Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Pandemic Changes How We View Home

Wed, 07 April 2021  |  pandemic housing 

After a year in which "working from home" began to feel like "living at work," America has undergone a profound shift in its understanding of "home," driving homeowners to want more space, new uses and a better environment to nurture positive changes that evolved during lockdown. They also want to address design, condition and space frustrations they felt while spending uninterrupted time indoors.

According to the 8th annual LightStream Home Improvement Trends Survey,1 nearly half (47%) of U.S. homeowners say they are utilizing their space differently since the onset of the pand... Read More

SoFi Launches Auto Loan Refinancing Through Lantern

Tue, 06 April 2021  |  consumers lending 

SoFi announced the introduction of personalized auto loan refinancing offers through Lantern, the financial services product comparison site owned and operated by SoFi. SoFi launches auto loan refinancing in partnership with MotoRefi – an auto fintech startup that provides multiple competitive offers through a network of lenders.

Auto loan debt has quickly become one of the most important areas for consumers to be mindful of when it comes to maximizing financial well-being and now ranks as the third largest component of household debt. This need is underscored by the record-s... Read More

Pandemic Shifts Financial Behaviors and Conversations

Tue, 06 April 2021  |  pandemic affluent 

Concerned about threats to financial success outside of their control, 46% of affluent Americans have been getting their financial lives in order during the last year, according to a recent study from Bank of America. The research also found that, despite challenges imposed by the pandemic, most survey respondents believe they are on track to reach several financial milestones earlier in life than their parents.

The Bank of America Preferred Insights: Hindsight is 20/20 Personal Finance Report explores more than 2,000 affluent¹ Americans’ financial decisions and r... Read More

Sun Belt Tops Moving Destinations

Tue, 06 April 2021  |  housing 

The pandemic has upended the meaning of home and prompted many of us to rethink how and where we want to live. A new Zillow survey finds more than 1 in 10 Americans (11%) say they have already moved in the past year -- by choice or by circumstance -- contributing to the Great Reshuffling, and millions of additional households could enter the real estate market as a result of the pandemic.

Moving remains challenging, but it can bring more opportunity now than ever before, thanks in part to the rise of remote work. That inspired Zillow to publish its first ever Mover Report, a d... Read More

FICO® Scores Increased Amid Pandemic

Mon, 05 April 2021  |  consumers 

According to Experian research, the average FICO® Score hit a record high of 710 last year, a seven point increase from 2019. Several factors may have contributed to this improvement; the recent survey revealed almost a quarter of respondents checked their score more often than before the start of the pandemic, while many consumers surveyed (29%) took steps to prepare for a recession such as cutting back on spending, which remained consistent with those surveyed one year ago (at 32%). Respondents also paid off debt, with fewer carrying credit card balances (a decrease of 13%) and student... Read More

Many Americans Still Lack Critical Financial Knowledge

Mon, 05 April 2021  |  consumers 

Twenty-two percent of U.S. adults report they are unable to pay their bills in full and on time in a typical month, and 30 percent would not be able to cover an unexpected $2,000 expense, according to new data from the fifth annual Personal Finance Index (P-Fin Index) released by the TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC) at the George Washington University School of Business.

Results from the P-Fin Index indicate that a significant portion of American adults still s... Read More