THE RESEARCH LIBRARY

Deep-dive library

766 deep dives in 24 categories · last updated Oct 13, 2026

16 matching deep dives

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Cards & Consumer Lending

Credit cards, installment and checkout finance, vehicle and student borrowing, household repayment and product economics.

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Buy now, pay later: how the loans work, who pays for them and what the rules are

Six large providers issued about $157 billion of US buy-now-pay-later credit in 2025, half of it as pay-in-four plans, by a Federal Reserve estimate. Merchants usually pay for interest-free plans. Funding arrangements vary by provider. About a quarter of users paid late in the past year, most loans still do not reach credit scores, and the 2024 federal interpretation treating BNPL like credit cards has been withdrawn.

Updated Oct 11, 202619 sources2 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Second-look financing: how checkout lending waterfalls work, who runs them and where lease-to-own fits

When a shopper is declined for a store's main financing, second-look programs pass the application to lenders that accept weaker credit, often ending with lease-to-own. Synchrony routes declines to Atlanticus's Fortiva programs, and contractor software from ServiceTitan chains prime lenders to a TURNS waterfall. Federal cases against lease-to-own providers produced a $175 million FTC settlement with Progressive in 2020, while CFPB suits against Snap and Acima were dropped in 2025.

Updated Oct 12, 202613 sources4 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Store credit cards: who earns the money, what borrowers pay and how the risks show up

Store credit cards carried an average interest rate of 31.3% in 2024, about six points above general-purpose cards, and the number of open accounts has fallen by roughly a third from its peak, according to the CFPB. Banks such as Synchrony and Citibank usually own the loans, while retailers market the cards and receive a share of program income. Deferred-interest promotions, payment allocation rules and lender loss rates determine how costly the product becomes for borrowers.

Updated Oct 12, 202615 sources3 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Chapter 13: what happens between filing and debt discharge

A court-supervised plan spreads payments over several years. The path from filing to discharge depends on which debts must be paid, what the household can sustain and whether it completes the plan’s legal requirements.

Updated Oct 13, 20266 sources3 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Auto negative equity: the old debt inside a new car loan

A dealer can pay off an old car loan while carrying its shortfall into the next one. The new payment reflects both the replacement vehicle and debt left behind by the trade-in.

Updated Oct 11, 20265 sources2 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Card payment rates: what a falling number does and does not say about households

Payment rates connect household repayment with issuer balances and funding. Product mix, balance transfers and the measurement window can change the number even when individual behavior is unchanged.

Updated Oct 11, 20265 sources4 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Card rewards: what happens between earning a point and redeeming it

Rewards create a promise to the cardholder, a cost for the issuer and sometimes revenue for a travel partner. Those flows arrive at different times, which is why more points or more spending does not automatically mean more profit.

Updated Oct 11, 20263 sources3 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Credit-card limits: why utilization can jump without new borrowing

A lower card limit can raise the utilization ratio and remove spending room while leaving the debt unchanged. The effects on payment access, notices, funding and bank capital answer different questions.

Updated Oct 11, 20265 sources3 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Credit-card minimum payments: why the balance can last for years

The minimum due can fall with the balance, stretching repayment even when every payment arrives on time. A fixed payment follows a different path, but new spending, rate changes and mixed balances can change the result.

Updated Oct 11, 20263 sources2 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Promotional finance: who pays when the customer’s interest rate is zero?

A merchant can pay to make a financing offer attractive at checkout. The lender’s return, the merchant’s extra sales and the customer’s repayment deadline determine whether that subsidy creates value.

Updated Oct 11, 20264 sources3 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Small-dollar loans: what a $400 loan costs, and what repayment requires

A modest fee can translate into a high annualized rate on a short loan. The payment schedule, the lender’s fixed costs and the borrower’s need to borrow again explain different parts of the same transaction.

Updated Oct 11, 20263 sources2 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Student-loan interest: why a balance can grow without daily compounding

A student loan can accumulate unpaid interest while its principal stays unchanged. Payments, subsidies and specific capitalization events explain when the amount owed grows and when future interest becomes more expensive.

Updated Oct 11, 20265 sources2 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

Tax-refund financing: where the advance ends and the refund begins

An advance brings a lender’s money forward; a transfer routes the tax authority’s eventual payment. Following the money through both dates shows the fees, repayment and remaining refund without counting it twice.

Updated Oct 11, 20266 sources2 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

When the merchant fails: why a financed purchase can leave more than a missing delivery

Non-delivery connects the customer’s remedy with the lender’s balance, the merchant’s remaining cash and the work needed to complete a refund. Those links explain why borrower delinquency alone misses the exposure.

Updated Oct 11, 20265 sources4 versions

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

After the tow truck: repossession, auction proceeds and the debt that can remain

Repossession begins a sequence of legal, operational and financial steps. State-specific protections, sale procedures, allowable costs and add-on refunds can determine both the vehicle’s fate and the debt that remains.

Updated Oct 5, 20269 sources

Cards & Consumer LendingResearch Lab

GAP products: the promise after a total loss and the refund when a loan ends early

GAP insurance and debt waivers can address a shortfall after a qualifying total loss, but they are different promises. Product cost, exclusions, claim processing and early-payoff refunds determine what protection the borrower actually receives.

Updated Oct 5, 20267 sources

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