TransUnion (NYSE: TRU), a global information and insights company, has released reports that shed light on how Americans are coping with inflation and leveraging rent payments to bolster their financial profiles.
Unveiled in September 2025, these analyses highlight diverse consumer strategies amid rising costs and evolving credit norms, offering actionable insights for financial planning and marketing.
The first report, presented at TransUnion’s TruAudience Marketing Summit in Chicago, identifies four distinct consumer groups based on their ability to keep up with inflation.
Drawing from the quarterly Consumer Pulse Study—a survey tracking personal finance attitudes—and the TruAudience Consumer Insights tool, which segments nearly all U.S. households into 172 micro-segments, the analysis reveals how life stages, incomes, and environments shape spending habits.
This segmentation underscores that financial confidence doesn’t always translate to action; many consumers delay purchases or rely on tax refunds despite feeling “okay” financially.
The groups are as follows:
Stable Spenders: Primarily ages 35-64 with incomes over $150,000, this group—often homeowners (87%) and married (60%)—maintains robust spending on lifestyle upgrades like cars, travel, and dining.
They engage heavily in loyalty programs and show minimal cutbacks, prioritizing quality and long-term value.
Marketers can target them with various offerings.
- Strivers: Comprising mostly 18-34-year-olds in high-cost cities like New York and San Francisco earning under $50,000, these thrill-seekers splurge on experiences, fashion, and streaming services (e.g., Netflix, HBO Max). About 40% wait for tax refunds for big buys, cutting back on electronics and home improvements. They respond to mobile-first, community-driven ads emphasizing affordable status symbols.
- Planners: Ages 25-44 with $75,000-$150,000 incomes, 75% are younger families in affordable markets. Career-focused and digitally savvy, they invest in cars, travel, and family-oriented streaming like Hulu, while tightening belts proactively. Social media influences their decisions, making campaigns on security and planning effective.
- Budgeting Realists: Ages 45-64, often underemployed, this group sticks to essentials, using Buy Now, Pay Later for basics like clothing and food. Discretionary spending is rare, and they’re harder to reach via social ads, preferring value deals.
Brian Silver, TransUnion’s EVP of Global Marketing Solutions, noted:
“Consumers’ individual life stages, expectations, and environments help determine their spending as much as their income levels.”
Marc Vermut, VP of Marketing Solutions Knowledge Lab, added that bridging confidence and action requires tailored engagement.
These insights empower brands to move beyond assumptions, fostering personalized strategies that align with each group’s priorities.
Complementing this, TransUnion’s second report forecasts a surge in consumers self-reporting rent payments to credit bureaus in 2025, rising to 13% from 11% in 2024.
This uptick, despite a dip in property manager reporting (44% from 48%), signals greater reliance on third-party services.
Regulatory tailwinds, including California’s mandate for rent reporting and Colorado’s pilot program, alongside the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s July 2025 policy requiring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to incorporate rent history via VantageScore 4.0, are accelerating adoption.
Self-reporting yields tangible benefits: 57% of renters prefer managers who report payments, and nearly 80% pay on time when tracked.
Crucially, 79% of participants see credit score improvements—80% for Gen Z, 88% for Millennials—unlocking homeownership and loans for those with thin credit files.
However, Gen Z participation dropped from 26% to 18%, possibly due to awareness gaps.
Maitri Johnson, SVP of TransUnion’s tenant screening business, emphasized:
“Rent payment reporting is well documented as a means to improving credit scores and financial inclusion, so I’m happy to see that more consumers are empowered to participate.”
This trend democratizes credit building, especially for renters (about 35% of U.S. households), potentially easing inflation’s housing squeeze.
Together, these reports paint a somewhat nuanced picture: While inflation segments consumers into resilient spenders and cautious planners, tools like rent reporting offer pathways to stability.
For individuals, self-reporting rent could be a good strategy; for marketers, granular insights enable precise targeting.