PARAMUS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 4, 2026--
Longbridge Financial, a nationally recognized mortgage lender and servicer focused on helping older homeowners access their home equity, today announced that Chief Operating Officer Bill Packer has been named to HousingWire's 2026 Insiders, a national recognition honoring 85 operational leaders whose work drives innovation and measurable results across the housing industry.
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Now in its 11th year, HousingWire's Insiders award recognizes the professionals whose behind-the-scenes work fuels innovation, strengthens organizations and delivers business results. Honorees were selected by HousingWire's committee based on the significance of their contributions, their leadership in execution and the measurable impact they have made within their organizations and across the industry.
Packer earned the recognition for his role advancing Longbridge's operational and technology strategy over the past year. As COO, he has led the adoption of AI-powered tools and workflow innovations that improve efficiency, strengthen scalability and enhance the borrower experience, from AI empowered programs [LV1] [TC2] to automated pre-underwriting capabilities developed through technology partnerships. He has done so while maintaining the rigorous compliance standards required in a highly regulated lending environment.
"Bill sees where this industry is heading and he builds for it," said Chris Mayer, PhD, CEO of Longbridge Financial. "He has a rare gift for taking new technology and turning it into something that genuinely makes life easier for our borrowers, our wholesale customers, and our internal teams. This honor is well earned, and it reflects the kind of leader he is every single day."
"You do not always see the work Bill does, but you feel it in everything from how quickly we can serve a customer to how confidently our teams show up," said Melissa Macerato, Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer at Longbridge Financial. "He makes everyone around him better, and this recognition shines a light on someone who spends most of his time making sure everyone else shines first."
Beyond Longbridge, Packer is an active member of the Mortgage Bankers Association, including its newly formed Senior Mortgage Solutions Network, where he collaborates with industry leaders to advance senior home equity lending.
The 2026 Insiders class spans mortgage lending and servicing, real estate, technology and finance. The award celebrates professionals who solve complex challenges and lead critical initiatives behind the scenes, work that is essential both to their organizations and to the continued advancement of the housing industry.
About Longbridge Financial
Longbridge Financial, LLC (NMLS #957935), is a nationally recognized mortgage lender and servicer focused on helping older homeowners access their home equity through flexible, responsible lending solutions designed to support a more secure retirement. Founded in 2012 and led by a respected Ivy League professor, the company combines deep industry expertise with a strong commitment to education, innovation, and transparency. Guided by a mission to empower aging Americans, Longbridge Financial provides the tools and insights they need to help make confident financial decisions in or near retirement.
For more information about Longbridge Financial or interview requests, visit longbridge-financial.com/newsroom.
Bill Packer, Chief Operating Officer of Longbridge Financial, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Insider, a national recognition honoring operational leaders whose work drives innovation and measurable results across the housing industry.
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 4, 2026--
Giftster, the trusted home for meaningful family gifting, today released its inaugural Holiday Shopping Index, revealing that consumers are beginning the shopping season months before they make their first purchase. Based on millions of real wish list interactions rather than consumer surveys, the Index provides a first-of-its-kind look at how consumers actually prepare for the holiday season and how that behavior is reshaping the retail calendar.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260804405570/en/
Giftster’s Holiday Shopping Index points to a broader shift in consumer behavior. As shoppers become more intentional with their holiday budgets, they're planning earlier to make every purchase count. Instead of waiting until Black Friday to decide what to buy, consumers are building wish lists, comparing options and narrowing their choices weeks in advance, then waiting for the right time and price to purchase.
The data shows that this planning unfolds in three distinct stages. Consumers organize gift ideas in October, refine gift selections throughout November and make the majority of purchases in December. Together these behaviors suggest that holiday shopping has evolved from a season centered on purchases to a months-long planning journey.
"Retailers have spent decades measuring when consumers buy," said Ron Reimann, founder and CEO of Giftster. "We're seeing something different. The most important buying decisions happen months before the gift is given, while families are building wish lists, comparing ideas and sharing them with one another. Purchasing is simply the final step."
The Three Stages of Today's Shopping Season
Stage One: Consumers Organize Earlier
Giftster's analysis shows planning activity accelerates well before peak purchasing begins, challenging the traditional belief that the shopping season starts with Black Friday. Compared with September 2025, October activity increased dramatically across the platform:
Rather than marking the beginning of holiday shopping, October has become the month consumers organize ideas, build wish lists and begin coordinating gift giving with family and friends.
Stage Two: Consumers Refine Gift Decisions
Giftster's data shows that by the time Black Friday arrives, many consumers have already spent weeks building wish lists, comparing products and narrowing gift selections. In November 2025:
Rather than marking the beginning of holiday shopping, Black Friday increasingly represents the point when weeks of planning turn into purchases. November activity shows consumers actively refining wish lists, sharing gift ideas with family and making the final decisions that shape their holiday purchases.
Stage Three: Consumers Purchase
While planning and gift decisions occur throughout October and November, December remains the peak purchasing month. Giftster recorded more than 1.7 million purchases from wish lists during December, approximately 39% more than November and more than eleven times October purchase activity.
The findings reinforce a broader shift in consumer behavior: by the time December arrives, many shoppers have already decided what to buy. The final weeks of the shopping season are increasingly focused on completing purchases rather than influencing gift decisions. Based on these trends, Giftster expects the gap between planning and purchasing to continue widening as consumers begin organizing gift ideas earlier and retailers adapt to a longer shopping season.
Earlier Planning Is Reshaping the Shopping Season
The findings suggest the greatest opportunity to influence purchasing decisions now occurs before Black Friday, while consumers are researching products, building wish lists and sharing gift ideas with family and friends. Rather than focusing primarily on promotional periods, retailers and brands have an opportunity to engage consumers earlier, when gift decisions are still taking shape.
As consumers increasingly separate planning from purchasing, the brands that succeed will be those that help shoppers discover products, organize gift ideas and make confident decisions well before they are ready to buy. Building awareness and consideration earlier in the season may become just as important as competing during peak promotional periods.
The Giftster Holiday Shopping Index will be released quarterly to provide retailers, brands and families with ongoing insights into how consumer gifting behaviors continue to evolve. Learn more about the Giftster Holiday Shopping Index at Giftster.com.
About Giftster
Giftster is the trusted home for meaningful family gifting, empowering families to gift with less guesswork, less waste, and more joy. As the first digital family wish list, Giftster has been trusted by more than three million members for more than two decades to organize wish lists, coordinate gift-giving, and celebrate magical moments together. From birthdays and holidays to weddings, baby showers, and Secret Santa exchanges, Giftster makes it easy to create and share wish lists, reserve gifts, prevent duplicates, and give meaningful gifts across every retailer. Learn more at www.giftster.com.
Giftster analyzed millions of real wish list interactions to launch its inaugural Holiday Shopping Index.
