The power of context: Why data without insight is only half the story

Every day, firms are bombarded with figures on credit card balances, loan originations, and retail spending. But data, no matter how comprehensive, is useless without the right context.

As Head of Market Intelligence, I’ve learned that the real value lies not just in what the data says, but in why it’s happening. For instance, recent figures show credit card debt exceeding £80 billion. If you only look at that number, it’s easy to jump to conclusions about systemic financial distress. But when we look at the data alongside current consumer behavioural shifts, such as how and when people choose to utilise flexible credit, the story changes.

At Equifax, our goal is to provide a comprehensive lens through which you can view the market. We focus on connecting the dots to reveal the trends that actually shape your strategy.

Whether it’s identifying early indicators of repayment stress, or understanding how broader economic pressures are shifting consumer borrowing habits , we rely on the depth and breadth of our data to separate noise from reality.

We recently launched our latest Summer 2026 Spending & Lending Report that takes a look at the latest UK consumer credit trends. 
I discussed some of the key insights from the report with my colleague Andrea Cox, Head of Affordability and Andrew Goodwin, Chief UK Economist, Oxford Economics on: Market Pulse: Credit, Cash, and Macroeconomics: UK Consumer Credit Trends into 2027. 

If you missed the session you can watch it on-demand here > 

Download the Spending & Lending consumer trends report here: https://go.equifax.co.uk/Credit_Trends