Consumer loan volume and credit risk are getting harder to gauge as lending moves away from banks and into alternative consumer lending. One estimate says that private funding for consumer lending fintechs could support almost $140 billion in global lending over several years. FIs’ general disinterest in riskier borrowers means that they migrate to fintechs, which may retain the risk or shift it to banks and investors in ways that reveal little about borrowers on the hook for repayment. If the trend continues, widespread defaults could hit the financial system, and few will know exactly what to expect.
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Become a ClientMeta has rolled out major upgrades to partnership ads on Facebook and Instagram, introducing new AI-enabled tools, broader creator discovery surfaces, and an API that lets advertisers programmatically convert UGC and creator posts into paid ads at scale. Partnership ads already outperform standard formats—19% lower CPAs and 13% higher CTRs—and with Gen Z more receptive to creator messaging and most consumers taking action quickly after seeing creator content, Meta is formalizing the path from organic influence to paid performance. For marketers, the message is clear: creator content is now a foundational performance lever, not an experimental add-on.
North Carolina-based Self-Help Credit Union is suing Fiserv for alleged lax security practices related to how Fiserv accessed its secure data. Self-Help seeks compensation for fees that it says it paid to enhance security. Financial institutions (FIs) are ultimately responsible to customers and regulators for their vendors’ actions, and it’s a huge compliance problem when one doesn’t follow through. Small FIs are known to struggle with technology talent and budgets, so they depend heavily on partners to meet their obligations. That makes FI oversight of their vendors even more essential.
The Home Depot launched a new creator portal this week, a hub where creators can access content inspiration, campaign opportunities, and expertise to build content around home improvement, DIY projects, and decor tips.
The deal lets mid-market advertisers tap intent-rich audiences with automated, outcome-based TV campaigns
Even as consumer attitudes toward AI in advertising remain mixed, agencies are rapidly expanding their use of AI across the marketing lifecycle. But significant resistance remains, especially when AI is used in ad creative. As agencies scale AI adoption, consumer sentiment underscores the need for restraint and intentionality—using AI for work behind-the-scenes, but resisting entire AI creative.
Costco is gaining market share across nearly all categories it operates in, as shoppers respond to its combination of value, quality, and newness, CFO Gary Millerchip said on the retailer’s most recent earnings call. Costco is one of many retailers benefiting from both consumers’ search for value and the K-shaped economy. Like Walmart and Dollar General, the company is well positioned to outperform this holiday season as shoppers cut gift budgets and prioritize necessities. Costco’s results point to a retail environment in which share gains are driven by traffic, value, and loyalty, one that does not bode well for chains that lack pricing credibility or differentiation.
AI scribe tools that transcribe doctors’ notes save doctors only a minimal amount of time, according to a recent UCLA Health study. Healthcare AI scribe developers already face high provider churn due to a crowded market and the ease of switching between competing products. They must now prove their product's value extends beyond time savings (modest or significant) to include areas like improving patient care, enhancing the patient experience to drive retention, or ensuring more accurate clinical notes for billing and coding.
EHR giant Epic is being sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who alleges the company blocks competition and restricts access to patient health data. The lawsuit adds to recent public and private sector signals that call for hospitals and patients to have better access to health data. While Paxton might have political motives outside of the health tech realm the lawsuit’s outcome could open the market to more Big Tech and digital health/AI players to create solutions that strengthen consumers’ and providers’ ability to access and share medical data across entities.