Financial health challenges intensified in 2025 — from student loan shocks and federal shutdowns to rising foreclosures, household debt, and widening affordability gaps. SpringFour helped our clients strengthen their business outcomes by delivering immediate, practical support right when their customers needed it most — prompting higher customer engagement and retention, reduced delinquency rates, and stronger portfolio performance.

Together with our partners, we delivered:

• 8 million financial health referrals
• 1.8 million consumers served
• Top 3 categories requested:
  1. Food Savings
  2. Heating/Utility Costs
  3. Rental Resources 

These numbers represent real moments of relief for people navigating financial strain, and measurable results for the organizations supporting them — a true win-win. Read on for more ways we delivered business impact.

1. Delivering real-time relief during the federal shutdown

When the federal government shutdown stretched past 40 days — the longest in American history — SpringFour became a primary source of real-time support, both for households suddenly facing paused paychecks and rapidly shifting benefits and the financial organizations trying to help them.

Because SpringFour was built to easily connect people to trusted, vetted assistance, our partners were able to move fast. And as conditions worsened, we expanded our efforts even further to meet the moment.

• Delivered ready-to-send outreach materials to partners so they could immediately communicate with customers — letting them know where to find help right now, without needing to build messaging from scratch
• Expanded resources for SNAP recipients and federal workers 
• Added timely new resources to our expanded Finding Food Assistance Guide

SpringFour’s robust and speedy response was featured in American Banker, Axios, and Fintech Weekly. 

With the shutdown underway, our client OppFi rolled out a campaign connecting their customers directly to SpringFour resources and garnered well deserved PR from their efforts: 

OppFi campaign results:

• 300,000 emails sent
• 44% open rate
• ~10,000 clicks
• 5,000+ searches for local resources — with employment and food assistance emerging as top concerns

With another potential lapse in funding ahead, those organizations that already partner with SpringFour are equipped to help consumers stay current and feel supported during financial strain.

2. Impact through our partners, in their own words

As inflation continued to strain household budgets, SpringFour clients met customers where pressure showed up most clearly: everyday bills.

Fifth Third Bank’s eBus brought support directly into underbanked communities across the Midwest, helping people access SpringFour resources for food, utilities, employment, housing, and more — on site, by ZIP code, in real time.

Credit Fresh also directed customers to SpringFour as part of its practical, plain-language guidance on lowering utility costs and fighting inflation.

Together, these moments reflected a shift: financial health support embedded not just in products, but in conversations and communities — exactly where people were feeling the impact of rising costs.

3. Expanding access through new partnerships

In 2025, SpringFour announced new partnerships with financial organizations, including:

MSU Federal Credit Union brought SpringFour to its 367,000 members, including students navigating tightening budgets and growing loan pressures. Our partnership was featured in Fintech is Femme for the scale of the rollout and the mission alignment between MSUFCU and SpringFour.

Enact Mortgage partnered with SpringFour to support borrowers insured through 1,800 lenders nationwide, giving delinquent borrowers access to vetted resources that help reduce expenses and stay in their homes.

4. SpringFour clients showcasing real-world impact

SpringFour’s impact showed up not just in moments of crisis, but in our partners’ communications and sustainability reporting.

Oportun highlighted SpringFour in its Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report as part of its mission-driven support services, with 

• 6,594 Oportun members served
• 51,530 referrals delivered
• Top needs: employment, food assistance, rental aid, healthcare, utilities

As part of its broader response to financial uncertainty during the federal shutdown, Golden 1 Credit Union directed members to SpringFour for personalized financial health resources — reinforcing that loans alone aren’t enough when income is disrupted.

Purchasing Power amplified SpringFour directly to its employees through social media, positioning its embedded SpringFour tool as a trusted destination for free financial tools and resources.

5. Keeping financial health resources accurate, relevant, and ready

When policies change or costs rise, outdated information can do more harm than good. This year, SpringFour continued to ensure the help people find is current, credible, and actionable — exactly when they need it.

Behind the scenes, our Resource Integrity team delivered:

12,000+ resources updated

• Added navigators to help consumers understand health insurance options
• Expanded transportation savings with toll-pass assistance
• Refreshed eligibility, contact, and availability details across categories

2,500+ new resources added

• Health insurance
• Transportation savings
• Financial counseling
• Local and national support programs

Timely updates aligned to real-world moments

• Updated health insurance resources ahead of open enrollment
• Refreshed income tax assistance ahead of Tax Day, including: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE), Taxpayer Assistance Centers, and Low Income Taxpayer Clinics

New Financial Health Resource Guides published:

• Down Payment Assistance
• Fair Housing
• Finding Affordable Legal Services
• Immigration Support
• Military Support
• Property Tax Issues

Every update ensured that when someone searched for help — whether for housing, healthcare, taxes, or legal support — the information they received reflected the reality they were facing right now.

6. Responded as needs shifted in real time

SpringFour’s data goes beyond measuring impact to reflect what households are experiencing as it happens.

When foreclosure filings rose 20% in October 2025, demand for housing-related resources surged on SpringFour’s platform — and those in need were directed to mortgage relief, rental assistance, and housing stability resources.

7. Supporting borrowers through the student loan crisis

As student loan payments restarted — along with wage garnishment and tax refund seizures — millions of borrowers faced a system they hadn’t navigated in years.

We updated our Financial Health Resource Guide on Student Loan Repayment to reflect the new rules and repayment options, helping partners deliver clear, scam-safe support amid widespread confusion. And while people faced resuming student loan payments, SpringFour helped them to save in other areas — strengthening their ability to do stay on top of their loans.

This effort was featured in The Hill, where SpringFour Founder & CEO Rochelle Gorey laid out the stakes:

8. Strengthening debt management through integration

SpringFour integrated with C&R Debt Manager, bringing financial health resources directly into the collections and debt recovery workflow.

This connection made it easier for teams to move beyond transactions and offer practical solutions — embedding support into moments when customers are most likely to need help, and when organizations are most focused on outcomes.

9. Unveiling the new S4Direct: More insight, more impact

SpringFour introduced the fully rebuilt S4direct — a major product release designed to deliver deeper insights, stronger results, and a better experience for organizations and their customers.

More than an update, this complete overhaul was guided by partner feedback and connects customers to 27,000+ cost-saving resources that reduce delinquencies and deliver ROI — while giving organizations real-time data to shape strategy.

S4Direct has garnered high engagement and conversion rates:

• 37% of visits result in a search
• 12% of visits result in customers opening resources

10. Giving back where it matters most

Beyond our platform, the SpringFour team continued investing in the communities and leaders shaping financial health. For example, this year, Rochelle: 

• Joined the Board of Directors at West Suburban Community Pantry
• Served as a semifinalist judge for VentureCat 2025 at Northwestern University, supporting emerging entrepreneurs through leadership and mentorship

Looking ahead

As financial pressure continues, SpringFour is focused on what comes next:

• Expanding resources in healthcare, food assistance, utilities, employment services, and mortgage relief
• Closely monitoring changes to federal programs and updating resources as policies shift
• Continuing updates to our Student Loan Repayment Guide as repayment plans evolve
• Supporting consumers navigating healthcare changes in 2026, including the loss of pandemic-era Medicaid coverage
• Making it possible for employers to provide their employees with access to SpringFour, expanding their real-time financial health benefits 
• Speaking up as an industry leader to ensure that financial health and collections strategies include ways to create tangible, reportable, and measurable results 

Financial health challenges aren’t slowing down, and neither is SpringFour. We’re focused on solutions that create win-wins: giving consumers a path forward while helping organizations boost repayments, decrease delinquencies, and capture real, measurable ROI.

From delivering financial health resources to our partners’ customers to predicting and tracking needs, there is so much that goes into our work with our partners. Best of all, we have the data to prove our ROI.

Now is the time to deliver SpringFour’s award-winning financial health solutions and make a real difference in real time. Get started today. Connect with us at impact@springfour.com.

Government shutdowns impact millions of federal workers, military families, and households that rely on federal programs. The Financial Health Network’s 2025 Financial Health Pulse data found that 25% of government workers (local, state, and federal) have less than a month of living expenses saved. Without paychecks and benefits, many will struggle to cover bills, rent, and food, in addition to loan repayments. 

The 2018-2019 government shutdown was the longest in U.S. history, lasting 35 days and costing the economy an estimated $11 billion, with $3 billion of that permanently lost. Delayed federal permits and reduced access to government loans prompted companies to postpone investment and hiring decisions. Government contractors did not receive back pay after the government reopened, and they are not guaranteed back pay after this shutdown, either. 

These examples demonstrate why a government shutdown creates uncertainty and impacts not only federal employees, but everyone — consumers and businesses alike.

The Impacts of Government Shutdowns

While the government is shut down, hundreds of thousands of federal employees and active-duty military are furloughed, required to work without pay, or will not receive paychecks until the government reopens. Roughly two-thirds of the total federal payroll is currently affected by the U.S. government shutdown. Approximately 47% of the directly impacted workforce are required to work without pay, while 53% are furloughed and not working at all; both groups are not being paid during the shutdown period. Small businesses and vendors serving federal workers will see reduced demand and profits. 

System slowdowns and agency closures may prevent timely support, especially for low-income families, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. If unemployment insurance is available to furloughed federal workers, it may need to be repaid after the shutdown ends. 

Missed paychecks can create immediate financial hardship, impacting the ability of federal workers, contractors, and many others to pay for essentials such as rent, groceries, and utilities, as well as loan repayments. During most previous shutdowns, consumer expenditures have remained flat or only slightly reduced — often around a 0.3% decrease during prolonged periods. However, the impacts of financial distress and its domino effect can linger, amplifying uncertainty and influencing financial decisions beyond the duration of the actual shutdown.

Supporting Customers During a Government Shutdown

Fortunately, there are still resources available for Americans relying on financial assistance — and banks, lenders, and financial organizations that connect their customers with such resources build customer trust and loyalty while also continuing to drive repayment rates.

With more than 25,000 vetted, local financial health resources that can make a difference for consumers, our solutions connect people in real time to trusted help. 

Our Resource Integrity Team is continuously reviewing the nonprofit and government resources available through SpringFour to ensure they’re up-to-date. We will continue providing the most relevant resources, even as circumstances change during and after the government shutdown. 

With the government shutdown, your customers will need your support and look to you for guidance. 

Organizations already using SpringFour are well-positioned to offer best-in-class resources that address their customers’ needs and should continue directing customers to SpringFour’s vetted, up-to-date resources for financial assistance. We urge you to update your messaging to continue reminding customers that SpringFour is available to assist during what may be a time of increased need for many of them.

If you’re not yet using SpringFour, our team is ready to help you deliver financial health resources that can make a difference for you and your customers.

These delinquencies aren’t just bad for consumers — they’re a serious pain point for financial institutions. 

Have you considered how your organization will manage this challenging landscape amid rising delinquencies? 

It’s possible to avoid the internal panic and executive-level pressure to act that comes with these noticeable spikes in delinquencies with SpringFour.

With SpringFour, organizations:

☑️  Build customer loyalty

☑️  Improve portfolio performance

☑️  Drive increased repayment rates

How SpringFour Helps Prevent Delinquency

Timely Help, Tangible Impact: Seasonal Campaigns That Deliver

For Life’s Toughest Moments: Help Customers Navigate Hardship with Actionable Financial Health Resources

From Advice to Outcome: Financial Health Resources That Go Beyond Education

Drive Real Change: Build Stronger Communities with Trusted Financial Health Resources

Help That Prevents Hardship: Keep Customers on Track with Proactive Financial Health Resources

Start driving impact for your customers, employees –– and your bottom line. Email us at impact@springfour.com.

With the recently passed Big Beautiful Bill and potential cuts to programs in the federal fiscal year budget 2026, millions of Americans are navigating massive changes to essential programs, including cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. As a result, many people don’t know where they’ll turn for the food and healthcare they need and may fall prey to misleading or fraudulent information.

Have you considered how you’re going to support your customers amid high costs and rising delinquencies? 

To meet this moment, SpringFour has expanded its resource offerings to ensure families can access support available from trusted organizations.

• Provide their customers a source of truth with reliable resources vetted by SpringFour’s expert team
• Help prevent malicious actors from taking advantage of people in their time of need
• Connect customers with ways to reduce household expenses, which can lead to a decrease in late payments and delinquencies

Make it easier for your customers to find support from vetted resources with SpringFour’s digital solution.

In Q2, SpringFour met this moment — and continues to do so — delivering real help to people in real time as well as driving measurable business outcomes for our partners. 

When I read the press release on J.D. Power’s latest Financial Health and Advice Satisfaction Study, one line stood out to me more than any other:

I couldn’t agree more.

At SpringFour, we’ve been building solutions around this exact idea for nearly two decades. And we’ve always known the real work is about impact.

Real financial health requires more than advice. It requires access. When someone’s struggling to pay bills, afford child care, or keep up with medical expenses, suggesting they stick to a budget or start saving for a long-term goal doesn’t help unless we’re also pointing them toward ways to actually do that. That’s where SpringFour comes in.

We connect people to trusted, nonprofit and government resources that help lower household expenses in areas like food, utilities, employment, and healthcare. It’s not theoretical — it’s immediate, actionable support, embedded into the banks and lenders they already trust. In 2024 alone, we delivered more than 8.5 million financial health referrals.

So when J.D. Power reports that 43% of U.S. retail bank customers are now considered financially vulnerable, it confirms what we already know: people are looking for more than tips; they’re looking for tools.

They want tangible, actionable support. And they’re not just open to receiving it from their banks — they expect it. And that is great news for us in this industry — because this is relatively easy to solve.

The study found that 26% of all bank customers — and 36% of those under 40 — are actively seeking financial guidance. Yet ,one in five customers who researched budget management tools never ended up using them.

Why not? Perhaps the tools weren’t useful or relevant. 

Awareness does not equal access and delivering educational resources is not sufficient. If banks truly want to help their customers improve their financial health, then they need to move beyond sharing advice like “budget and save.” They need to provide people with vetted, accessible ways to save by helping to reduce household expenses or access programs that can assist. Available technology solutions exist to do so and are built to easily scale.