Big Data Means Big Opportunities and Big Challenges

Dramatic changes are transforming the U.S. financial marketplace. Far-reaching capabilities of “Big-Data” processing that gather, analyze, predict, and make instantaneous decisions about an individual; technological innovation spurring new and competitive financial products; the rapid adoption of the mobile phone as the principal online device; and advances in e-commerce and marketing that change the way we shop and buy, are creating a new landscape that holds both potential promise and risks for economically vulnerable Americans. Using advances in data analytics specifically to promote economic inclusion and fairness during this period of transformation in the U.S. economy should be a proactive strategy embraced by all stakeholders. While not a panacea to address growing financial inequality, a wise investment in strategies that harvest the potential of the new digital financial system may better enable struggling Americans to maneuver a difficult economic future.

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