Loan applications are down, rejections are up. This could be good for taming inflation.

Nov 20, 2023
The application rate for any kind of credit dropped to just over 41% this year from nearly 45% in 2022, according to a Fed survey.
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A good repo man is hard to find

Nov 7, 2023
The repossession industry is struggling with an enduring labor shortage, while 1.5 million car repos are expected this year.
A good chunk of used cars come from repossessions.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Car prices are still stubbornly high

Aug 21, 2023
$20,000 used to be the starting point for a new car. Now there’s only one remaining model on the market that sells for around that figure … the Mitsubishi Mirage.
More consumers and carmakers are focused on bigger, more expensive cars. And with the pandemic chip shortage, the average price of a vehicle has ballooned to $50,000.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

After years of not being able to get them, Americans want their wheels — no matter the cost

Jul 6, 2023
New light vehicle sales, including cars, SUVs and pickups, were up about 20% in June from this time a year ago.
Lots of consumers feel confident they’ll have the money to buy vehicles they might have once considered unaffordable.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Americans’ use of credit is growing, but slowing 

Feb 8, 2023
In 2022, consumer credit increased 7.8% from the year before. But in December, the growth in borrowing decelerated.
Consumer credit increased 7.8% last year, according to recent Federal Reserve data. But some Americans appear to be getting more cautious about debt.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Vehicle sales tell story of separate economic realities

Jan 15, 2021
The average selling price of new vehicles reached a record high in late 2020. Last year also saw vehicle loan debt increase to record levels.
Prices rose in both the new and used vehicle markets last year.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Consumer lending is a bright spot for big banks

Oct 17, 2019
Even as retail sales growth is showing signs of stalling, consumers are continuing to borrow.
The JP Morgan Chase headquarters in Manhattan.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Auto loans are taking longer to pay off

Oct 2, 2019
That could hurt consumers but benefit banks and dealerships.
Ford F-150s are lined up at a dealership in Hudson, Wisconsin.
Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

Auto loan delinquencies rise for younger drivers

Feb 14, 2019
New car sales have been high for the past few years, and that means there are a lot more car loans out there. There are a lot more delinquent ones, too. According to a report from the New York Federal Reserve, 7 million borrowers are at least 90 days late on their payments, the highest […]
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Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns of longer-term car loan risk

Nov 7, 2017
There’s been a big increase in the number of long-term car loans purchased by U.S. drivers in recent years, according to a recent report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Longer-term loans mean smaller monthly payments for borrowers, but they also mean more risk.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story.