Corporate Responsibility
For more than 40 years, Orange County has been the home of Experian’s North American headquarters. We have strong roots here. And as part of that, Experian and our employees work and volunteer with organizations around the community to help make the OC a better place to live.
With the New Year in full swing, it’s time to start turning thoughts to pulling together all the financial documents you’ll need to prep for tax time. A recent survey commissioned by Experian’s ProtectMyID shows that more and more consumers continue to file their taxes electronically – an estimated 81 percent of respondents plan to do so in 2015—but some are still unaware of the nature of tax-related identity theft (16 percent).
Have you heard of #CreditChat? #CreditChat is an online discussion that happens on Twitter and YouTube every Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET. It's an educational and fun hour when we discuss credit and money issues with consumers, personal finance writers, academics, and financial organizations.
Bankcard lending is trending upward, according to the 2014 Experian “State of Credit” report. One in 17 consumers obtained at least one bankcard this year, compared with one in 21 people back in 2013. Consumers now carry an average of 2.18 bankcards apiece (an increase of 4.2 percent), and an average of 1.54 retail cards (a jump of 6.7 percent). In other words, credit availability is on the rise. Can we do it smarter this time?
With Small Business Saturday quickly approaching, Experian wants to remind small business owners why it is important to have good business credit. Good credit scores – they’re not just for consumers. Businesses need them, too. According to a recent Experian survey, only 33 percent of small business owners said they were able to get the capital they need to maintain satisfactory cash flow. Good business credit can help business owners receive the funding they need, as well as help them earn more favorable terms and lower interest rates.
Experian Consumer Services in association with Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America, recently launched a Spanish-language, credit-focused product and online financial resource center for the U.S. Hispanic community called Crédito y Más. The new product was developed to improve Hispanics access to credit education and resources. With Crédito y Más, consumers can check their credit score, receive a credit report, and have credit monitoring, among other benefits and access the information in Spanish or English. One of the most valuable features is the Centro de Información™, a robust resource center with articles, videos, financial calculators, a glossary of key credit terms and more.
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and Experian’s ProtectMyID® issued its new survey results about cybersecurity. The study, conducted by Edelman Berland, reveals areas where consumers’ identities are the most at risk, including electronic devices and online accounts. The findings show that 93 percent of respondents believe that identity theft is a growing problem yet are not doing enough to address the issue.
School is back in session, but many people still have questions about a subject that is rarely taught in the classroom: their credit. Through its credit education portal, Experian provides people who have questions about credit reports or credit scores with a simple, convenient way to learn more about credit.
Experian is proud to be one of the sponsors and participate in the FinCon 2014 conference, taking place September 18-21 in New Orleans, Louisiana. FinCon is an opportunity for financial media to come together to learn what’s trending in personal finance, share best practices for successful social engagement and how, as a community we can enhance financial education. If you are going to FinCon, we have lots planned! Since the conference is just days away, we wanted to highlight some of the ways you can join in the Experian fun. Join Experian’s Mike Delgado on Friday at 1:30 p.m., as he moderates the session, How to Build a Thriving Community: Top bloggers share engagement strategies that work Are you a community builder or social media manager? Let\'s get together and chat over coffee on Saturday, September 20th at 8 a.m. Stop by our booth to say hi to the #CreditChat crew, learn more about credit and win some goodies! Find #FinConFreddie! Be on the lookout for “FinCon Freddie” throughout the conference venue. If you happen to spot one of these little hoppers, follow the instructions to claim your $25 gift card. There are eight chances to win, so keep your eyes peeled! Even if you can’t make it to #FinCon14, follow Experian on Instagram and @Experian_US on Twitter for clues where #FinConFreddie is hiding and to learn more credit insights.