Consumer Finance

The major talking point of 2023 from a consumer lending point of view has been the increase in interest rates over the year as a result of the RBA (Reserve Bank of Australia) attempting to address high inflation rates. Due to higher interest rates,…

Japan currently does not have any law restrictions surrounding Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and thus the benefits, such as convenience, flexibility, and especially no credit checks, are gradually being understood by a wider consumer base. These benefits…

Consumer credit is set to see a moderate rebound in 2023, following subdued demand in 2022, affected by the pandemic. The pick-up in consumer credit growth has largely been due to rises in home and card lending, reflecting some improvement in…

In June 2023, the percentage of households carrying outstanding debts in Brazil rose by a 0.2 percentage point, reaching a total of 78.5%, the highest level since November 2022. Among these households, 18.5% considered themselves heavily burdened…

Loans taken out for education purposes, which include the HECS-HELP loan provided by the government, continues to grow at a moderate rate in 2023. This reflects the high engagement of Australians with tertiary education, both universities and TAFE…

Charge card transactions have demonstrated a consistent upward trajectory in terms of transaction volume and retail value in 2023, coinciding with the resurgence of travel activities in Southeast Asia as pandemic-related restrictions have been…

When presented with a choice between a credit card and a card offering credit card-like functionality but without revolving credit, most Brazilians opt for the former. This inclination is rooted in a fundamental factor hindering charge cards from…

Both personal and commercial charge cards continue to witness a substantial increase in spending in 2023, although the category is largely driven by commercial cards. With activity in offices and the Central Business Districts throughout the country…

Even though consumers have relied more on credit to afford higher retail prices in 2023, due to the economic situation in the country, store cards have continued to decrease in popularity, with declines expected in terms of cards in circulation, and…

Pre-paid cards is set to see a solid performance in 2023, while other card payment methods, such as charge cards and store cards, are set to decrease significantly, and others are set to see slower growth, such as debit cards. One of the factors…