopper’s legitimacy is created to outsmart retailers’ fraud controls. As the shopper’s profile matures, criminals add stolen payment cards to the accounts. When the fraud eventually occurs, a single synthetic identity will have multiple credit lines to burn through across retailers.Social media shopping fraud: Experian predicts in-app social commerce fraud could result in millions of dollars in losses. These apps are designed to make shopping easy, intuitive and compelling for consumers to make purchases without leaving the app. This means legitimate brands are racing to make social commerce a part of their sales strategy. However, social commerce currently has very few identity verification and fraud detection controls in place, making the retailers that sell on these platforms easy targets for a surge in fraudulent purchases.Peer-to-peer payment problems: Consumers love the convenience of peer-to-peer payments and usage continues to grow. Fraudsters also love peer-to-peer payment methods because they’re an instantaneous and irreversible way to move money, enabling fraudsters to get cash with less work and more profit. Experian predicts fraudsters will gain even more unauthorized access to peer-to-peer payments by using multiple social engineering techniques. Consumers will be duped into buying fake items, sending the money to fraudsters and then never receiving their orders. They’ll also be tricked into giving their account credentials, enabling fraudsters to send cash to themselves. Experian is at the forefront of fraud prevention and identity verification. We offer a full suite of automated tools that harness data and analytics to prevent fraud and mitigate losses. Learn more about Experian’s fraud prevention tools here.

When people think about the automotive industry, data probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But make no mistake: data is one of the underlying currents keeping the automotive industry running.   Data answers all sorts of questions for OEMs, lenders, dealers, and consumers. And recently, with electric vehicles (EVs) growing in popularity, a new set of questions around battery health has emerged for dealers and consumers alike. Understanding battery health is particularly crucial for dealers when assessing trade-ins, and for dealers or consumers purchasing a used EV. Oftentimes, battery health is a more informative metric than those traditionally looked to assess a vehicle, such as milage, or vehicle age. This information hasn’t been readily available for dealers or consumers, until now. To that end, Experian announced a strategic alliance with Recurrent, the battery range and analytics company, to offer Recurrent’s Battery Report alongside Experian’s AutoCheck® vehicle history report (VHR). The Recurrent Battery Report offers additional data and attributes on an EV’s battery health that no other VHR presently offers, including current and future range estimates, climate impact, remaining battery warranty, and more. Offering the Recurrent Battery Report with an AutoCheck vehicle report will bring a level of assurance dealers have been previously unable to attain when buying or selling used EVs, increasing transparency and easing range anxiety for consumers. Through this alliance, we’re doubling down on our commitment to helping dealers buy and sell used vehicles with confidence, and this commitment extends to used EVs, as well. The data shows that EVs have reached a tipping point, comprising more than 5% of new vehicle registrations in 2022, and growing. Dealers are going to see them come back to the showroom as trade-ins more frequently, and being able to quickly assess them, as well as sell them with transparency will be key to longevity in the market. Experian is on the forefront and has been leading the charge in EV data, leveraging vehicle registration data to help OEMs, lenders and dealers understand where EV market share is growing the fastest, model popularity, and more. Additionally, we have EV audiences, built with our extensive marketing resources, that help dealers find the most interested potential EV buyers. But this is just the beginning. As EVs continue to penetrate the market, Experian is committed to innovating and constantly pursuing new data sources to anticipate market needs and help inform strategic decision-making.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke often about “the beloved community.” To be of service to all and unite us in the act of giving back. This encapsulates what Experian stands for: to create a better tomorrow for all. We’re proud that today, across Experian North America, our teammates will be participating in volunteer opportunities in-person and virtually to address needs in their communities; everything from career development, recording audio books for children, and creating Martin Luther King, Jr. fact cards in braille. One project that we’re particularly looking forward to is helping to design free budget templates for consumers in underserved communities. Financial literacy and equitable access to financial tools and resources lead to economic empowerment. We’ve been able to bring our message to live events like the National Urban League, and support young athletes and their families at the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic as its exclusive financial literacy partner. To further our support of Dr. King’s mission, Experian has also made a donation to the King Center for Non-violent Social Change. We’re proud Experian supports today’s National Day of Service and hope you’re able to make an impact in your communities on this day, and every day.

There are topics that can be hard to talk about in general conversation. Money and how best to achieve financial health shouldn’t be one of those. That’s why we’re excited to announce our newest United for Financial Health partner, singer-actress Coco Jones. She may play a rich social media influencer on the hit show “Bel-Air” (Peacock), but her approach to her financial health is thoughtful, personal and relatable. She and content creator Freddie Ransome have launched their new video series with Experian, In My Bag, sharing how they manage balancing gift giving with financial health. The money series will give viewers a peek into their lives as they talk about the money strategies and resources that work for them. Coco has a passion for financial health and financial security. She is very transparent about telling her own story, and helping people thrive on financial health journey. By sharing her ideas and personal approach in a fun way, she gets others excited about their own journey. We hope watching the conversations on In My Bag spark real conversations with your friends and family about financial wellness. Check out the first episode of In My Bag on Coco’s TikTok, Twitter and Instagram and Freddie’s TikTok, Twitter and Instagram. #IMBExperian

In a country with more than 68 million people in default, equivalent to a third of the total population, Serasa is holding the biggest debt negotiation event in the history of Brazil. Considered an important part of the credit calendar in the country, especially for defaulters who in Brazil form a universe equivalent to the total population of the United Kingdom or France, the Feirão Serasa Limpa Nome (Clean Name Fair in English) is consolidated as one of the main events in Brazil. What is Feirão Limpa Nome? Feirão Limpa Nome is an event held annually by Serasa and is part of the actions of the largest online debt marketplace in Brazil, Serasa Limpa Nome. The marketplace is a free service that connects more than 200 companies in Brazil with more than 70 million consumers who seek to negotiate their debts in a simple and fast way, without having to leave home and with special conditions (up to 90%), such as discounts and installments. Last year, Serasa Limpa Nome brokered more than 32 million deals, an average of 88,000 per day, 61 per minute. In November, Serasa Limpa Nome promoted the Debt Fair, an online event with discounts of up to 99%. It’s like a “Black Friday” for debts. It also had, for 5 days, a physical event with tents in the main Brazilian cities to help non digitalized people pay their debts. As Experian’s Chief Financial Officer Lloyd Pitchford put it: “Limpa Nome is there to help people resolve historic debts, and it’s so humbling to see when we hold our credit fairs, the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people come out to meet with Experian to try and resolve those debts in a way that’s supportable for them but also meets the needs of their creditors.” The records and innovations of the 2022 edition With negotiations through Serasa’s digital channels taking place in November December , the 28th edition of the event has provided approximately 5.5 million so far. The goal is to achieve 7 million deals by the end of the event, thus closing the largest of all editions ever held. The goal is to surpass the 2021 Fair, which granted more than BRL 10 billion in discounts, enabled 5.8 million deals and benefited 4 million people. The numbers of the Feirão 2022 will be record-setting.  We had a record number of participating companies – 267 – including banks, securitization companies (companies that buy debts), finance companies, retail, telecommunications companies, universities, and others. The number of partner companies are growing even more throughout the event. For the first time, Serasa made it possible to renegotiate basic debts, such as energy and solid waste tax. This year it was still a small offer, but already symbolic for what this debt segment represents in Brazil (27% of the total). The volume of offers available is estimated at more than 250 million, with average discounts of 70%. For the first time, Feirão Limpa Nome allowed payment with Pix, currently the main means of instant electronic payment in the country. Payments with Pix allowed, also for the first time, Serasa to offer the possibility of instantly writing off the negative debt – that is, the indebted person could have their name immediately removed from the credit bureaus, not having to wait longer for up to five business days, as provided by Brazilian legislation. For the first time, we made available the “Extrato Serasa” (Serasa Statement), a document in which consumers can prove that they no longer have debts in the company’s register. Volunteers and emotion Feirão Limpa Nome is only possible because Experian had an impressive mobilization of its employees and contractors. In addition to these, there was an army of more than 400 volunteers from all over Experian Brazil, who enlisted for the purpose of contributing to a better country. The numbers were impressive and the final economic results were significant, but the most important are the stories of simple people that mark the days of physical fair. There were thousands of cases where users cried after the negotiation was done. They cried with relief at the end of a sacrifice and the resumption of a healthier economic life. Consumers who benefit from this This was the case, in the last fair, of Vagner da Silva, who managed to resolve a pending issue that had plagued him for 21 years, when his two children were born and he had to resort to overdraft and a bank loan. He left the Feirão Serasa Limpa Nome, in São Paulo, with a sense of relief. “For half my life my family and I suffered from this drama, a real knife to the head,” said Vagner, now 42. “Finally, we are free of this burden, we have a clean name”. On the same occasion, the seamstress Terezinha de Jesus cried after getting a 90% discount and paying off a debt made by her ex-husband, in her document, when buying wheels for her car in the early 2000s. “My family likes the right things and I want, when God calls me, to be free, with my suitcase packed”, she told the main Brazilian News Portal, Grupo Globo’s G1, in a report that touched thousands of readers. What’s next We continue our journey to help consuemrs all over the world, and here in Brazil.  Feirão Limpa Nome is just one of many programs Experian manages in the countries where it operates.  For more information on ways we are working to help consumers, please visit our United for Financial Health page here.