Thursday September 12 2019, Weekly News Digest

News Comments Today’s main news: KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to SoFi Consumer Loan Program 2019-4 Trust. Stripe debuts corporate credit cards. College Ave completes $300M securitization of private student loans. Yirendai issues earnings results. Today’s main analysis: Deregulating Fannie and Freddie (A MUST-READ REPORT FROM THE U.S. TREASURY). Today’s thought-provoking articles: Average FICO scores hit […]

The post Thursday September 12 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

News Comments

Today’s main news: KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to SoFi Consumer Loan Program 2019-4 Trust. Stripe debuts corporate credit cards. College Ave completes $300M securitization of private student loans. Yirendai issues earnings results.
Today’s main analysis: Deregulating Fannie and Freddie (A MUST-READ REPORT FROM THE U.S. TREASURY).
Today’s thought-provoking articles: Average FICO scores hit all-time high. Why crowdfunding may not be so democratizing after all. Technology is the new battleground for banks (A MUST-READ). The current state of the small business lending sector.

United States

KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to SoFi Consumer Loan Program 2019-4 Trust. As expected, excellent ratings. This is SoFi’s 20th rated securitization.
Stripe debuts corporate credit cards. First, Stripe Capital. Now, credit cards. Stripe is making huge inroads into SME lending.
College Ave completes $300 million securitization of private student loans. Congratulations! This is College Ave’s third and largest securitization.
Deregulating Fannie and Freddie. The treasury department has issued a report on reforming the housing sector. This is an important report, which includes a section defining the “limited role for the federal government.” It discusses single-family mortgage lending, multifamily mortgage lending, protecting taxpayers against bailouts, and promoting competition in the housing finance system. This could be one of President Trump’s most significant achievements, with implications for online lenders. A must-read.
Average FICO score hits all-time high. This likely means a diminished market share for alt lenders who target subprime markets, but for alternative lenders who use FICO scores it can be good news.
The current state of the small businss lending sector. From Lend Academy.
OnDeck CEO to keynote at Lend360 this year.
Judgment for $6,593.50 entered for OnDeck v. Beautyshea.
Consumer debt surges.
Kabbage launches new small business revenue index.
Patriot Financial leads $15 million for Numerated.
TBF Financial buys $60 million in commercial debt from online lender.
50 most expensive towns in America.
Coinbase invests in decentralized finance.
30-somethings guide to passive income.
PeerStreet wins CRETech award.
Zillow hires new coo.
Balboa Capital hires 125 employees.

United Kingdom

China

International

Other

News Summary

United States

KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to SoFi Consumer Loan Program 2019-4 Trust (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: AAA

Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) assigns preliminary ratings to four classes of notes issued by SoFi Consumer Loan Program 2019-4 Trust (“SCLP 2019-4”). This is a $465 million consumer loan ABS transaction.

Preliminary Ratings Assigned: SoFi Consumer Loan Program 2019-4

Class	Preliminary Rating	Class Principal
A	AAA (sf)	$360,000,000
B	AA+ (sf)	$29,500,000
C	A+ (sf)	$47,500,000
D	BBB+ (sf)	$28,000,000

OnDeck CEO Noah Breslow to Deliver Keynote Address at 2019 LEND360 Conference (GuruFocus), Rated: A

OnDeck today announced that Chairman and CEO Noah Breslow will be a keynote speaker at the LEND360 Conference in Dallas, Texas on Thursday, September 26, 2019. Mr. Breslow will discuss industry trends in alternative data and how they are improving many aspects of online lending to small businesses.

Case activity for On Deck Capital, Inc. vs Beautyshea, LLC on Sept. 9 (Pennsylvania Record), Rated: B

‘Judgment Entered For $6,593.50 On 09-09-2019 236 Notice Of Judgment Sent 09-09-2019’

Payments giant Stripe debuts a credit card in its latest step into the financing fray (TechCrunch), Rated: AAA

Last week, when the popular payments startup Stripe made some waves with its first move into money lending through the launch of Stripe Capital, we reported that the company was also soon going to be launching a credit card. Now, that news is official. Today, the company is doubling down on financing with the launch of corporate cards for business customers.

College Ave Student Loans Completes $ 300 Million Securitization of Private Student Loans (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: AAA

Student loan marketplace, College Ave Student Loans, announced on Tuesday it has completed a $300 million securitization of private student loans, its third securitization and largest to date. According to College Ave, the transaction was oversubscribed attracting a broad and diverse group of repeat investors and new participants. Barclays and Goldman Sachs were joint lead underwriters on the transaction with Barclays serving as structuring agent and sole bookrunner.

The Deregulation of Fannie and Freddie; Rate Cuts; “Full Stack” Banks (PeerIQ), Rated: AAA

This week, the Trump administration released their long awaited housing finance plan that will privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The plan would require a significant recapitalization – up to $180 Bn.

Read the full report here.

Source: Federal Reserve, PeerIQ

Average FICO score hits all-time high (CNBC), Rated: AAA

For the first time, the average national credit score has reached 706, according to FICO, the developer of one of the most commonly used scores by lenders.

Source: CNBC

U.S. Consumer Debt Surges on Jump in Credit-Card Balances (Bloomberg), Rated: A

U.S. consumer borrowing swelled in July by the most since late 2017 as Americans carried larger credit-card balances to fund both everyday and online purchases.

Total credit rose by $23.3 billion from the prior month, exceeding all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists, Federal Reserve figures showed Monday. Revolving debt outstanding increased by $10 billion, also the most since November 2017, while the growth of non-revolving credit was little changed from a month earlier.

Kabbage Launches New Small Business Revenue Index (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

Global financial service platform Kabbage announced this week the launch of its new Small Business Revenue Index. According to Kabbage, the index has two million live data connections the platform maintains across its customer base of more than 200,000 small businesses.

The Current State of the Small Business Lending Sector (Lend Academy), Rated: AAA

The companies that I view as pioneers in this space are Kabbage and OnDeck.

Although Kabbage and OnDeck were early to small business lending there are many other names in this space with varying models and scale including Funding Circle, Streetshares, Fundbox, BlueVine, Biz2Credit, Fundation and Credibly to name a few. LendingClub also has a small business lending operation but they primarily work with partners Funding Circle and Opportunity Fund today to originate these loans.

The Challengers of Small Business Lending

Probably the most recognizable name is PayPal and the Working Capital product which, according to deBanked, has surpassed OnDeck in small business lending volume.

Patriot Financial leads $ 15 million round for Numerated (American Banker), Rated: A

Numerated, the loan technology company that incubated inside Eastern Bank and spun off on its own in May 2017, has raised $15 million from bank investment fund Patriot Financial Partners. Existing investors Venrock, Fintop Capital and Hyperplane also joined the round.

TBF Financial Buys $ 60 Million in Commercial Debt from Major Online Lender (PR Newswire), Rated: A

TBF Financial purchased nearly $60 million in non-performing loans from a major online small business lender in recent transactions, CEO Brett Boehm announced today.

TBF bought the pools of post-charge-off loans as the highest bidder in transactions arranged through multiple brokers. In most cases, the company purchases directly from alternative lenders, equipment leasing companies and banks.

LendingTree Ranks the 50 Most Expensive Towns in America (NewKerala), Rated: A

No. 1 Vineyard Haven, Mass.

Total population 17,321
Median individual income $39,045
Median home value $674,600
Affordable housing costs for a median income earner $911
Calculated mortgage payment for a median priced home $2,767
Median rent payment $1,441
Home affordability deficit -$1,856
Rent affordability deficit -$530

Coinbase Joins DeFi Trend With 2M USDC Investment (Cryptovest), Rated: A

The DeFi trend is accelerating and gaining acceptance, with Coinbase joining the fray. The leading brokerage has created the Coinbase Bootstrap Fund, to boost DeFi projects. Coinbase will invest in two projects, the Compound crypto lending scheme, and the dy/dx crypto derivative exchange.

The 30-somethings guide to creating passive income (Ladders), Rated: A

You might not have $30,000 saved up to buy a rental property right now, but do you have $500? The beauty of REITs like DiversyFund is you can start investing for the amount of money you might drop on a new pair of shoes.

There are public and private REITS as well as funds classified as real estate crowdfunding. Compare your options and find the best one that works for you.

PeerStreet Named CRETech 2019 Real Estate Tech Award Winner (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: B

Real estate investment platform PeerStreet announced on Tuesday it won first place in CRETech’s 2019 Real Estate Tech Awards (RETAs for the Information & Intelligence – Crowdfunding category.

Zillow chooses Impac Mortgage COO Rian Furey to lead mortgage expansion (Housingwire), Rated: B

Zillow announced Monday that it is naming Rian Furey president of Zillow Home Loans.

Balboa Capital Continues Accelerated Growth, Adds 125 New Employees in First Half of 2019 (Yahoo! Finance), Raated: A

Balboa Capital, an online lender that specializes in equipment financing and small business loans, hired 125 new employees during the first six months of 2019 to accommodate the company’s rapid increase in new business and acquisition of several new strategic partners.

United Kingdom

Why crowdfunding may not be the great democratising force in investment after all (The Conversation), Rated: AAA

The digital revolution has had a huge impact on the way new and small companies are financed – and crowdfunding has been at the forefront.

Initially, crowdfunding brought great optimism that it would have a “democratising effect” on finance. On the one hand it would enable entrepreneurs excluded from traditional sources of finance to attract funding. And, on the other, it would provide new opportunities for people with even relatively modest amounts of money to invest. For example, private investors looking for higher returns than those available with high street banks have been attracted to various lending platforms – also known as peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms.

Sonovate raises £110m to drive invoice finance (Fintech Futures), Rated: A

Finance tech provider Sonovate is looking to expand internationally and deploy more working capital to SMEs and mid-market businesses after raising £110 million, reports Jane Connolly.

Spotcap find 77% of SME brokers are upbeat about Brexit (AltFi), Rated: A

Over three-quarters of commercial finance intermediaries in the UK expect the number of loans they broker to increase after Brexit, with more than half saying the number will rise “by a lot”.

In July Berlin-based online lender Spotcap asked 132 UK brokers, accountants and advisers about the future of SME finance in the UK, the results of which it published today as part of a report entitled The State of Commercial Finance in the UK.

FCA urges firms to prepare for no-deal Brexit and launches helpline (P2P Finance News), Rated: A

FIRMS should prepare for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit, says the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as it launches a dedicated helpline for businesses.

The City watchdog, which oversees the peer-to-peer lending market as well as the rest of the financial servcies sector, says firms who have not prepared appropriately for the UK leaving the EU without a deal may see an impact on their business.

Foreign firms eyeing P2P market entry (P2P Finance News), Rated: A

REGULATORY consultancy Bovill has reported a steady stream of interest from new entrants to the peer-to-peer lending market, particularly from overseas firms.

Brown attributed the slowdown to the fact that P2P is a more mature market, meaning there was “less of a gold rush” for new players.

H&M extends Klarna ‘buy now, pay later’ service to the UK (Fashion United), Rated: B

Swedish fast-fashion giant H&M has extended its partnership with payment provider Klarna to the UK market, offering Brit shoppers the option to ‘buy now, pay later’.

New SME services added to Starling Bank’s marketplace (AltFi), Rated: B

Digital Risks is an insurance provider for small and medium-sized digital businesses, including cover for specific threats like commercial legal protection, cyber security, management liability, employers liability, public liability and professional indemnity.

While CyberSmart is a platform for SMEs to identify digital weaknesses and achieve their Cyber Essentials Certification, the government-backed accreditation for companies looking to protect against cyber threats.

China

Yirendai (NYSE:YRD) Issues Earnings Results (Mayfield Recorder), Rated: AAA

Yirendai posted its earnings results on Tuesday, September 3rd. The technology company reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.48 by ($0.24), Morningstar.com reports. Yirendai had a return on equity of 32.93% and a net margin of 15.30%. The firm had revenue of $322.89 million for the quarter.

LexinFintech Secures $ 300 Million Private Placement of Convertible Notes with PAG (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

Chinese consumer financing platform LexinFintech announced on Wednesday it has entered into a convertible note purchase agreement with PAG issue and sell convertible notes in an aggregate principal amount of $300 million through a private placement.

IceKredit Raises $ 47M in Pre-Series C Funding (FINSMES), Rated: A

IceKredit, Inc., a Los Angeles, CA and China-based credit risk and credit management company, raised $47m in pre-Series C funding.

These Chinese Online Lenders Are Not For the Weak at Heart (GuruFocus), Rated: A

Beijing-based online lender Yirendai (NYSE:YRD) and Shanghai-based Paipaidai, or PPDAI Group (NYSE:PPDF), shares have been pummeled down to their lowest levels in the past year. Yet aside from receiving credit lines from large Chinese institutions amid China’s crackdown on fraud lending in their industry, both lenders appear to remain in a healthy state.

PPDAI — the older and bigger of the two lenders — came out strong in its recent quarter, beating earnings expectations. The $1.2 billion online lender reported it had 29% year-over-year growth in loan origination volume to $3 billion, compared to just 1.6% growth a year earlier.

Hexindai Announces Support For Regulators’ Decision to Include P2P Platforms in Central Bank’s Credit System (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: B

Chinese peer-to-peer lending platform Hexindai (NASDAQ: HX) announced on Tuesday its support for the decision by industry regulators to include the country’s P2P platforms in the central bank’s credit system. The online lender reported that it believes this as a positive move for the P2P industry.

Sequoia-Backed P2P Lender Huobank Collapses As Beijing Mops Up Online Finance Risks (China Money Network), Rated: A

European Union

Banks raise concerns ahead of ECB meeting (Irish Examiner), Rated: A

The president of Germany’s powerful savings banks association, community lenders that dominate the country’s shopping streets, joined Dutch bank ING yesterday in criticising the ECB’s loose monetary policy.

Its 50 million customers have increased their savings by almost 5% since last year to €965bn which is roughly the size of the Dutch economy. With lending amounting to about €860bn, the banks are left with a chunky unused surplus.

Fintech Europe Selects Eight Startups for its Fourth Batch (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: B

Fintech Europe, Plug and Play’s fintech-focused innovation platform based out of Frankfurt, Germany, announced today the eight startups selected for its fourth batch. The platform has grown its partner base to 11 Financial Institutions since its inception in May 2018. Together with Deutsche Bank, TechQuartier, BNP Paribas, Nets Group, UniCredit, Aareal Bank, Abanca, Danske Bank, DZ Bank, Elo, and Finablr, it runs two 12-week innovation programs a year.

CashDirector

CashDirector SA is a technology company providing SMEs and banks with a Digital CFO integrated with on-line banking, helping with SMEs manage cash flow and accessing financing.

Credit Kudos

Credit Kudos is a credit bureau that uses financial behaviour to measure creditworthiness.

International

Technology Is Banks’ New Battleground (WSJ), Rated: AAA

European banks are spending vast sums on technology—but it may not be enough to defend against the incursions of bigger, richer American rivals.

U.S. lenders already dominate investment banking in Europe. The big risk for the continent’s banks is that slicker tech could give their American rivals a platform to make gains in lending to companies—the Europeans’ traditional stronghold.

This year, Europe’s banks plan to make technology investments worth in aggregate $77 billion, according to consulting firm Celent. That compares with $105 billion for their U.S. rivals. Faster, more seamless trading systems have long been a priority, but tech spending has shifted across business lines and from back office to front office. It can cover everything from maintaining decades-old systems to cutting-edge artificial intelligence.

Source: Celent

Wirecard Teams Up With Credibly to Digitalize Funding Disbursements (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

Germany-based global provider of digital payments and commerce solutions Wirecard announced on Wednesday it is partnering with U.S. business funding fintech Credibly to digitalize funding disbursement. Wirecard claims to be one of the largest issuers of payout cards in the U.S. and is now offering fully digitalize solutions.

PwC to AM industry: disrupt yourself or face extinction (City Wire Selector), Rated: A

The European financial services industry is facing an ‘Amazonisation’ moment, in which those offering consumer-first solutions underpinned by sustainable finance will survive and the others will cease to compete.

That is the headline finding of 52-page report co-authored by PwC Luxembourg and Luxembourg for Finance, which investigated underlying industry trends and indicated that the European market is losing ground on its US and Asian peers when it comes to innovation and assets.

State of the Chain: Five Winning Use Cases for Blockchain in 2019 (U.today), Rated: A

Predictably it was Binance that stole the limelight, with the surprise launch of its eponymous lending platform, which was unveiled on Monday, August 26, and then proceeded to fill its initial lending quota of 200,000 BNB and 10 million USDT in a matter of seconds two days later.

Dharma and Compound have announced new products, while Coinbase has hinted that this will be the next vertical it expands into.

Lenders can enjoy annualized interest of up to 15%, which is significantly better than the negative rates they are currently offered on fiat savings and on negatively yielding government bonds.

Australia

Hopes fintech inquiry will ‘validate’ bank competitors (The Sydney Morning Herald), Rated: A

On Wednesday New South Wales senator Andrew Bragg successfully moved to secure a senate committee inquiry into the fintech and regulatory technology spaces, paving the way for a year-long review into how competitive Australia is in these sectors.

Chief executive of small business lender Lumi, Yanir Yakutiel, said the inquiry should focus on expanding the regulatory sandbox program, which is designed to help early stage fintechs test their ideas.

India

Five Ways Artificial Intelligence Is Instigating Paradigm Shift In Online Lending Space (Via.news), Rated: AAA

Currently, digital lending accounts for around 15% to 20% of the total lending market and could surpass 50% in coming years.

Asia

Chinese P2P Lending Companies Ventures to Vietnam (LearnBonds), Rated: AAA

This business model boomed in China, but following a regulatory clampdown by authorities on risky financial practices, the number of fintech and peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms in the country dropped from about 1,900 a year ago to just 900 in May.

It now appears that some of these Chinese P2P lending companies have not necessarily disappeared. They simple ventured into new markets and in particular Vietnam.

According to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), there were 40 peer-to-peer lending companies operating in Vietnam as of March. Of these, 10 companies are from China.

MENA

The opportunity of peer-to-peer lending in Lebanon (Executive Magazine), Rated: AAA

Through conversations with Lebanese entrepreneurs, business owners, bankers, and politicians, I have had a number of eye-opening discussions into the challenges and opportunities faced by Lebanon’s SME ecosystem. Given the country’s long-standing tradition in financial services and its large banking sector, I believe fintech—with solutions such as peer-to-peer lending, machine learning to personalize insurance solutions, and the use of artificial intelligence for wealth management—stands as a serious contender to unlock the funding challenges faced by Lebanon’s SMEs.

Latin America

SoftBank in talks to invest in Latam venture capital funds (Reuters), Rated: AAA

Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) is in talks with venture capital firms in Latin America to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in their funds, a move likely to speed up spending of a $5 billion regional venture capital fund, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.

So far, SoftBank has only announced direct investments using the fund’s resources, injecting capital into Colombian delivery app Rappi, Brazilian lender Creditas, gym membership app Gympass and Mexican payments firm Clip, for instance.

Proptech Flat raises US$ 4.5 million pre-seed round led by ALLVP (Contxto), Rated: A

Contxto – Not only is the Mexican real estate industry huge but also outdated with many inefficient processes. Counteracting this, a new Mexican startup, Flat, recently raised US$4.5 million in one of Mexico’s largest pre-seed rounds ever.

Africa

Nigerian online-only bank startup Kuda raises $ 1.6M (TechCrunch), Rated: AAA

Nigerian fintech startup Kuda — a digital-only retail bank — has raised $1.6 million in pre-seed funding.

Canada

Peer to Peer Lender Lending Loop Tops $ 50 Million in Loans (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: AAA

Canada’s first peer to peer lending platform for SMEs, Lending Loop, has topped CDN $50 million in loans, according to a post by Brendon Vlaar, co-founder and CTO of the company. Lending Loop provides investment opportunities in debt-based securities to both accredited and non-accredited investors.

PayBright Raises $ 34M in Growth Equity Financing (FINSMES), Rated: A

PayBright, a Toronto, Canada-based fintech company, received a $34m equity investment from goeasy.

Authors:

George Popescu

Allen Taylor

The post Thursday September 12 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

Thursday August 29 2019, Weekly News Digest

News Comments Today’s main news: Funding Circle closes $198M ABS for U.S. SMBs. KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to Consumer Loan Underlying Bond Credit Trust 2019-P2. SoFi to create 300 jobs in Jacksonville, Florida. LendInvest postpones IPO until at least 2020. Binance offers crypto lending. Today’s main analysis: The nonbank and alternative lending industry in 2019. […]

The post Thursday August 29 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

News Comments

Today’s main news: Funding Circle closes $198M ABS for U.S. SMBs. KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to Consumer Loan Underlying Bond Credit Trust 2019-P2. SoFi to create 300 jobs in Jacksonville, Florida. LendInvest postpones IPO until at least 2020. Binance offers crypto lending.
Today’s main analysis: The nonbank and alternative lending industry in 2019.
Today’s thought-provoking articles: Cities with the most swimming pools. Prospa full year results. IOU Financial financial results through June 30, 2019. Why and how P2P lending became marketplace lending. 2019 Finder awards.

United States

Funding Circle closes $198 million ABS to support U.S. SMBs. This is significant in more than one way. One of the best ways is that it signifies the continued encroachment of European alternative finance firms into the U.S. market. Funding Circle is a major player.
KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to CLUB Credit Trust 2019-P2. Issued by Lending Club.
SoFi to create 300 jobs in Jacksonville, Florida. The company is seeking $1.5 million in state and city incentives.
Cities with the most swimming pools. LendingTree continues to publish the most interesting reports. This one isn’t trivial. A swimming pool can add significant value to a property. For real estate investors, this is a must-read.
Nonbank and alternative lending in 2019. Business Insider has several interesting reads today. This one leads the pack.
Court activity on SoFi v. Cindy Luu.
Brex partners with BigCommerce on merchant financing.
N26’s plan to win Americans over.
Digital banking and branches is not an either/or proposition.
Fifth Third is banking on alternative power.
A BlueVine report suggests half of SMBs are not prepared for recession.
How students avoid college loans.
Fund That Flip raises $11 million.
New tools for mortgage lenders.
Pagaya closes $115 million consumer credit ABS.
Blooma launches AI loan origination platform with $2.75 million seed funding.
Cred hires former PayPal exec as CFO.
iCapital Network expands executive team.
Klarna sponsors fashion week event.
White Oak Commercial Finance originates revolving credit facility for The Good Kitchen.
California lenders moving away from small-dollar loans.

United Kingdom

LendInvest to postpone IPO at least until 2020. They’re seeking private money instead.
Mobile banking apps surge ahead of investment, insurance apps.
Klarna launches VAR campaign created by 72andSunny.
Celsius Network sees 20x increase in deposits.
P2P growth is cannibalizing High Street bank market share.
Revolut hires from traditional banking for executive team.

European Union

International

Binance offers crypto lending. Crypto lending is already growing and expanding in popularity. This could catapult it into becoming a larger part of the alternative lending industry. Why? Because Binance is the largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume.
Alt finance is booming.
Real estate crowdfunding trends.
How and why the cryptocurrency market center moved to Asia.

Other

Australia: Prospa’s full year results. Prospa is looking good all around.
Canada: IOU Financial’s results through June 30, 2019. A positive sign for Canada’s alt finance market.
Australia: Finder awards. Congratulations to Harmoney, Tic:Toc, and other alt finance winners.
Africa: Why and how P2P lending had to become marketplace lending.
India: Future trends in the startup ecosystem.
India: Xiaomi moves into India’s consumer lending market.
India: RentoMojo gets injection from Renaud Laplanche.

News Summary

United States

Funding Circle Closes $ 198 Million Securitization to Support US Small Businesses (Valdosta Daily Times), Rated: AAA

Funding Circle today closed its first asset-backed securitization (ABS) of US small business loans originated through its platform. The $198 million deal marks the debut of Funding Circle’s US securitization sponsorship capability, and is the fifth securitization of Funding Circle business loans globally.

KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Consumer Loan Underlying Bond (CLUB) Credit Trust 2019-P2 (Benzinga), Rated: AAA

Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) assigns preliminary ratings to three classes of notes issued by Consumer Loan Underlying Bond (CLUB) Credit Trust 2019-P2 (“CLUB 2019-P2”). This is a $287.80 million consumer loan ABS transaction.

Preliminary Ratings Assigned: Consumer Loan Underlying Bond (CLUB) Credit Trust 2019-P2
Class	Preliminary Rating	Initial Class Principal
A	A+ (sf)	$200,700,000
B	A- (sf)	$37,900,000
C	BB (sf)	$49,200,000

DeSantis says SoFi, SS&C Technologies will create 498 jobs in Jacksonville (Jax Daily Record), Rated: AAA

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that two international information technology companies will create a combined 498 jobs in Jacksonville, disclosing the names of Project Quail and Project Liberty.

SoFi, a California-based online personal finance company, has been seeking $1.5 million in state and city incentives through the Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund program as code-named Project Quail to establish its southeastern operations center and create 300 jobs in Jacksonville.

Court activity on Aug. 27: Sofi Lending Corp. vs Cindy Luu (SE Texas Record), Rated: B

The Harris County Civil Court reported the following activity in the suit brought by Sofi Lending Corp. against Cindy Luu on Aug. 27: ‘Original Petition Citation Issued’.

Swimming Pools Are a Highly Prized Amenity Amid the Summer Heat (LendingTree), Rated: AAA

A new LendingTree study ranks the 50 largest cities by its share of homes with a swimming pool. We found that about 10% of homes have pools, ranging from nearly 33% in Phoenix to 1% in Portland, Ore. We also looked at the values of homes with and without swimming pools to show how much this amenity is worth. Let’s dive in.

Key findings

You’ve gotta pay to play: The median home with a pool is valued at $469,187, while the median home without a pool is valued at $305,152 — a 54% premium. The highest premium is in Memphis at a whopping 157%.
Go West: It’s no surprise that six of the top 10 cities for swimming pools are in the West — four in California and one each in Arizona and Nevada.
Hot, hot, hot: Phoenix, which experiences more than 100 days above 100 degrees a year, leads the way with 32.7% of homes having a swimming pool.
Sunshine State: Florida is not far behind California with three cities in the top 10. Miami, Tampa and Orlando rank second, third and fourth, respectively.
Rain and water don’t mix: Two of the cities with the least swimming pools are in the rainy Northwest. Portland is in last place with just 1% of homes with pools, while Seattle is not far ahead with 1.3%.

Source: LendingTree

Brex Teams With BigCommerce To Offer Merchant Financing (PYMNTS), Rated: A

Corporate eCommerce card company Brex has announced a partnership with leading SaaS eCommerce platform BigCommerce, according to a release.

Brex’s open credit line, three-month payment terms and interest-free financing are now available to all BigCommerce merchants through the BigCommerce App Store.

German challenger bank N26’s plan to win over Americans (American Banker), Rated: A

N26’s new SoHo office has all the design elements of a tech startup — high ceilings, distressed wood, big windows, a pingpong table, beanbag chairs, community meeting areas.

Digital Banking And Branches Not An Either/Or Proposition (PYMNTS), Rated: A

GOBankingRates found that 25 percent of consumer prefer banking with a mobile app, though nearly half preferred banking in person at a branch or ATM. Yet 76 percent said they wouldn’t open an account with a bank that doesn’t have a mobile app.

According to Fiserv, the preference for digital interactions (online plus mobile) is 58 percent, considerably ahead of the preference for branch interactions (32 percent).

When breaking out online, though, there is a preference for online (37 percent) compared to mobile (17 percent).

Why Fifth Third is raising its bet on alternative power (American Banker), Rated: A

Fifth Third Bancorp is building out its renewable energy banking business, highlighting how the alternative power niche isn’t just for the biggest banks.

The $169 billion-asset Fifth Third recently added three new managing directors to its renewable energy investment banking group. With the additions of Timothy Beach, Ari Citrin and Oliver Janssen, the bank intends to offer more specialized capital markets and M&A advisory services to renewable energy firms, most of which are in solar.

How to Get Your Small Business Ready for a Recession (Successful Meetings), Rated: A

How students are trying to avoid college loans (Marketplace.org), Rated: AAA

Student debt can seem inevitable. Today, more than 44 million Americans owe nearly $1.5 trillion in student loans. This debt has been blamed for many things: Americans’ lack of retirement savings, declining rates of home ownership, even the death of marriage.

A look at the nonbank and alternative lending industry in 2019 (Business Insider), Rated: AAA

According to Oracle’s Digital Demand in Retail Banking study of 5,200 consumers from 13 countries, over 40% of customers surveyed think nonbanks can better assist them with personal money management and investment needs, and 30% of respondents who haven’t tried a nonbank platform said they’re open to trying one.

Business Insider Intelligence’s Online Mortgage Lending Report found that the top five US banks – Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase, US Bancorp, and Citigroup – only accounted for 21% of total mortgage originations, which is a huge decline from their 50% combined market share in 2011.

Source: Business Insider

According to a survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, in 2016 only 58% of loan requests from small businesses were approved by incumbent banks, compared to 71% approved by alt lenders that same year.

Fund That Flip Raises Another $ 11M to be the Funding Solution for Real Estate Speculators (Alley Watch), Rated: A

AlleyWatch caught up with Matt Rodak to learn more about the company’s success, future growth plans, and recent round of funding, which brings its total funding to $13M across four rounds.

New Tools Help Mortgage Lenders Build Stronger Relationships with Borrowers’ Real Estate Agents (SimpleNexus), Rated: A

SimpleNexus makes it easy for loan originators to create co-branded mobile apps for Realtor partners to share with borrowers. The shared platform enhances the borrower experience by keeping partners up-to-speed on loan progress and putting mortgage calculators and other handy tools at partners’ fingertips.

Pagaya Expands PAID Shelf with Prosper: Closing $ 115 Million Consumer Credit ABS (BusinessWire), Rated: A

Pagaya, a global financial technology company using artificial intelligence (AI) to reshape asset management, today announced the closing of a consumer credit asset-backed security (ABS) at $115 million. Led by structuring agent Cantor Fitzgerald, the ABS will be actively managed by Pagaya’s AI.

Pagaya has been working closely with Prosper to develop innovative financing solutions for consumers, which will be featured in this securitization.

Tech startup Blooma launches out stealth with $ 2.75 million seed funding for its loan origination AI platform (Tech Startups), Rated: A

Blooma, a tech startup that reduces time to revenue for commercial lenders, launches out of stealth with $2.75 million seed funding to transform the lending experience for commercial and private lenders and other organizations. The financing was led by Floodgate, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based investor. Other backers include: Abstract Ventures, Crescent Ridge Partners and Serra Ventures.

Former PayPal executive joins crypto lending startup Cred as CFO (The Block Crypto), Rated: B

Cryptocurrency lending and borrowing startup Cred has hired former PayPal executive as its chief financial officer (CFO), according to an announcement Monday.

iCapital Network expands exec team with four New hires (PE Hub), Rated: B

“STYLE360” Celebrates 15 Years At New York Fashion Week With New Title Sponsor Klarna (PRWeb), Rated: B

Fashion event agency, A-List Communications announces their lineup and new title sponsor Klarna for their 15th year of STYLE360, which will take place during the latter portion of Spring/Summer 2020 New York Fashion Week from September 9 – 11, 2019.

White Oak Commercial Finance Originates a Revolving Credit Facility to The Good Kitchen (Financial Content), Rated: B

White Oak Commercial Finance (“White Oak”), an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors, announced today the origination of a new revolving credit facility to healthy meal service company The Good Kitchen. Originally founded as a meal delivery service, The Good Kitchen will use the proceeds of the credit facility to expand its business into packaged meals sold at 1,500 stores across the United States.

Lenders Moving Away From Small-Dollar Loans to High-Interest Installment Loans (Lexology), Rated: B

California non-bank consumer lenders are moving away from small-dollar short term payday loans and are, instead, embracing longer-term installment…

United Kingdom

LendInvest reportedly shelves IPO plans for now (AltFi), Rated: AAA

Nearly a year after announcing a $39.5m “pre-IPO” funding round, LendInvest has delayed plans to IPO this year in favour of another private cash injection, according to a report by Financial News.

Mobile banking apps in the UK are surging ahead of investment and insurance apps (Business Insider), Rated: A

Over three-quarters of consumers in the UK use a finance app, according to a new study from Speedie Consultants that surveyed 200 people in the country. Twenty-four percent of those surveyed use their finance apps around twice a week, and 23% said they use it daily. The most common finance app users were aged 25-45, in addition to consumers over 65.

Source: Business Insider

Klarna launches VAR campaign created by 72andSunny (Prolific London), Rated: A

Swedish fintech payments firm Klarna has launched a new campaign focused around the introduction of Video Assistant Referee technology in the UK’s Premiere League.

Celsius Network Sees A 20x Increase In Deposits, However, Many Analysts Are Concerned (Bitcoin Exchange Guide), Rated: A

According to the latest press release, leading crypto lending firm Celsius Network has seen an increase of 2,165% growth in deposits. The network has already surpassed 20,000 BTC through mobile app deposits during the first year of operations.

New data reveals rapid growth in Peer-To-Peer lending is cannibalising High st bank market share (ResponseSource), Rated: A

Know Your Money data revealed that:

• Peer to Peer and Challenger lenders comparison searches have more than doubled in 3 years

• 33% of Businesses selected a P2P or challenger lender on in 2019 – compared to just 15% in 2017

• Alternative lending interest more than doubled in the last 2 years

Revolut Boosts Executive Leadership with New Hires from Traditional Banking (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: B

According to Revolut, the Fintech bank has hired Philip Doyle as Director of Financial Crime Risk, Wolfgang Bardorf as Treasurer and Stefan Wille as Deputy Chief Financial Officer.

European Union

Zurich-based Numbrs is the latest fintech to join the unicorn club (Business Insider), Rated: AAA

The Zurich-based fintech, whose investors include former Deutsche Bank CEO Josef Ackermann, raised $40 million at a valuation of over $1 billion, reports Bloomberg. The latest investment brings Numbrs’ total raise to date to almost $200 million, CEO Martin Saidler told the outlet.

Notably, in contrast to many of its peers, Numbrs has joined the unicorn club not by focusing on venture capital and private equity funding, but instead by relying mostly on individuals and families — 50 have invested in the company thus far. The startup’s app enables users to aggregate their various bank accounts and manage their finances, and offers a marketplace for consumers to purchase various financial products.

Source: Business Insider

P2P Global Investments sells largest position for €250m (AltFi), Rated: A

The £1bn P2P Global Investments has sold one of its largest positions, in Castlehaven Finance, an Irish alternative development and bridging finance lender.

Castlehaven typically provides loans of between €1m – €20m in the property space, an increasingly big proportion of P2P GI’s portfolio.

The investment trust has provided financing in excess of €385m to Castlehaven since 2016.

What is the EU doing to understand if Artificial Intelligence apps are trustworthy? (Open Access Government), Rated: B

The University of Oxford received an immense £150 million donation to create a centre studying the ethics surrounding AI in the modern world, whilst global audiences continue to be fascinated by shows like Black Mirror which explore the worst-case consequences of AI accessing personal data.

The project is composed of three distinct, albeit related, parts, run in sequence from January 2019 to December 2020:

Part 1: Application of AI for risk management in bank and peer to peer lending

Part 2: Application of AI for risk management in financial investments and robot advisory

Part 3: Application of AI for risk management in blockchain payments and crypto assets

International

Binance Launches Crypto Lending Service (CryptoGlobe), Rated: AAA

Binance has launched a lending service allowing its users to earn cryptocurrency without trading, in a passive way. Currently the service is open for only a few tokens – its Binance Coin (BNB), Tether’s USDT stablecoin, and Ethereum Classic (ETC). Annualized interest rates are of 15% for BNB, 10% for USDT, and 7& for ETC.

Alternative Finance is Experiencing an Unprecedented Boom Worldwide (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

Ten years after the financial crisis, Alternative Finance continues to exhibit strong growth. The sector is estimated to account for nearly €300 billion of inflows worldwide, a market exhibiting 25% annual growth and largely dominated by the Chinese (75%), which percentage was already recorded in 2015 by a study conducted jointly by KPMG and the University of Cambridge.

The United States takes second place with 19% of the market, while Europe currently represents just 6%, 60% of which comes from the United Kingdom. In France, alternative finance raised €1.4 billion in 2018, a year-on-year increase of 39% according to the annual report of KPMG and the non-profit group Financement Participatif France (FPF).

The latest crowdfunding trend is in real estate (Born2Invest), Rated: A

The global crowdfunding market is estimated to be expanding from 2018 to 2022 to $89.72 billion. From the first recorded successful crowdfunding in 1997, to how the first dedicated crowdfunding platform ArtistShare had come about in the year 2000, crowdfunding has indeed disrupted many industries in different levels.

How and why the global centre of cryptocurrency moved back to Asia (Finder), Rated: A

The problem of investment scammers is much bigger than cryptocurrency though, Wong pointed out, and much bigger than Invest: Asia.

“I don’t think Invest: Asia is big enough to move the needle if you’re running a scam in China,” he said. “That just speaks to the size of the population in China. In general, I think there’s lots of financial scams in general in China, right? For example, a couple years ago there was a big peer to peer lending scandal.”

“The peer to peer lending was legitimately becoming a hot growth FinTech sector in China, but then people were running these peer to peer scams. Because it was so hot, everyone’s talking about it. It creates the conditions for scammers to launch whatever scheme that they want to launch.”

Australia/New Zealand

Prospa Full Year 2019 Results (Scoop), Rated: AAA

• FY19 loan originations of $501.7 million up 36.6% on the prior year (FY18: $367.3 million), 3.1% ahead of prospectus forecast.
• FY19 revenue of $136.4 million up 31.2% on the prior year (FY18: $104.0 million), in line with prospectus forecast.
• FY19 pro forma EBITDA of $6.8 million, ahead of prospectus forecast by 11.5%.
• Prospa has now delivered approximately $1.2 billion in loans since inception and total customer numbers in Australia and New Zealand grew to over 20,000 in FY19, up 58% on the prior year.
• Customer satisfaction remains consistently high, with Prospa’s annual average Net Promoter Score in excess of +77 in 2019. Prospa also has a rating of 9.8/10 on independent review platform TrustPilot.
• Business expansion has continued with the successful launch of new cash flow products and services and diversification into New Zealand.
• Further investment in executive strength, with new Chief Technology Officer, Chief Commercial Officer and Executive General Manager, Growth Channels appointed.

2019 Finder Awards winners (Finder), Rated: AAA

The 2019 Finder Awards recognise the market’s most competitive offerings across credit cards, home loans, personal loans, car insurance, banking, insurance, technology and superannuation.

Source: Finder

Source: Up Bank

India

What future trends do you foresee in the startup ecosystem? (New India Express), Rated: AAA

P2P lending has also become increasingly popular as an alternative lending route as small businesses find it easier to obtain loans directly from other individuals. Going forward, we can expect more cloud-based services backed by advanced analytics that offer personalized loan limits and payback schedules, based on the borrower’s credit history.

Traditional players will also get into online lending and emulate the strategies of P2P lending companies. More businesses will start adopting work-from-home policies to increase cost savings and productivity. On the tech front, businesses will start investing more in AI and analytics to get a deeper insight into customer behaviour.

– Kewal Kapoor, director and creative strategist of CHAI Kreative and Return of Million Smiles

Xiaomi is moving into India’s consumer-lending market (Business Insider), Rated: A

The fourth-largest mobile phone vendor plans to launch a consumer-lending business, dubbed Mi Credit, in India in the next few weeks, according to Reuters. It will offer loans of up to 100,000 rupees ($1,451), with interest rates starting at 1.8%.

Xiaomi is positioned as a leading smartphone manufacturer in India, with 70 million mobile phones in use throughout the country. It already launched its payment app, dubbed Mi Pay, in the country in March, which is reportedly “doing well,” per Reuters. For context, in China, Xiaomi’s lending business shows a loan book worth $8 billion.

Source: Business Insider

Furniture rental startup RentoMojo to raise Rs 27.7 Cr led by Samsung VC arm (YourStory), Rated: B

In July 2019, the company secured Rs 1.16 crore from Renaud Laplanche, the Co-founder and CEO of Upgrade, who earlier participated in the startup’s Series C funding round of Rs 77 crore in May, along with Accel Partners, Chiratae Ventures, IDG Ventures, and Bain Capital. At that time, the startup said the funds will be used for accelerating its growth and expansion to new cities.

Canada

IOU Financial Inc. Releases Financial Results for the Three and Six- Month Period Ended June 30, 2019 (PR Newswire), Rated: AAA

Loan originations increased 31.8% to US$38.5 million in Q2 2019 compared to Q2 2018.
Total loans under management increased 36.4% to $101.0 million as at June 30, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.
Adjusted gross revenue increased 25.1% to $5.5 million in Q2 2019 compared to Q2 2018.
Adjusted Operating Expense Ratio decreased to 10.0% in Q2 2019 compared to 11.9% in Q2 2018.
Adjusted net earnings amounted to $0.3 million in the second quarter of 2019, representing the sixth consecutive profitable quarter. Adjusted net earnings amounted to $0.8 million year-to-date.

Africa

Why and how peer-to-peer lending had to become market place lending (Business Live), Rated: AAA

The linked dangers of an inverted yield curve and a slowing economy have hammered banks stocks in recent months, and profit margins are already compressing. But the banks’ worries pale in comparison to challenges confronting the peer-to-peer or “market place” lenders — the start-ups that have set out, over the past decade or so, to upturn the banking industry.

Authors:

George Popescu

Allen Taylor

The post Thursday August 29 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

Thursday August 15 2019, Weekly News Digest

News Comments Today’s main news: Prosper reports Q2 results. Figure to raise $1B. Funding Circle shares rise. RateSetter to stress test provision fund. LendInvest raises 200M GBP. Two more Chinese P2P firms shut down. N26 eyes IPO. Today’s main analysis: Gen Z’s credit market activity. Today’s thought-provoking articles: Radius Bank’s rebranding to banking as a […]

The post Thursday August 15 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

News Comments

Today’s main news: Prosper reports Q2 results. Figure to raise $1B. Funding Circle shares rise. RateSetter to stress test provision fund. LendInvest raises 200M GBP. Two more Chinese P2P firms shut down. N26 eyes IPO.
Today’s main analysis: Gen Z’s credit market activity.
Today’s thought-provoking articles: Radius Bank’s rebranding to banking as a service. European fintechs escape banking troubles. German yield curve, GreenSky’s sale. Is alternative data the great lending equalizer?

United States

Prosper’s Q2 results. Total net revenue increased to $42.9 million while core revenue decreased to $50.7 million.
Figure to raise $1 billion. Can Mike Cagney’s second act be as strong as his first? Some people are banking on it.
Gen Z comes of age as credit market activity shows growth. Where millennial buyers shunned credit for the most part, Gen Z seems to be embracing it.
Radius Bank transitions into banking as a service. A very interesting read.
Klarna challenges PayPal. Not exactly new news, but worth a read.
Lendio facilitates $50 million in small business loans.
LendingPoint hits #17 on Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies.
OppLoans on the Inc. 500 list for fourth straight year.
Finicity to power digital solutions for employer student loan contributions.
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac consider FICO alternatives.
Review of Zoca Loans.
HSBC launches digital lending platform for personal loans.
Napa Valley gets a P2P lending service.
Regulators should expand small investor opportunities.
Former Coinbase CTO joins DeFi.
Tricolor launches auto insurance for low income credit-invisible consumers.
Artivest makes new executive appointment.
Former Lending Club worker hired by Healthline Media as VP of communications.

United Kingdom

China

European Union

N26 has eye on IPO. This doesn’t really surprise us, and it likely will be in the U.S.
Google executive joins N26.
European fintechs escape bank troubles.
FlexMobility, Klarna raise funds.
EstateGuru looking to attract 5 billion euro of European real estate financing market.
Finleap to launch new business unit.

International

Germany’s yield curve, Greensky’s sale. A MUST-READ.
Is alternative data the great lending equalizer? A great read.
Celsius Network to increase crypto loan accessibility.
Ontology blockchain partners with DeFi.

Other

News Summary

United States

Prosper Reports Second Quarter 2019 Financial Results (Business Wire), Rated: AAA

Prosper, a peer-to-peer lending platform connecting borrowers and investors, today reported financial results for the second quarter of 2019. Personal loan originations increased 27% compared to the first quarter of 2019, and the company has now generated positive adjusted EBITDA in eight out of the last nine quarters.

Financial summary:

Total Net Revenue, which includes the non-cash impact related to warrants to purchase preferred stock, increased to $42.9 million in Q2 2019 compared to $31.7 million in Q2 2018.
Core Revenue⁽¹⁾, which excludes the non-cash impact related to warrants to purchase preferred stock, decreased to $50.7 million in Q2 2019 compared to $52.3 million in Q2 2018.
Net Loss decreased to ($0.6) million in Q2 2019 compared to a Net Loss of ($12.6) million in Q2 2018.
Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ decreased to $5.3 million in Q2 2019 compared to $8.8 million in Q2 2018.

Key Operating and Financial Metrics (Unaudited) (in thousands)

SoFi Co-Founder’s New Startup Aims to Raise Funds at $ 1 Billion (Bloomberg), Rated: AAA

Mike Cagney, the former embattled chief executive officer of Social Finance Inc., is raising more than $100 million for his new startup Figure Technologies Inc. at a $1 billion valuation just less than two years after its founding, according to people familiar with the matter.

San Francisco-based Figure uses blockchain technology to provide home equity loans online in just a few days, with approval happening in minutes. The company made its first loan in 2018, and is on pace to provide more than $80 million in loans this month alone, according to one of these people, who asked not to be named because the details are private.

As Gen Z Comes of Age, Credit Market Activity Shows Significant Growth (TransUnion), Rated: AAA

Gen Z, those individuals born in 1995 or after, increasingly took part in the consumer credit market during the first half of 2019. The newly released Q2 2019 Industry Insights Report from TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) found that growth is coming from the entire Gen Z demographic who are 18 years or older – not just those who became credit eligible for the first time.

Approximately 14 million Gen Z consumers (44% of this group) were carrying a balance as of Q2 2019, up from 11 million in Q2 2018, according to the report. The number of Gen Z consumers who were credit eligible (18 years or older) increased by 4.5 million in the last year, rising to 31.5 million in Q2 2019. Over the next three years, it is anticipated that another 13 million Gen Z consumers will become credit eligible.

Gen Z Consumers Carrying a Balance Rising at High Rates

Credit Product	Q2 2019	Q2 2018	YOY Growth %
Auto	4,376,000	3,072,000	42%
Credit Card	7,746,000	5,483,000	41%
Mortgage	319,000	150,000	112%
Personal Loan	746,000	534,000	45%

Credit cards are the most popular product among Gen Z consumers, with 55% carrying a balance—though they still only constitute 5% of the U.S. population carrying card debt. Mortgages had the largest year-over-year growth rate spike with Gen Z consumers (112%), but from a low base. Mortgages are still the credit product Gen Z consumers are least likely to have, with only 0.5% of mortgages held by members of this generation.

The Percentage of Gen Z Consumers Carrying a Credit Balance is Growing (Data as of Q2 2019)

Credit Product	Gen Z (carrying a balance)	All Generations (carrying a balance)	Gen Z Percentage
Auto	4,376,000	86,064,000	5.1%
Credit Card	7,746,000	148,141,000	5.2%
Mortgage	319,000	68,368,000	0.5%
Personal Loan	746,000	19,556,000	3.8%

Q2 2019 Credit Card Trends

Credit Card Lending Metric	Q2 2019	Q2 2018	Q2 2017	Q2 2016
Number of Credit Cards	437.1 million	420.0 million	409.8 million	391.0 million
Borrower-Level Delinquency Rate (90+ DPD)	1.71%	1.53%	1.46%	1.29%
Average Debt Per Borrower	$5,645	$5,543	$5,422	$5,247
Prior Quarter Originations*	15.3 million	14.5 million	15.0 million	15.3 million
Average New Account Credit Lines*	$5,773	$5,649	$5,817	$5,466

See TransUnions infographic here.

Swedish Fintech Unicorn to Challenge Paypal with U.S. Expansion (150sec), Rated: A

If Klarna is a threat to the online payments pioneer Paypal, it’s very much the challenger, with the latter enjoying 30 times greater revenue. Notwithstanding this, Klarna is making impressive gains, increasing transaction volume by 36% in 2018.

According to a recent press release, Klarna is now serving the needs of 60 million consumers and 130,000 merchants. It has achieved transaction rates in the region of 1 million transactions per day and believes it can generate an annual revenue of $1 billion in the foreseeable future.

Lendio Franchising Facilitates $ 50 Million to Small Businesses (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

Lendio Franchising, Lendio’s marketplace lending franchise program, announced on Tuesday it has facilitated $50 million in loans to over 1,800 small businesses around the U.S. According to Lendio, the loans through the franchise provide a boost to small businesses in industries ranging from healthcare to trucking, with an estimated economic impact of $165,505,834 across local economies.

Atlanta-Based LendingPoint #17 on Inc. 500 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies in the USA (The Daily Times), Rated: A

Inc. Magazine today ranked commerce platform LendingPoint No. 17 on its 37th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. LendingPoint joins companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names who gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000. LendingPoint has hit successive funding records year-over-year and is on pace to reach $100 million per month in loan originations by the end of 2019.

Fintech Firm OppLoans Named to Inc. 500 for Fourth Consecutive Year (Globe Newswire), Rated: A

OppLoans has been named to Inc. magazine’s prestigious 2019 Inc. 500 list for the fourth year in a row. Only four companies on this year’s list, including OppLoans, have placed on the Inc. 500 at least four or more times. With a three-year annual revenue growth of 1,435%, OppLoans placed #321 on the annual ranking of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., 19 spots higher than the firm placed in 2018. OppLoans has achieved rankings of #340 (2018), #219 (2017) and #445 (2016).

FINICITY TO POWER DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR EMPLOYER STUDENT LOAN CONTRIBUTIONS (Finicity), Rated: A

Finicity, a provider of real-time financial data access and insights, announced today the rollout of its Student Loan Account Verification product, which will simplify employer benefit repayment programs, where employers are looking to contribute to or help repay employee’s student loans.

Fannie, Freddie to Consider Alternatives to FICO Scores (WSJ), Rated: A

One firm’s dominance over the credit scores used to vet many U.S. mortgages is getting a shake-up.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two mortgage-finance firms that back nearly half of U.S. mortgages, will have to consider credit-score alternatives to Fair Isaac Corp.’s FICO score when determining a mortgage applicant’s creditworthiness, under a new rule issued on Tuesday by the mortgage-finance giants’ federal overseer.

Zoca Loans Review: Installment Loans for Bad Credit Borrowers (Moneycheck), Rated: A

By going through a simple online application process, you have the chance to obtain between $300 and $1,000 – all of which can be funded the very same day.

HSBC launched a digital lending platform for online personal loans (Business Insider), Rated: A

HSBC USA partnered with Amount, a tech provider for financial institutions, to launch a digital lending platform that streamlines online personal loan applications. Consumers can evaluate loan options, submit applications online, and receive a credit decision within minutes.

HSBC will initially lend up to $30,000 with terms ranging from two to five years and it says funds will be available as quickly as the next day. The bank will charge fixed monthly payments starting 50 days after customers receive the loan. Amount’s platform — which has cumulatively originated $6 billion in loans to 800,000 customers — has been customized to HSBC’s preferences, including its proprietary risk models.

Source: Business Insider Intelligence

Virtual Bank Aims to be Primary Account Engine Behind Fintech Brands (The Financial Brand), Rated: AAA

Radius Bank demonstrates that established banking institutions can put themselves successfully through a reboot that can drastically change their business model. For Boston-based Radius, virtual banking and fintech relationships have been the routes of choice.

What began with a handful of fintech partnerships is now evolving towards a “banking as a service” approach that will take the bank, which has $1.3 billion in assets, further into the realm of a modern banking platform using application programming interfaces (APIs).

The additional deals that are pending presently involve deposit services alone, but Tremont says that in time the bank could expand relationships to include online lending in some form. He says Radius would likely launch an online loan program of its own, and then build new channels for the fintech consumers.

New financial lending program available through UpValley Family Centers (Napa Valley Register), Rated: A

The UpValley Family Centers (UVFC) has partnered to bring Lending Circles, a peer-to-peer, social lending program to the Upvalley region of Napa County.

Lending Circles is managed by San Francisco-based Mission Asset Fund (MAF), that provides an innovative and safe way for working families to save money and build or improve their credit.

It’s Time For Regulators To Expand Opportunities For Smaller Investors (Forbes), Rated: A

In the past decade we’ve seen a new financial movement take shape: a focus on giving more investors a seat at the table. More and more people and organizations are realizing that investors of all income levels and backgrounds could (and should) have the opportunity to access more asset classes. In this technology-enabled age of access, data and transparency in investing, there is an opportunity to update our laws to ensure that smaller investors are not excluded from the opportunity to create wealth — opportunities that have emerged under the financial ethos of fintech: crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, financial literacy and inclusion.

Former Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan Joins DeFi Blockchain Project Findora (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: B

Balaji Srinivasan, the former CTO of Coinbase, has just joined decentralized finance blockchain project Findora.

Tricolor Launches New, Affordable Auto Insurance for Low Income, Credit Invisible Consumers (Globe Newswire), Rated: B

Tricolor, the used vehicle retailer focusing on the sale and financing of vehicles to the Hispanic consumer, today unveiled a groundbreaking new affordable auto insurance option for low-income and credit invisible customers through its affiliate company Tricolor Insurance. After testing the product earlier this year, Tricolor will begin rolling out the new insurance offering throughout all of its markets in Texas and California.

Artivest Achieves Critical Platform Momentum, Announces Executive Leadership Appointment (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: B

To date in 2019, Artivest, a multi-billion-dollar alternative investment platform, has achieved exponential organic growth across nearly every aspect of the business, greater than any previous full calendar year in the company’s history. The firm has attracted more new investors, allocations, investment managers, and—most importantly, in regard to how the wealth management industry gauges the success of digital platforms—has surpassed $1 billion in new investments transacted online by high-net-worth investors into private funds, at low minimums.

Netflix alum Steve Swasey to lead communications at Healthline Media (MMM-Online), Rated: B

Healthline Media has hired Steve Swasey as VP of communications, a newly created role at the health-focused publishing company.

In the first half of 2016, he worked at online lending marketplace Lending Club as SVP of corporate communications.

United Kingdom

Funding Circle Shares Rise on Positive Report (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: AAA

Last week, online lender Funding Circle (LSE:FCH) released its 6-month report and the shares have responded positively to the numbers. Six-month Revenue was reported at £81.4 million versus H1 2018 at £63.0 million – up 29%. Loans under management rose 37% to £3.54 billion and originations jumped 14% to £1.19 billion.

Funding Circle went public in 2018 priced at 440 pence per share. Funding Circle raised a gross amount of £300 million garnering a market cap of around £1.5 billion.

RateSetter to introduce stress testing to provision fund (P2P Finance News), Rated: AAA

RATESETTER is planning to introduce stress testing to its provision fund over the next financial year.

The ‘big three’ peer-to-peer lender’s provision fund is a buffer that protects investors against losses should any of its loans default. Borrowers pay cash into the provision fund in accordance with RateSetter’s assessment of their creditworthiness.

LendInvest Secures £200 Million Investment from the National Australia Bank to Expand Reach in Buy-to-Let Market (The Fintech Times), Rated: AAA

LendInvest has now raised over £1.8 billion of debt and equity from investors, making LendInvest one of the largest non-bank mortgage lenders in the country.

This new funding expands LendInvest’s capacity to lend in the UK Buy-to-Let market. LendInvest launched its first Buy-to-Let mortgage product in late 2017 after agreeing a substantial funding line with Citigroup. LendInvest has already lent more than £370 million in Buy-to-Let loans and is taking market share in the bank dominated market. In June this year, LendInvest also become the UK’s first Fintech business to securitise its own portfolio of assets worth £259 million, which received a AAA rating from Moody’s and Fitch.

SME online fashion retailers face barriers to innovation, Klarna (Retail Tech Innovation Hub), Rated: A

Small online fashion retailers in the UK are open to embracing innovative technologies, but various challenges are preventing widespread adoption, according to research by Klarna.

In terms of challenges, 53% said the cost of introducing flexible payment options was the biggest barrier to adoption.

Source: Klarna

SME online retailers look to overcome barriers to realise innovation ambitions (Retail Times), Rated: A

The research — conducted across 100 UK SME decision makers at online retailers in 2019 — shows the UK’s SMEs understand the need to embrace flexibility and innovation. Over the next 12 months they plan to prioritise investing in flexible payment options (49%) and e-commerce capabilities (48%) to meet consumer demand for a frictionless shopping experience.

Tandem Bank leverages Open Banking to offer competitive mortgages (Finextra), Rated: A

Ex-RateSetter business finance head launches new P2P platform (P2P Finance News), Rated: A

RATESETTER alumni Brian Cartwright has launched new alternative property lender Nexa Finance, with a focus on the East Midlands.

Cartwright (pictured), managing director at Nexa, previously worked as head of business finance at ‘big three’ peer-to-peer lender RateSetter.

His new venture, which bills itself as a regionally-focused business lender, aims to connect East Midlands-based small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) property developers and house builders with funders.

Personal Finance Society publishes P2P guide following uptick in queries (P2P Finance News), Rated: A

MEMBERS of the Personal Finance Society (PFS) have been showing an increased interest in peer-to-peer lending, leading the PFS to produce its own ‘good practice’ guide to P2P.

The financial planning trade body has partnered with Octopus Investments to create the guide, which tells advisers that recommending P2P products could help them to increase their own assets under management, adding that “for suitable clients, it could prove a useful vehicle for excess cash holdings which may currently fall outside of the adviser’s view.”

Atom Bank, iwoca, Modulr Finance, & Currencycloud, All Benefit from BCR Grant (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

The BCR has awarded £10 million each to the following platforms:

Atom Bank PLC – a digital challenger bank
iwoca Ltd – an online lender for SMEs
Modulr Finance Limited – a digital payment platform
The Currencycloud Group Ltd – a cross border payment platform for businesses

I Never Got Paid From Winning Wonga Fantasy League in 2010 (TechRound), Rated: A

I worked for Wonga.com in 2010, back when you couldn’t even go to the bathroom without hearing their jingle on the radio. Like most offices today, everyone put in £10 to play in the office fantasy league and with Van Persie and Rooney in their prime, this was my year.

After doing some calculations, my £160 owed to me in 2010 would now be worth £2,752. (based on £24 per month for 9 years)

Without the price cap, you have 4 of those years at £30 per month. Making the total figure £3,040.

But again, I am being kind. This does not include default charges of £25 per month for every missed payment.

China

Shanghai-based Zendai closes two P2P units worth US$ 1.4 billion as Beijing intensifies crackdown (SCMP), Rated: AAA

Zendai Group, a closely held private investment company in Shanghai, abruptly shut down two peer-to-peer lending units valued at 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion), as Chinese financial regulators ratchet up measures to clean an industry fraught with frauds and defaults.

Another Peer-to-Peer Lending Platform Stumbles (Caixin Global), Rated: A

Laocaibao, a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform ultimately owned by private conglomerate Zendai Group, is the latest casualty of the troubles that have engulfed the scandal-hit industry over the past three years.

Laocaibao has stopped providing loans and Zendai’s investment and consulting arm, which directed clients to the platform, has fired employees, according to statements from the companies and investigations by Caixin.

Peer to Peer Lender Fincera Targeted by Local Chinese Government in Demand to Cease Lending Operations (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

Fincera Inc. (OTCQB: YUANF), a China-based peer to peer lending platform providing access to capital for SMEs, has become the target of a local government attempt to shut down P2P lenders.

According to a note from Fincera, the Hebei provincial government, where Fincera is based, has requested that Fincera “cease P2P business operations.”

Fincera Announces Intention to Sell Kaiyuan Finance Center (Benzinga), Rated: A

To protect the interests of all its stakeholders-investors, borrowers, brokers, and employees, Fincera has announced its intent to sell the Kaiyuan Finance Center, which has an estimated valued of over RMB4.0 billion.

Fincera is the largest Hebei-based company operating in the peer-to-peer lending industry, comprising over 90% of the province’s market with approximately RMB9.0 billion in unpaid principal balance.

Fincera Inc. (“Fincera” or the “Company”) (OTCQB:YUANF), a provider of internet-based financing and ecommerce services for small and medium-sized businesses (“SMBs”) and individuals in China, today announced that businesses operating within the P2P (peer-to-peer) lending industry in Hebei province, including the Company, have received requests by the Hebei provincial government to cease P2P business operations. The Company vehemently disagrees with the request and is taking steps to protect its many stakeholders, including initiating the process of moving its business registration to Beijing where local regulators are supportive of the P2P industry.

Senmiao Technology Announces Unaudited Financial Results for First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2020 (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: A

Senmiao Technology Limited (AIHS) (“Senmiao”), a provider of automobile transaction and related services and an operator of an online lending marketplace connecting Chinese investors with individual and small-to-medium-sized enterprise borrowers in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2019.

First Quarter of Fiscal 2020 Highlights

Total revenues increased by 3,975% year-over-year to $5,094,440 from $125,026
Gross profit increased by 758% year-over-year to $1,072,128 from $125,026
Loss per share decreased by 50% year-over -year to $0.02 from $0.04

European Union

German mobile bank N26 eyes eventual IPO, CEO tells newspaper (Reuters), Rated: AAA

Berlin-based digital bank N26 is planning an eventual stock exchange listing, its chief executive has told a German newspaper.

Google exec joins N26 as chief banking officer (Finextra), Rated: B

N26 today announced the appointment of Thomas Grosse as Chief Banking Officer. The newly introduced role is yet another step towards realizing N26’s ambition to become the first truly global and fully digital retail bank. As Chief Banking Officer, Thomas will oversee the set-up of regulated N26 banks and bank partnerships within the N26 Group, thus ensuring the highest standards in product, processes and customer experience across all markets.

Thomas will begin his new role at N26 this October, reporting directly to N26’s co-founder and CFO, Maximilian Tayenthal.

European Fintechs Escape Troubles Afflicting Established Banks (Bloomberg), Rated: AAA

Its latest fundraising gave Klarna, which facilitates online installment payments, a $5.5 billion valuation. European fintech companies raised $3.3 billion in venture capital in the first half of 2019, up from $1.9 billion in the same period last year, according to data compiled by CB Insights. In contrast, an index of European Union banks has dropped 39% the past 18 months.

FlixMobility and Klarna raise a lot of money (Tech.eu), Rated: A

Tech.eu Podcast hosted by Natalie Novick and Andrii Degeler is a show in which we discuss some of the most interesting stories from the European technology scene and interview leading entrepreneurs and investors from across the region.

EstateGuru Seeks to Carve Out €5 Billion of European Real Estate Financing Market (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

EstateGuru, a crowdfunding platform based in Estonia, is out with a release predicting it will claim €3-5 billion of the European real estate financing by 2025

EstateGuru adds that approximately 70% of SMEs lack access to credit and this is a major constraint to their growth. The company claims that 12% of all loans are set to be financed by alternative providers, including crowdfunding platforms, by 2025 as it appears to be interested in expanding into other financing verticals.

Barclays releases £100,000 for unsecured SME lending through app and online banking (Finextra), Rated: A

New research released by Barclays has revealed that over half of the UK’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have woken up at night with a new business idea (57 per cent), while the most popular time for an idea to be dreamt up is between 2-3 am (28 per cent).

Analysis revealed that almost half (48 per cent) of SMEs said that they are more creative at night, with over two fifths saying they are more productive outside of 9 – 5 working hours and keep a note pad and pen by their bed so they can jot down ideas. Half attributed this to having extra time to think away from daytime pressures.

In a High Street banking first, Barclays has launched £100,000 unsecured lending for SMEs on its award winning app and online banking platform, with thousands of SMEs set to benefit from access to faster finance.

German Fintech Finleap Announces New Business Unit “Finleap Connect” (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: B

FinLeap, the fintech start-up platform behind Germany’s SolarisBank, announced on Wednesday the launch of its new business unit, FinLeap Connect. According to FinLeap, the fintech platforms finreach solutions and infinitec solutions will become part of this business unit.

International

Global Yields Crash, GSKY for sale, LC earnings (PeerIQ), Rated: AAA

Today, more than $15 Tn in sovereign debt trades at a negative yield. In Germany, for instance, bond investors have moved from charging 75 bps last year to a willingness to pay for the privilege of providing < 0% money for 10 years.

Source: PeerIQ

GreenSky shares sank ~37% after a strong earnings report was paired with news that the marketplace was exploring a potential sale or merger.

Alternative Data: The Great Equalizer To Lending Inequalities? (Forbes), Rated: AAA

Alternative data has come into the spotlight in financial services, and it presages a significant shift in credit availability for unbanked and underbanked consumers. There are about

Celsius Network Announces Increased Accessibility To Crypto-Backed Loans with Updated Terms for Borrowers (Business Wire), Rated: A

Celsius Network (work/), the industry-leading cryptocurrency platform, announces updated terms for borrowers aiming to provide millions of users with increased accessibility to low-interest crypto-backed loans. In addition, Celsius has reduced its minimum requirement for loan requests to $1,500. Recently Celsius announced it will expand its lending operations throughout Europe.

The latest updates to Celsius Networks lending service include:

Lowered minimum requirement for loan requests from $3,000 to $1,500
Up to 30% discount for CEL token holders paying loan interest in CEL with yearly rates as low as 3.47%
Borrowers can request a loan in USD or supported stablecoins
Loans are issued the same day
Members can apply through the Celsius mobile app or on the Celsius Network website

ONTOLOGY BLOCKCHAIN HIGH FIVES WITH DEFI (ICO Examiner), Rated: B

Ontology (ONT), a project offering linking and bridging solutions for multiple blockchains, has announced five new partnerships with companies operating in various geographical locations within the decentralised finance (DeFi) arena.

The latest handful of businesses to be attracted to Ontology’s framework of compatibility are Hong Kong registered Babel Finance, USA-focused crypto loan specialists SALT Lending, cryptocurrency services provider LendChain, Hong Kong-based Fountain Financial, and Chinese trading platform HOX.

Australia

CBA FY19 results a mixed bag, digital metrics positive and Klarna will be a hit (Verdict), Rated: AAA

CBA FY19 underlying net profit for the year to end June falls by 5% to A$8.49bn ($5.75bn). The bank’s overall results do not quite match analyst forecasts. But there is a strong argument that in all the circumstances the results represent a resilient full fiscal.

Release of the CBA FY19 earnings also serve to highlight the bank’s success in upping its digital strategy.

Operating income is 2% lower on margin pressure.

Net interest income is down by 1.2% on lower retail mortgages margins and higher funding costs.

Business lending increases by 4% while retail mortgage growth is also strong delivering 4% volume growth for the year.

India

Faircent raises fresh funding from investors led by Das Capital & Gunosy Capital (India Times), Rated: AAA

Faircent.com, a P2P lending company, has recently raised capital in a funding round. The latest funding, led by Singapore-based Das Capital and Gunosy Capital, also saw participation by existing investors Starharbor Asia Pte Ltd, and M&S Partners Pte Ltd (Sin Growth Partner Pte Ltd).

Keep retail indulgence in check (livemint), Rated: A

Overspending is a big problem for many. “They buy things they don’t need with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t like. Not passing a judgement here, but money does buy some kind of happiness for many,” said Rachit Chawla, chief executive officer, Finway, a registered non-banking financial company (NBFC).

Payday loans, digital lending platforms, and P2P lending have evolved, so has the penetration of credit card, personal loans, and the like. At a behavioural level, de-linking debt with shame has also made it easy for people to borrow.

Asia

Hexindai-backed Musketeer Completes Registration for Its P2P Platform in Indonesia (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: AAA

Hexindai Inc. (HX) (“Hexindai” or the “Company”), a fast-growing consumer lending marketplace in China, today announced that its invested Indonesian online lending platform, Musketeer Group Inc. (“Musketeer”), has completed registration for its peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform with the Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK).

Musketeer’s P2P platform, PT Technology Indonesia Sentosa, is among the early batch of lending companies in Indonesia that have registered with OJK.

Philippines to Relaunch OF Bank to Create Digital-only Bank (Regulation Asia), Rated: A

The Overseas Filipino Bank was launched in January to cater to overseas Filipino workers, who will more easily be able to access digital-only services.

Latin America

Fintech Debt Investors Follow Equity Dollars Into Latin America (Forbes), Rated: AAA

Venture capital investments in LatAm startups quadrupled to a record $2 billion in 2018 from $500 million in 2016, according to an annual review by the

Financial report for the second quarter and six months period 2019 (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: B

VEF made a follow-on investment in FinanZero, a Brazilian online consumer loan marketplace, who closed a Series B investment round of SEK 100 mln (USD 10.5 mln).

Authors:

George Popescu

Allen Taylor

The post Thursday August 15 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

Thursday August 8 2019, Weekly News Digest

News Comments Today’s main news: Funding Circle debuts U.S. ABS platform for small biz loans. LendingClub to pursue national bank charter, reports Q2 losses. SoFi sues unnamed defendants over Consumer Loan Program 2015 Trust. DigiFi launches first open-source loan origination system. BlockFi raises $18.3M for crypto lending. Funding Circle posts higher revenues, bigger pre-tax losses. […]

The post Thursday August 8 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

News Comments

United States

Funding Circle debuts small business loan ABS platform. We’ve been looking forward to this. Funding Circle launches four classes of notes on this $198.5 million deal.
LendingClub to pursue national bank charter. LendingClub announced it is pursuing a national bank charter even as it discusses Q2 losses. But it’s not all bad news. Loan originations hit a record $3.1 billion.
SoFi files against Jaime Daric and unnamed defendants. This lawsuit was filed on July 12 in the Superior Court of California for San Francisco County.
PeerIQ on the Fed rate cuts. PeerIQ also has something to say about other recent news.
DigiFi launches open-source loan origination system. The world’s first. This is huge, but I wonder why no one else has thought about this before.
BlockFi raises $18.3 million for crypto lending. That’s not a huge raise, but it’s a decent raise for such a small market. I do expect the crypto lending market to grow, however. The battle lines are being drawn.
If you want to hire millennials, employers must pay off student loans. And many of them are. Worth your time to read.
CFPB’s update on credit access and its first no-action letter. This is a MUST-READ.
Why one millionaire regrets retiring at 34. An interesting read.
LendingClub envisions a marketplace bank. There is a lot of interesting news today. LendingClub’s news is top billing. More on why they want to be a national bank.
LendingClub gets some digital banking love.
LendingClub registers lower-than-expected losses.
More on LendingClub’s losses.
LendingClub increases credit access with Select Plus.
LendingClub says Americans don’t need another credit card. Hear that Apple?
Affirm, Verishop partner on buy now, pay later.
Klarna offers installment payments to Toms, Asos customers.
Lendio facilitates over $1.5 billion in small business loans.
Behind the growth of PayPal’s SMB lending business.
Earnin hit by security breach.
Banks hit record high small biz loan approvals. Alt lenders decline.
P2Binvestor’s struggles.
Fox Corp. buys 67% stake in Credible Labs.
Cross River provides banking as a service.
Al Goldstein of Avant, Amount. Lend Academy interview.
Mall landlords consider becoming lenders.
How one woman paid of $10,000 in credit card debt.
Don’t let artificial intelligence trigger a fair-lending violation.
OppLoans review.
Dharma pauses deposits, crypto loans.
Galaxy Digital invests in DrawBridge Lending.
DeFiner.org wins 2019 Detroit Fintech Challenge.

United Kingdom

European Union

Klarna valued at $5.5 billion, highest valued fintech in Europe. At a time when they begin their expansion in the U.S., which could turn out to be their largest market.
What’s next for Klarna?
Penta raises 8 million euros.
Two issues in P2P lending.
EstateGuru launches property-backed loans marketplace in Portugal.

International

July 2019 P2P lending volumes. This chart is always worth a look at. Mintos jumps ahead of Zopa, RateSetter.
Decentralized finance protocols on Ethereum.
Global impact investing at $502 billion.

Other

Australia: CommBank invests $100 million in Klarna. Klarna will establish itself in the Australian market.
New Zealand: Prospa to establish warehouse facility.
China: Jiayin closes cases against 12,000 online debtors.
India: Indifi raises $21 million.
Australia: Judo raises $400 million.
Singapore: 65% are interested in digital banking.

News Summary

United States

Funding Circle debuts ABS platform for U.S. small-business loans (Asset Securitization Report), Rated: AAA

Funding Circle is securitizing its first pool of U.S.-based small business loans.

According to Kroll Bond Rating Agency, the online business-loan lender is marketing $198.45 million in notes backed by loans made to small- and medium-sized businesses in the U.S. Funding Circle has previously issued notes for asset-backed pools of small-business loans in its native UK.

The transaction consists of four classes of notes, including a $142.8 million Class A tranche with an initial A- rating from Kroll, and benefiting from 32.5% credit enhancement.

LendingClub Discusses National Bank Charter, GreenSky Exploring Sale (Lend Academy), Rated: AAA

A topic that has been coming up more often is the potential of a national bank charter. Last week we learned that small business lender OnDeck was pursuing a charter and LendingClub is doing the same.

Today LendingClub reported their Q2 2019 earnings. Highlights include record loan originations of $3.1 billion, up 11% from the prior year period and record net revenue of $190.8 million, up 8% year over year.

Source: LendingClub and LendAcademy

GreenSky Q2 2019 Earnings

David Zalik, GreenSky Chairman and CEO included this statement in the press release:

Notwithstanding the Company’s solid operating results, in light of the complexity of the Company’s operating model, we do not believe that the Company’s current market value is reflective of the Company’s strong record of cash flow generation and intrinsic value. Accordingly, GreenSky’s Board of Directors, working together with its senior management team and legal and financial advisors, has commenced a process to explore, review and evaluate a range of potential strategic alternatives focused on maximizing stockholder value. In connection with this review, GreenSky has retained FTP Securities LLC (“FT Partners”) and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as its financial advisors, and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP and Troutman Sanders LLP as its legal advisors.

The news sparked Christopher Donat, an analyst Sandler O’Neill to speculate that Square or Goldman Sachs could be potential buyers according to this article in American Banker.

LendingClub envisions a ‘marketplace bank,’ seeks charter (Bank Innovation), Rated: A

Peer-to-peer lending platform LendingClub is exploring the possibility of obtaining a national bank charter as it adjusts its strategy following a $10.6 million loss in the second quarter.

Digital Banking: LendingClub Gets Some Fintech Love as it Pursues National Bank Charter (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

Shares in LendingClub (NYSE:LC) are rising during another down market day as the trade war with China has no end in sight and political tempers flare. Shares are currently trading over 10% higher following yesterday’s Q2 earnings report where LendingClub said it expected to finally report a positive net incoming in Q3 following years of losses.

Second, LendingClub has hardened its lending model with years of fine-tuning. Unlike some other digital-only banks, LendingClub has been providing credit to consumers for more than a decade having originated over $50 billion in loans.

LendingClub Logs Lower-Than-Expected Losses (PYMNTS), Rated: A

By the numbers, net loss came in at $10.66 million or $0.12 per share — a lower loss than last year when Lending Club reported a loss of $60.86 million or $0.72 per share. Adjusted loss per share narrowed to $0.01 from $0.08 a year earlier.

Net revenue increased 8 percent from year-ago revenues of $176.98 million in 2018 to $190.8 million in 2019, driven by the higher volume of loan originations Sanborn mentioned. Loan originations during the quarter were at $3.1 billion, up 11 percent year over year. While the revenue number is an improvement, it came in very, very slightly below analysts’ estimates.

LendingClub posts smaller-than-expected loss on loan originations (Nasdaq), Rated: A

LendingClub said it now expects smaller loss for the year than it had previously forecast. Adjusted net loss is expected to be between $5 million and $20 million, from $9 million to $29 million.

P2P lender LendingClub increases credit access with Select Plus Platform (Verdict), Rated: B

LendingClub, a US-based P2P lending platform, has introduced the Select Plus Platform to offer borrowers access to sophisticated investors.

LendingClub: America Does Not Need Another Credit Card, Apple Card Spells Disaster for Consumers (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

Apple Card, a “new kind of credit card” launched by Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) in partnership with Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is expected to be made available to the public within the next few days. In fact, it has been reported that invitation emails have already gone out to a small group of iPhone owners. More will follow during August.

One detractor is LendingClub.

Anuj Nayar: Americans don’t need another credit card. They need the right tools to help them build their financial futures and pay down debt without the opportunity to accumulate more at high-interest rates. Goldman Sachs tried to pursue building a helpful consumer tool with Marcus but now has slipped back into its old ways, looking to make money by getting consumers hooked on revolving, high-interest debt on Apple’s credit card.

Court activity on July 12: Sofi Lending Corp. vs Jaime Daric (Northern California Record), Rated: AAA

The Superior Court of California for San Francisco County reported the following activity in the suit brought by Sofi Lending Corp. against Jaime Daric and other unnamed defendants on July 12: ‘Declaration Of Non Service (transaction Id # 63543270) Filed By Plaintiff Sofi Lending Corp., As Attorney In Fact For Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Trustee Of Sofi Consumer Loan Program 2015 Trust’

Rate cuts (PeerIQ), Rated: AAA

This week, we discuss the Fed rate cut to the 2 to 2.5% target range, and provide market color on OnDeck earnings.

Fun fact #1: It has been 3,878 days (10.5+ years) since the FOMC last cut rates.

This is the second longest streak on record behind the 4,115 days that passed between cuts in the discount rate since 1954. Markets are speculating on additional rate cuts before year-end although Fed Chair Powell positioned the rate cut as an “adjustment” rather than a change in trend.

Source: Chicago Fed PeerIQ

DigiFi Launches the World’s First Open-Source Loan Origination System (Markets Insider), Rated: AAA

DigiFi, an enterprise SaaS company building the future of lending technology, announced today the launch of its open-source loan origination system (LOS). The free-to-use platform, which was built over 45,000+ development hours and has been operating in-market with top lenders since late 2018, provides an end-to-end suite of modular capabilities that can be used individually or together to drive digital transformation.

DigiFi’s open source release underscores the lending industry’s dissatisfaction with the closed-loop systems available from existing LOS providers, which force lenders into onerous long-term contracts for inflexible systems.

Bitcoin and Ether Lender BlockFi Raises $ 18.3 Million Series A (CoinDesk), Rated: AAA

Crypto lending startup BlockFi received $18.3 million in a Series A funding round led by Valar Ventures, the company announced Tuesday.

Valar, which was founded in part by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, was joined by Winklevoss Capital, Galaxy Digital, ConsenSys, Akuna Capital, Susquehanna, CMT Digital, Morgan Creek, Avon Ventures and PJC. Valar’s investment was its first in the cryptocurrency industry following prior investments in other fintech firms like Transferwise, a press release said.

Want to Hire Millennials? Better Help Repay Student Debt (Bloomberg), Rated: AAA

Like millions of her peers, Nicole Read graduated with thousands of dollars of debt. Unlike most of them, she’s getting direct help from her employer to pay it back.

In Read’s case, it’s $100 a month.

Such plans are spreading. They were on offer to staff at about 8% of U.S. employers in 2019, more than double the 2015 level, according to an April survey by the Society for Human Resource Management.

Another study by business adviser Willis Towers Watson found that 32% of firms are considering introducing a similar benefit by 2021.

Source: Bloomberg

Verishop and Affirm Partner to Enable Customers to Shop Now and Pay Over Time (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: A

Verishop Inc. is excited to announce a partnership with financial technology company Affirm Inc., giving customers more choice at checkout to pay for their purchases over time.

To see if they qualify, customers only need to provide five simple pieces of information² and a credit decision is made within seconds. Monthly payments are shown in real dollars instead of hard-to-calculate percentages so customers will know exactly what they owe with no hidden or late fees. Customers never pay a dollar more than they agree to at checkout. The pay-over-time option is available for purchases ranging from $50 to $17,500 with a 30-day payment deferral available for smaller amounts.

Klarna offers payment installments to Toms, Asos US customers (Retail Dive), Rated: B

Klarna, an alternative payment platform, announced Monday that Asos shoppers in the United States will now be able to use its services, according to a press release. The announcement comes after Klarna also publicized its partnership with Toms on Thursday.

Lendio Surpasses $ 1.5 Billion in Small Business Loans Facilitated (Lendio), Rated: A

Lendio today announced it has facilitated more than $1.5 billion in financing to small businesses across the U.S.

According to the Federal Reserve Banks’ 2019 Small Business Credit Survey, “applications to online lenders continued to trend upward” last year, with 32% of applicants turning to online lenders, up from 24% the previous year.

Lendio’s 15-minute online application gives business owners access to multiple lenders with offers suited to meet their capital and business needs.

Behind the growth of PayPal’s SMB lending business (Tearsheet), Rated: A

In just a few years, PayPal’s business financing solutions has serviced over 225,000 small businesses around the world with funding. Between PayPal Working Capital and PayPal Business Loans, the company has recently surpassed $10 billion of capital it’s leant out to SMBs

Online lender backed by Nas says it was hit by security breach (New York Post), Rated: A

Earnin, which is also backed by tech investor Andreesen Horowitz, discovered in February that a third-party security firm had accessed customers’ bank transactions — including all their debit card purchases and payment statements going back for months, the company confirmed to The Post.

Small Business Loan Approvals at Banks Hit Record Highs (GlobeNewswire), Rated: A

Approval rates for small business loan applications rose to another post-recession record (27.7%) at big banks ($10 billion+ in assets), while also climbing above 50% at small banks in July, according to the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index released today.

Small bank approvals of small business loan applications inched up one-tenth of a percent to 50.1% from 50% in June.

Small business loan approval rates among alternative lenders dropped three-tenths of a percent to 56.8% from 57.1% in June.

What business does a crowdfunding fintech have with banks? (American Banker), Rated: A

Krista Morgan, the founder and CEO of the crowdfunding fintech P2Binvestor, always understood that funding small-business loans through investors would be challenging. But when the firm launched in 2014, she quickly recognized it wasn’t lining up the investors or capital that was the difficulty.

“Finding capital through our investor platform has been relatively straightforward,” she said. “Finding businesses and winning the business and being competitive in market and building the technology that supports the lending has been the harder side of the marketplace.”

Fox Corp. Buys 67% Stake In Consumer Loan Marketplace Credible Labs (Stock News Press), Rated: A

Citing reports, as per the terms of the deal, the shareholders of Credible Labs will reportedly receive A$ 2.21 in cash per CHESS depository interest (CDI), representing A$55.25 per share of common stock of the company.

Fox says it will commit up to $USD 75 million ($AUD110.8 million) of growth capital to Credible over the next two years.

Cross River — A Regional Bank Providing Specialized BaaS Services (Tearsheet), Rated: A

Who we spoke to: Gilles Gade (Founder and CEO) and Phil Goldfeder (SVP and Communications)
Establishment year: 2008
Bank license: Yes
API documentation:

Al Goldstein of Avant and Amount (Lend Academy), Rated: A

We last had Al Goldstein, the CEO and Chairman of Avant and Amount, on the show back in 2015. So much has changed since then not just in the personal loan space but in the banking space as well. And Avant has evolved to meet those challenges.

Mall landlords weigh becoming lenders to blunt retail crash (American Banker), Rated: A

Mall landlords accustomed to offering rent reductions to ailing retailers are mulling a new strategy to forestall the industry’s collapse: positioning themselves as lenders to tenants struggling to stay afloat.

The boutique bank PJ Solomon has organized discussions with several mall owners about pursuing such a strategy with the troubled retailer Forever 21, according to people with knowledge of the matter, in what could serve as a model for future transactions within the sector.

This woman paid off ,000 in credit-card debt with a personal loan, but her first attempt landed her in the red again (MarketWatch), Rated: A

Rogers is far from the only person to have used this debt-consolidation strategy with success. At the end of 2018, nearly 11% of adults in the U.S. held a personal loan, according to data from Experian. EXPN, +1.84%. The number of personal loans has risen 42% since 2015, making them the fastest-growing category of debt in the country.

Around 61% of personal loans are used for debt consolidation, said Ezra Becker, senior vice president of research and consulting at TransUnion.

An update on credit access and the Bureau’s first No-Action Letter (CFPB), Rated: AAA

For some consumers, the use of unconventional sources of information, or “alternative data,” to evaluate creditworthiness may be a way to increase access to credit or decrease the cost of credit. Alternative data includes information not typically found in core credit files of nationwide consumer reporting agencies and may indicate a likelihood of meeting obligations on time that a traditional credit history may not reflect.

The Bureau remains committed to using all of the tools at its disposal under the Dodd-Frank Act to help address these important issues around access to credit. Toward that goal, the Bureau is currently reviewing comments to its proposed No-Action Letter, Trial Disclosure, and Product Sandbox policies.

Don’t let AI trigger a fair-lending violation (American Banker), Rated: A

The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning poses both opportunities and risks for financial institutions.

While using such predictive techniques may mitigate consumer lending credit risk, financial institutions should be cognizant of the potential impacts of bias and its implications on fairness.

Peer-to-peer crypto lending startup Dharma pauses new deposits and loans (The Block Crypto), Rated: A

Dharma, the San Francisco-based crypto lending startup behind the open-source protocol of the same name, has announced via Twitter that it is “pausing new deposits and loans” on its platform.

I quit my job at 34 with $ 3 million—here are my 5 biggest regrets about early retirement (CNBC), Rated: AAA

And in 2012, I finally retired at 34. By the time I quit my job, I had amassed a net worth of about $3 million that generated roughly $80,000 in investment income per year.

If I worked a few extra years before retiring, I would have had the financial confidence to buy more real estate in 2012, right before prices began to take off. (A rental property in San Francisco that cost $900,000 in 2012 would be worth roughly $1.6 million today.)

Source: Bay Area Market Reports, Compass

I also could have leveraged my interests in real estate and technology to start a real estate crowdfunding company — or, at the very least, join one. I still believe that real estate is one of the most straightforward ways most Americans can build wealth over the long term.

OppLoans Review: Installment Loans for Borrowers with Bad Credit (Money Check), Rated: A

One such lender that is looking to capitalize on this space is OppLoans. The US-based lender offers loans to those with poor credit, ranging from $500 up to $5,000.

Galaxy Digital Makes Its Next Move in Crypto Lending Markets (Bitcoin Magazine), Rated: B

DrawBridge Lending (DBL), a digital asset loaning, borrowing and investing company, has received an investment from merchant bank Galaxy Digital with the aim to greatly expand DBL’s institutional investment and lending capacity.

Minneapolis-based Digital Finance Startup DeFiner.org Wins 2019 Detroit Fintech Challenge (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: B

Less than two years after being conceptualized, Minneapolis-based digital lending & borrowing platform DeFiner.org has beat out 17 other Fintech startups to win one of the industry’s most coveted prizes.

United Kingdom

Funding Circle adds to August ABS supply with first US deal (GlobalCapital), Rated: AAA

UK-based marketplace lender Funding Circle is set to issue its first US securitization, a $198.45m deal backed by loans made to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Funding Circle posts higher revenues but pre-tax losses widen (P2P Finance News), Rated: AAA

FUNDING Circle has increased its revenues but widened its pre-tax losses, according to a half-year report which echoed last month’s results preview.

The FTSE 250-quoted firm posted a 29 per cent jump in revenue to £81.4m but pre-tax losses widened to £30.8m from £27.1m in the first half of 2018.

Adjusted core earnings fell year-on-year to £1.2m from £3.3m.

Tide, Starling Ramp Up Rivalry Over SMB Customers (PYMNTS), Rated: A

The rivalry between U.K. challenger banks Tide and Starling continues to heat up as Tide signs on its 100,000th small business customer.

Reports in The Telegraph on Monday (Aug. 5) said the companies continue to compete for the small business customer base. Tide has on-boarded 100,000 small business customers, described by the firm’s chief executive Oliver Prill as a “very significant milestone.”

Young SMEs and companies that have recently switched banks are prime UK neobank targets (Business Insider), Rated: A

UK small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are fairly satisfied with their current banking situation, which leans heavily in favor of major incumbents: 88% of financial decision makers at UK SMEs say their main account is with an established high street bank and 86% are either “very happy” or “fairly happy” with the service they receive, per a report from Finastra and YouGov. Further, just 29% of SME respondents said their business would be likely to switch its main bank account in the next five years.

Source: Business Insider

1 in 4 UK robo-advisors shuttered in two years (AltFi), Rated: A

Digital wealth management, or robo advice as it used to be called, has been around for more than a decade and launched into the UK in 2011 with the arrival of Nutmeg. Things started to get really interesting around 2016 and 2017 when a flurry of companies were founded to attack the space dominated by traditional wealth management, an industry looking after £1trn of investors’ assets.

OakNorth strengthening leadership team with appointment of Jackson Hull as CTO and COO (Fintech Finance), Rated: B

OakNorth has today announced the appointment of Jackson Hull as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO). With over 15 year’s C-suite experience in London and San Francisco, Jackson is a leading expert in building high-volume eCommerce applications, global SaaS platforms, mobile and IoT platforms, as well as award-winning products and services in finance, fintech, travel, accommodation and retail.

China

Jiayin Closes Cases Against 12,000 Debtors Online (CapitalWatch), Rated: AAA

Jiayin Group Inc. (Nasdaq: JFIN), China’s online lending platform, announced it has solved more than 12,000 cases of overdue payments and attempts to escape debt as of May.

Shanghai-based Jiayin runs a peer-to-peer lending marketplace, known as Niwodai, which connects borrowers and investors. The company has established a tailored legal department for post-loan management to handle online arbitration. As it reported on its website, as of the end of May, it has closed more than 12,000 cases in more than 30 provinces in China.

European Union

Swedish fintech Klarna valued at $ 5.5 billion in funding round (Reuters), Rated: AAA

Online payments firm Klarna, which has attracted a growing following with its “buy now, pay later” service for shoppers, said on Tuesday it had raised $460 million in a funding round that makes it Europe’s most valuable fintech startup.

Investors led by San Francisco-based Dragoneer Investment Group put new money into the Swedish company, giving it a valuation of $5.5 billion and additional financial firepower to expand in the United States.

Video: What’s next for Klarna, the most valuable EU fintech (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: A

Yahoo Finance’s Adam Shapiro, Julie Hyman, Rick Newman, and Scott Gamm join Klarna Co-Founder and CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski.

Penta, the German business banking startup, raises €8M additional funding (TechCrunch), Rated: A

Penta, the business banking provider for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that was recently acquired by fintech company builder Finleap, has raised “over” €8 million in new funding.

The startup raised a €7 million Series A round in late 2018, and is thought to have had more than €18 million investment since being founded in 2016.

Two Issues Currently Evolving on P2P Lending Marketplaces (P2P-Banking), Rated: A

This week some investors on the p2p lending marketplaces Viventor, Grupeer and Mintos are affected by issues that hinder the normal procedures on these marketplaces.

(Screenshot from Viventor.com)

Update 14:02: Apparently Mintos has now suspended trading of Aforti loans on the secondary market.

EstateGuru, a Marketplace for Short-Term, Property Backed Loans, Launches in Portugal (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

EstateGuru, an online marketplace for secured, short term loans, has launched in Portugal, according to a note from the company. EstateGuru is now providing crowdfunding services in six different countries including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Spain. EstateGuru said by opening in the Portuguese market the company had achieved its next milestone in its long term strategy.

International

International P2P Lending Volumes July 2019 (P2P-Banking), Rated: AAA

Mintos leads ahead of Zopa and Ratesetter. The total volume for the reported marketplaces in the table adds up to 611 million Euro.

Source: P2P-Banking

Ethereum’s Latest Milestone — 200,000 Smart Contracts (Crypto.IQ), Rated: A

DeFi protocols such as Compound, Dharma, and Uniswap are among the most advanced tools of Ethereum-based P2P lending solutions. Another interesting use case built on Ethereum is the decentralized prediction market platform Augur (REP).

Crowdfunding: alternative ways to find a community of impact investors (Specialist Banking), Rated: B

At the same time, there’s been a remarkable increase in the impact investment market — investments made with the intention to generate positive social and environmental impact alongside a financial return — with the Global Impact Investing Network valuing the global market at $502bn.

Australia/New Zealand

CommBank Invests US$ 100 Million In Fintech Klarna As Digital Transactions Continue To Grow (Which-50), Rated: AAA

Commonwealth Bank has invested in Klarna, a Swedish rival to Afterpay, and will bring the European buy now, pay later provider to Australia. The deal accompanies the bank’s continued investment in its digital capabilities.

CommBank invested US$100 million in the fintech’s US$460 million funding round, announced yesterday, which values the company at $5.5 billion. The bank will also become Klarna’s exclusive partner in Australia and New Zealand.

Prospa Establish NZ Warehouse Facility, Shares Rise on ASX (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: AAA

Online lender Prospa Group Limited (ASX: PGL) has established its first warehouse facility specifically to fund New Zealand small business loans. According to a note from Prospa, the 3-year facility has an initial capacity of NZ $45 million.

Judo bank breaks Aussie record with $ 400m round (Fintech Futures), Rated: A

Australian challenger, Judo Bank, has completed the biggest single funding round in the country’s history by raising $400 million, writes Jane Connolly.

StartupSmart reports that the finance – which is double Judo’s original target for the round – came from new institutional investors, including Bain Capital Credit and Tikehau Capital, along with existing investors.

India

India’s Indifi raises $ 21M to expand its online lending platform (TechCrunch), Rated: AAA

Indifi, a Gurgaon-based startup that offers loans to small and medium-sized businesses and also operates an online lending marketplace, has raised 1,450 million Indian rupees ($21 million) in a new financing round to expand its business in the country.

Indifi, which has raised about $34 million in venture capital to date, has also relied on debt to grow and finance loans on its platform. Currently, it’s in about $21 million in debt, Alok Mittal, co-founder and managing director of Indifi, told TechCrunch in an interview.

A typical loan processed by Indifi is of about $7,000 in size. Overall, the startup offers between $1,400 to $70,000 in capital to businesses.

Asia

65% of Singapore Customers Interested in Digital Banking (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: AAA

According to a recent survey, in Singapore digital banking has some pent up demand. JD Power has published a brief retail banking satisfaction study and, according to their numbers, 65% of consumers are interested in opening digital bank accounts. This is an increase from the year prior where 52% of surveyed individuals expressed similar digital banking interest.

Authors:

George Popescu

Allen Taylor

The post Thursday August 8 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

Thursday May 30 2019, Weekly News Digest

News Comments Today’s main news: SoFi has raised $500M. Morningstar accelerates acquisition of DBRS. PayPal hits $10B in small business loans milestone. Lendy goes into administration. Klarna launches installment loan app for all retailers. New York overtakes London as financial hub of the world. Today’s main analysis: LendingClub’s advance shareholder meeting presentation (A MUST-READ). Today’s […]

The post Thursday May 30 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

News Comments

Today’s main news: SoFi has raised $500M. Morningstar accelerates acquisition of DBRS. PayPal hits $10B in small business loans milestone. Lendy goes into administration. Klarna launches installment loan app for all retailers. New York overtakes London as financial hub of the world.
Today’s main analysis: LendingClub’s advance shareholder meeting presentation (A MUST-READ).
Today’s thought-provoking articles: PayPal small biz lending compared to OnDeck, Funding Circle. Mortgage borrowers can save $2K+ shopping for loans online. Where we are in the credit cycle. Who’s lending to small businesses.

United States

SoFi quietly raises $500 million. What’s noteworthy about this raise is the source of the funding: Qatar Investment Authority.
SoFi’s valuation remains unchanged.
SoFi could have its name on a football stadium soon. Almost as interesting as SoFi’s fundraising news.
Morningstar accelerates acquisition of DBRS. This is an interesting acquisition. Consolidation in the credit ratings business means fewer ways to analyze a potential investment. It will strengthen Morningstar’s reputation and analysis technology, but investors will lose in the long run since analysis information will come from fewer quarters.
PayPal hits $10 billion in small business loan originations. In only five years, that’s not a bad accomplishment, but it likely will not take as long for the next $10 billion milestone. PayPal is becoming a competitor.
PayPal vs. OnDeck vs. Kabbage, vs. et.al. From Lend Academy and deBanked.
LendingClub’s pre-meeting presentation. Read up on LendingClub’s position before their annual shareholder meeting, scheduled for June 5, 2019.
Mortgage borrowers can save over $2,000 by shopping for loans online. From LendingTree.
Where are we in the credit cycle? From PeerIQ. More interesting is the Fed’s dot plot.
Who’s lending to small businesses? Alternative lenders continue to take more percentage of small business lending. Banks have all but handed this sector over to Kabbage, OnDeck, and the rest.
LendingTree earns 5-star rating.
RedWeek, Affirm partner on travel financing.
Alternative lending options for business credit.
CoreLogic Teletrack launches platform for lenders, credit issuers.
Intuit to buy Origami Logic to use data for marketing.
Kabbage, Azlo partner on small business lending.
BitX Funding partners with Pelagic Capital on equipment financing.
How much Social Security Numbers are worth on the dark web.
Costco has a home loan app.
Investing with very little money.
BFS Capital appoints new chief technology officer, chief product officer.

United Kingdom

European Union

International

New York overtakes London as world’s financial hub. This is based on a survey, not actual objective statistics or data. But it’s still interesting. There is a lot of anxiety surrounding Brexit. The Big Apple can now be known for something else.
Cred to migrate tokens to Binance Mainnet.
BlockFi launches Gemini Dollars accounts.
Emerging fintech hubs.
Nexo releases crypto lending update.
Apolitical releases list of most influential people on gender equality.

Other

News Summary

United States

Online lender SoFi has quietly raised $ 500 million in funding, led by Qatar (TechCrunch), Rated: AAA

Online lending startup Social Finance, better known as SoFi, took another tack this morning, quietly announcing in a press release that it has closed half a billion dollars in a single funding round led by Qatar Investment Authority, a Doha, Qatar-based private equity and sovereign wealth fund.

SoFi Raises $ 500M, Valuation Remains $ 4.3B (PYMNTS), Rated: A

The company said it will use the capital to invest in growth and add some muscle to its $2.3 billion balance sheet. The company’s valuation will stay about the same as with the last funding round two years ago, which was led by Silver Lake.

SoFi Is Close to a Deal Putting Its Name on L.A. Football Stadium (Bloomberg), Rated: A

Social Finance Inc., a financial technology startup, is close to signing a deal that would put its name on a new NFL stadium under construction in Inglewood, California, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The deal for the stadium, which would be home to the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, hasn’t been signed so figures could change. But currently the agreement would have SoFi pay $20 million a year for 20 years, these people added.

Morningstar to Accelerate Credit Ratings Business with DBRS Acquisition (Morningstar), Rated: AAA

Morningstar, Inc. today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire DBRS, the world’s fourth-largest credit ratings agency, for a purchase price of $669 million. The combination of DBRS with Morningstar Credit Ratings’ U.S. business will expand global asset class coverage and provide an enhanced platform for providing investors with leading fixed-income analysis and research.

PayPal’s Latest Milestone: $ 10 Billion In Small Business Loans (Forbes), Rated: AAA

The small business lending market is booming and it’s not the traditional banks that are benefiting. Fintechs are leading the way. Case in point: PayPal. It hit a milestone, announcing it has provided more than $10 billion in loans to more than 225,000 small businesses around the globe.

The $10 billion mark comes a little more than five years after PayPal made its first loan. Today it has issued more than 650,000 loans through financing programs in the U.S., UK, Australia, Germany, and Mexico.

PayPal Crosses $ 10 Billion In Small Business Loans (Lend Academy), Rated: AAA

Now they are hitting some impressive quarterly milestones, originating $1 billion per quarter, so their next $10 billion is surely to happen even quicker.

deBanked recently highlighted the leading small business originators which showed that PayPal is solidly the leader when it comes to originations in the US. OnDeck which is second to PayPal reported originations of $636 million in Q1 2019. According to data provided by Funding Circle on their website, which includes their lending globally, they have originated $9.5 billion in loans.

Source: deBanked.com

LendingClub Posts Presentation in Advance of Shareholder Meeting (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: AAA

LendingClub (NYSE:LC) has posted a presentation apparently in preparation for its annual shareholder meeting which is scheduled to take place on June 5, 2019.

Source: LendingClub

View the full presentation right here.

Borrowers can save over $ 2,000 by shopping for lenders who offer low mortgage fees (LendingTree), Rated: AAA

Key findings

Mortgage fees in the first quarter had a median of $2,059 for purchase loans and $1,807 for refinancing.
The more offers a borrower receives, the greater the potential for savings. For people receiving five offers, the median spread between the highest and lowest fees offered was $2,045.
7% of new purchase borrowers and 8% of refinance borrowers were offered $0 in fees.
15% of new purchase borrowers and 19% of refinance borrowers paid less than $500 in fees.
28% of purchase borrowers paid less than $1,000 in mortgage fees, with 35% of refinance borrowers also paying less than $1,000 in fees.
At the high end, 13% of purchase borrowers were hit with fees over $5,000, 3% over $10,000 and 0.21% over $20,000.
For refinance loans, 12% were offered upfront fees over $5,000, 1% over $10,000 and 0.02% over $20,000.

Home Loan Provider Earns Top 5-Star Rating from TopConsumerReviews.com (PRWeb), Rated: A

TopConsumerReviews.com recently gave their highest rating to LendingTree, an industry leader among providers of Home Loans, for another consecutive year.

Where Are We in the Credit Cycle? (PeerIQ), Rated: AAA

First, a quick summary of headlines. The Fed agreed to keep interest rates on hold for longer according to the minutes of the April meeting. The decision is expected to help inflation pick up towards the Fed’s 2% target. The Fed’s latest ‘dot plot’, shown below, indicates Fed governors on the margin expect lower rates in the 2019 to 2021 timeframe suggesting lower growth expectations.

Source: PeerIQ, US Federal Reserve, Bloomberg

“…what we see is right now the fundamentals of the economy in the U.S. on a global basis and the fundamentals of consumers and unemployment being low as you mentioned, means that credit is in good shape and we just don’t see that changing a lot.”

Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America

Kroll also released a report on the Evolution of the Consumer Loan Marketplace Sector to lay out how the sector has matured over time. The report comes on the heels of a Fitch report that said that declining credit enhancements in MPL deals is unwarranted.

Prevent attrition and win new relationships with loan options (Bankless Times), Rated: AAA

Small business clients are increasingly looking to alternative lenders for financing. There are numerous draws for SMB clients: a fast and easy application process, quick funding, and a higher chance of being approved for a loan.

According to the Federal Reserve’s Small Business Credit Survey, the main reason clients applied for funding from an online lender was the speed of decision / funding (63 percent) followed by a better chance of being funded (61 percent).

The number of small business owners who turn to alternative lenders for funding has increased steadily since 2016.

Source: Bankless Times

RedWeek Teams Up with Affirm to Help Travelers Vacation Now and Pay Later (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: A

RedWeek.com, the largest online community for timeshare rentals and resales, announced a new partnership with Affirm that will give travelers the flexibility to pay for their vacation rentals in simple, monthly installments.

Travelers can check eligibility for a loan online before booking their next trip and, after entering five simple pieces of information, receive a real-time decision without impacting their credit scores.

3 Alternative Lending Options to Help Build Your Business Credit (Nav.com), Rated: A

1. Online Business Loans

Once upon a time, if you wanted to borrow money for your business you had to make a trip down to your local bank branch or credit union to see if you could qualify for funding. However, a new generation of business lenders has since emerged to offer business owners an alternative way to secure capital.

2. Invoice Financing

Is your business structured in a way so that it gets paid after delivering services or goods to customers? If so, invoice financing is an alternative lending option that might work for you.

3. Microloans

Microloans are issued through non-profit organizations aptly named microlenders. Although the maximum loan size is generally $50,000, the average microloan issued to a small business or startup is a much smaller $6,000.

CoreLogic Teletrack launches a new platform for lenders and credit issuers (Automotive News), Rated: A

CoreLogic today launched the new CoreLogic Teletrack platform, offering lenders and credit issuers superior access and greater insight into alternative credit data through one of the industry’s largest alternative credit databases. The new platform and solution combine upgraded services, data, products and an analytics engine to help users discover new market segments, make smarter risk decisions and grow their business throughout the credit lifecycle.

What Intuit knows about you (AXIOS), Rated: A

Intuit said Tuesday it had agreed to buy analytics company Origami Logic, effectively doubling down on the use of customer data to enhance its marketing.

The company can cross-sell its own products as well as products and services from third parties — like a Capital One Platinum Credit Card or a loan from Lending Club — based on what it knows about you.

Kabbage And Azlo Collaborate To Make Small Business Lending Easier (eSellerCafe), Rated: A

US online banking platform Azlo and online small business lender announced the launch of Mission Street Capital, a new program that provides small businesses banking with Azlo access to loans through Kabbage up to $250,000.

BitX Funding Strikes Equipment Finance Alliance (PYMNTS), Rated: A

Small business lending marketplace BitX Funding has struck an alliance with transportation equipment finance company Pelagic Capital, the companies said in a press release Tuesday (May 28).

On the Dark Web, your social security number is only worth (CB Insights Email), Rated: A

5 Home Loan Apps To Test-Drive (Spokes-Recorder), Rated: B

Not many know this discount bulk retail giant also provides a loan marketplace to shop for the best mortgage rate. While open to all, Costco members can access discounts on lending services. Loan options include home equity, fixed and adjustable rate, FHA, VA, USDA, and jumbo. Note, this lender’s services are strictly digital so you will not be able to meet up with someone face-to-face.

Top 5 ways to start Investing With Little Money!! (EconoTimes), Rated: B

Though P2P lendings are not low investment choices; with Fast invest, it is possible. You can start investing here with just 1 pound to accelerate cash flow. The website allows investors to deposit amounts and based on that suggests loans. After you choose the loan pack as an investor, the site assigns borrowers. Once the borrower takes the loan from you, the site starts increasing your invested amount with the applied interest rate of up to 14% till the payback period. It also comes with buyback guarantee if the borrower fails to return your loan in the payback period.

Real estate crowdfunding sites provide you the opportunity to invest in third-party properties. Fundrise is the best crowdfunding platform to go for that lets you start investing with only $500. With a year’s saving, you can start investing in this crowdfunding site and gain 8.7 to 12.4% annual returns based on your deposited amount.

BFS Capital Appoints Fred Kauber as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Product Officer (Yahoo! Finance), Rated: B

BFS Capital today announced the appointment of Fred Kauber as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Product Officer. As a member of the management team reporting to CEO Mark Ruddock, Kauber will be responsible for leading a customer-focused product and technology organization whose mission is to help BFS re-imagine financial services for small businesses.

United Kingdom

Peer-to-peer lending provider Lendy enters administration (Credit Strategy), Rated: AAA

Damian Webb, Phillip Sykes and Mark Wilson of RSM Restructuring Advisory have been appointed as joint administrators of three companies within the Lendy Group: Lendy Limited, Saving Stream Security Holdings Limited and Lendy Provision Reserve Limited.

Does Lendy Collapse Hint the Failure of P2P Loans Industry? (LearnBonds), Rated: A

Before administration, over £90 million of loans defaulted out of £160 million of outstanding loans. The collapse of Lendy means investors had lost millions of pounds.

BondMason Reportedly Is Shutting Down P2P Business (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: A

BondMason, an online savings and investments platform that sources investments from across the peer-to-peer (P2P) market for its clients, has reportedly announced it is officially shutting down its P2P lending business.

Combating The Payday Loan With On-Demand Wages (PYMNTS), Rated: A

Peter Briffett, CEO of U.K. FinTech Wagestream, told PYMNTS in a recent interview that the cash flow constraints of having to wait for a single day to receive wages every month can be dangerous to the financial wellness of professionals. A single, expensive incident can force these professionals into debt via bank overdrafts or credit cards — or worse, Briffett said, into the payday loan cycle.

The company recently announced a $51 million funding round for its solution — led by Balderton Capital and Northzone, which provided equity, and Shawbrook, which provided debt.

Microfinance Trends and Size of the Market (Cryptopolitan), Rated: A

And that is where microfinance is moving – to an era where individuals and businesses can get financial services from other individuals and business entities. Technology is providing tools for matching borrowers and lenders. And even more important – the tools for creating contracts that execute accordingly.

European Union

Klarna Launches a Direct-to-Consumer App With Installment Payments Built in (Digital Transactions), Rated: AAA

Announced Tuesday, the Klarna app presents the retailer’s site with a footer containing a Pay with Klarna button. When selecting that option, the shopper can pay for purchases in four equal installments with no interest or fees. The app is open to any merchant, not just those already affiliated with Klarna, the company says. These could include retailers without an alternative-payment option or that use a competitor’s program.

10 more big retail tech plays in 2019 (Retail Innovation Hub), Rated: A

PayTech venture Klarna is launching its first UK “all-immersive store” in London’s Covent Garden, with a private VIP party on 4th June.

Becoming a mortgage lender (IPE), Rated: A

Stabelo’s model is to pool capital from institutional investors in exchange for fixed-income securities and uses the money raised to lend mortgages directly to homebuyers. The firm offers mortgages in conjunction with Avanza Bank, which is the biggest online lender in Sweden, and owns just under 20% of Stabelo.

International

London toppled by New York as world’s financial hub (Tech HQ), Rated: AAA

A survey by consultancy and advisory firm Duff & Phelps, involving 180 executives in asset management, private equity, hedge funds, banking and brokerage, found that confidence in the UK capital has plummetted in the last year.

Just 36 percent ranked London as the foremost global financial hub— a year-on-year drop of 17 percent. With New York rising 10 percent, ranked by more than half (52 percent) as the world’s new financial powerhouse, the two cities have “switched places”.

Source: Duff & Phelps

Crypto Lending Platform Cred to Migrate Tokens to Binance Mainnet in New Partnership (CoinTelegraph), Rated: A

Major crypto exchange Binance has partnered with decentralized crypto lending platform Cred to bring its services to the Binance ecosystem, according to a press release publishedon May 29.

As part of the agreement, Cred will migrate some of its ERC-20 LBA tokens to Binance’s mainnet, Binance Chain, and become the official lending and borrowing platform for the decentralized financial ecosystem.

Crypto Lending Startup BlockFi Launches Gemini Dollar Accounts (CoinTelegraph), Rated: A

Cryptocurrency asset management company BlockFi announced that its interest-bearing accounts now support the gemini dollar (GUSD) in a post published on May 29.

Per the announcement, GUSD deposits will see a yearly yield of 6.2%, paid in the stablecoinin question. BlockFi notes that it also offers GUSD as a U.S. dollar funding option and as collateral from institutional cryptocurrency borrowers.

Top 5 emerging fintech hubs (World Finance), Rated: A

São Paulo
Brazil has more fintech start-ups than any other Latin American country, and most of them are consolidated in the country’s financial centre, São Paulo.

Lithuania
One country poised to see an explosion of opportunities after Brexit is Lithuania. In February of this year, the country saw around 100 British financial companies apply for a licence in the country.

Estonia
Estonia has one of the highest rates of start-ups per capita in Europe. According to Startup Genome, 29 percent of all jobs created by these start-ups are within the country’s fintech industry.

Frankfurt
Home to the European Central Bank and more than 200 banks – most of which are foreign – Frankfurt plays an important role in the EU’s financial system.

Bengaluru
Bengaluru (previously Bangalore) is anticipated to become one of the next big tech hubs. One of Asia’s fastest growing start-up ecosystems, the city is home to 438 fintech start-ups and has been dubbed the ‘Silicon Valley of India’.

Nexo Releases Crypto Lending Update Clarifying Misconceptions and Future Outlook (Bitcoin Exchange Guide), Rated: B

Nexo claims their key business model “is unchanged” but that the company is:

“actively exploring new avenues to maximize token utility and investor value.” The company also claims their ultimate goal is to become “a multi-billion dollar financial institution.”

These are the world’s 100 most influential people in gender policy this year (CNBC), Rated: B

Apolitical, a peer-to-peer lending platform for governments, unveiled its list of the world’s 100 most influential individuals on gender equality on Wednesday. It recognized politicians, activists and academics, among others, who were shaping gender policy in 2019.

Australia/New Zealand

Advice beyond mortgages: “the opportunity is huge” (NZ Adviser Online), Rated: AAA

According to Adrienne Church, General Manager at small business lender Prospa, venturing into an unfamiliar type of lending may be worrying – but it is also necessary as the lending market expands, and the property market remains as unpredictable as it inevitably always is.

Asia

TaniGroup Secures US$ 10 Million in Series A Funding to Re-Imagine Agriculture in Indonesia (Global Banking and Finance), Rated: AAA

Agritech startup TaniGroup, which operates agriculture e-commerce TaniHub and peer-to-peer lending provider TaniFund, today announced it raised a US$10 million Series A round of financing led by Openspace Ventures with participation from Intudo Ventures, Golden Gate Ventures, and The DFS Lab.

Peer-To-Peer Lending In Indonesia: A Regulatory Update (Mondaq), Rated: A

In February of this year, the Indonesian Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan or “OJK”) issued an updated checklist for peer-to-peer lending (“P2P lending”) platform providers (“Checklist”) registering with the OJK or applying to the body for a business license or change of ownership. The new Checklist introduces several changes to the previous checklist issued in October 2018. We highlight the key material changes and new requirements introduced by the Checklist.

MENA

Qatar Investment Authority invests more than $ 500M in SoFi (Mobile Payments Today), Rated: AAA

Qatar Investment Authority has led an investment of more than $500 million in SoFi, a mobile-first personal finance firm. The investment values the company at $4.3 billion on a pre-money basis, according to a release from the fund.

East Africa

Kenya Is Also Setting The Standard For Mobile Lending (Forbes), Rated: AAA

We all know that Kenya revolutionized mobile payments for the developing world and brands like M-Pesa continue to lead the market, but what about mobile lending? According to Creditinfo Kenya, 93 percent of all mobile loans originate from regulated financial institutions, and there are around five million borrowers and each has an average of 5.89 loans.

Canada

This Alternative Lending Company Offers Investors a Huge Margin of Safety (The Motley Fool), Rated: AAA

Home Capital is a specialty finance company that primarily deals in mortgages. The company typically deals with borrowers who don’t meet normal bank requirements. It offers traditional mortgages and consumer lending as well as securitizing insured mortgages and offering home equity lines of credit.

Authors:

George Popescu

Allen Taylor

The post Thursday May 30 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

Thursday April 4 2019, Weekly News Digest

News Comments Today’s main news: Affirm raises $300M. LendingClub charged with privacy violation. Funding Circle issues 187M GBP securitization. Zopa legacy portfolio drags. Fellow Finance facilitates 18.2M euros in March loans. Today’s main analysis: March 2019 debt report from LendingTree (A MUST-READ). Today’s thought-provoking articles: Interview with SoFi CEO Anthony Noto. The slowing U.S. economy. […]

The post Thursday April 4 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

News Comments

Today’s main news: Affirm raises $300M. LendingClub charged with privacy violation. Funding Circle issues 187M GBP securitization. Zopa legacy portfolio drags. Fellow Finance facilitates 18.2M euros in March loans.
Today’s main analysis: March 2019 debt report from LendingTree (A MUST-READ).
Today’s thought-provoking articles: Interview with SoFi CEO Anthony Noto. The slowing U.S. economy. Women in fintech demolish glass ceiling.

United States

Affirm raises $300 million. A recent announcement shows Affirm developing a relationship with Walmart.
Affirm to hire in San Francisco.
LendingClub charged with privacy violations. Specifically, the charge is a violation of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
Anthony Noto of SoFi. Interview with Lend Academy’s Peter Renton. See the transcript of the podcast.
How the U.S. economy is slowing. From PeerIQ.
LendingTree’s March 2019 debt report. Detailed. Great charts. A must-read.
PayPal invests in blockchain startup. Is this dipping the toe in the water? Will we see PayPal taking crypto payments any time soon? Or is this a one-time investment?
Zillow opens home lending arm.
Earnin under investigation in New York. Given the sentiments on payday lenders, whether or not you consider Earnin in that category, this was bound to happen.
BlockFi interest account customers get first payouts.
Crypto lenders push no-tax perk of Bitcoin loans.
Atomic Capital makes aggressive offer on crypto loans.
SME bank Novo snags $4.8 million in funding.
Blend to deepen bank ties.
Will millennials allow non-banks a foothold in finances?
Success Member is an online loan marketplace franchise.
Marcus product head resigns.
Tradeweb raises $1.1 billion.
Direct Lending Investments gets hit with class action.
Pagaya enters real estate sector.
White Oak Commercial Finance adds origination talent.
Charles Schwab to offer digital investment advice by subscription.

United Kingdom

Funding Circle issues 187 million GBP securitization. It’s good to see this.
Zopa legacy portfolio drags.
Starling Bank raises 75 million GBP.
Monzo mulls 11 GBP per month premium offer.
Monevo review.
FCA warns against P2P isas. Again.
WageDay Advance is a smaller type of Wonga.
Five ways to add IFISA diversity.
Income properties.
Finastra adds chief people officer.

European Union

International

Other

News Summary

United States

Max Levchin’s Affirm raises $ 300 million (Axios), Rated: AAA

Affirm, the consumer credit startup led by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, has raised around $300 million in Series F funding at a $2.9 billion post-money valuation, Axios has learned from multiple sources.

PayPal co-founder’s fintech company scores $ 300 million, plans massive hiring in S.F. (Biz Journals), Rated: A

Flush with a monstrous funding round, this San Francisco-based fintech company plans to ramp up its hiring from 580 employees to 850 by the end of the year – and the bulk will be in the Bay Area.

FTC Privacy and Data Security Report for 2018 (JDSupra), Rated: AAA

LendingClub, a peer-to-peer lending company, was charged with failing to deliver adequate privacy notices to consumers required by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act’s Privacy Rule and Regulation P. The FTC’s complaint alleged that “LendingClub violated these rules by failing to provide its customers with clear and conspicuous notice before collecting consumers’ financial data and by failing to deliver the notice in a way that ensured that consumers received it.” Customers were instead forced to follow a series of links before being able to review the privacy policy, a method the FTC deemed to be improper.

Anthony Noto of SoFi (Lend Academy), Rated: AAA

The CEO of SoFi talks priorities, innovation, company culture, competition and what it will take to build a world class financial services firm

Read the full transcript of the interview here. Interview by Peter Renton.

US Economy Slowing (PeerIQ), Rated: AAA

US 4^th quarter GDP growth slowed to 2.2%, as what is shaping up to be the largest expansion in US economic history starts to lose steam. Consumer spending also slowed in January, rising by just 0.1% MoM. The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, PCE, rose by just 1.4% YoY, justifying the Fed’s decision to keep rates on hold. Overall signs point to a slowing economy in the late stages of an expansion.

Source: Bloomberg, PeerIQ

LendingTree Debt Report – March 2019 (LendingTree), Rated: AAA

After a brief respite in mid-2018, the debt-to-income ratio for consumer debt rose once more, reaching 25.41% by the end of 2018. That falls just shy of the all-time high of 25.49% set one year earlier.

Household wealth saw a $5 trillion decline last quarter

Losing $5 trillion of wealth may sound disastrous, but that’s what happened to American households last quarter. According to the Federal Reserve, total net worth of U.S. households fell from $108 trillion to $104.3 trillion in the last quarter of 2018. The loss was the biggest quarterly drop since the depths of the great recession of 2008.

PayPal Makes Its First-Ever Investment in a Blockchain Startup (CoinDesk), Rated: A

Announced today, PayPal has joined the extension of a Series A funding round in Cambridge Blockchain, a startup that helps financial institutions and other companies manage sensitive data using shared ledgers.

Neither PayPal nor Cambridge Blockchain disclosed the investment amount, but recent filings with the SEC indicate that Cambridge Blockchain has raised a total of $3.5 million in new equity from several investors over the past nine months. That follows the $7 million close of its Series A in May of 2018, and brings the total capital raised to $10.5 million.

Zillow is now a mortgage lender, launches Zillow Home Loans (HousingWire), Rated: A

Zillow announced Tuesday that it is launching its own mortgage lending operation, which it is calling Zillow Home Loans.

A payday lender in disguise? New York investigates the Earnin app (American Banker), Rated: A

As early wage access programs such as Even, PayActiv, FlexWage, ZayZoon and DailyPay gain traction, some other apps are copying their style while using a more traditional payday-loan model — sparking attention from law enforcement agencies in the process.

That’s what happened to Earnin, which is often referred to and bills itself as an early wage access provider, which give employees access to their paychecks before they are deposited. The New York Department of Financial Services launched an investigation of the firm over concerns it may be skirting state lending laws by, among other things, requiring tips from users in lieu of disclosing fees.

Crypto Lending Platform BlockFi’s Interest Account Customers Receive Their First Interest Payments (Bitcoin Exchange Guide), Rated: A

Leading crypto lending platform BlockFi recently announced that their Interest Account customers received their first interest payment for their Bitcoin [BTC] and Ethereum [ETH] deposits.

Since their public launch on March 5, BIA has grown by over 400% and counting. Approximately 75% of BIA clients have a balance of less than 5 BTC or 150 ETH. Their median account balance is $7,000 USD.

Crypto lenders push no-tax perk of leveraging bitcoin for cash (American Banker), Rated: A

Former Wall Street trader Edgar Fernandez used some of his bitcoin as collateral to borrow nearly $100,000, a move that let him keep his cryptocurrency and avert a tax bill on the newly acquired cash.

Genesis Capital, a cryptocurrencies lender in Jersey City, New Jersey, an affiliate of Genesis Trading, says it handed out more than $1.1 billion in cash loans and borrowed virtual cryptocurrencies in 2018. That total volume doubled in the last quarter of 2018 from the volume of the previous two quarters. Other lenders have also said they are doing more transactions, including Nexo, a cryptocurrencies lender that says it has loaned $330 million since launching last April.

Atomic Capital Goes On The Attack With New Crypto Loan Offer In The Market (Bitcoin Exchange Guide), Rated: A

The asset tokenization company, Atomic Capital, is making a very aggressive loan offer in the crypto lending field. Back on Wednesday, the firm will be giving USD loans for 85% of the value of the Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH) used as collateral. In this way, the firm will be offering the most generous loan-to-value (LTV) in the space.

Just to put it into comparison, BlockFi offers a maximum LTV of 50%. Celsius Network, meanwhile, is giving customers 25%, 33% or 50% LTV.

Atomic will be charging interest rates of 11% and 13%. This is much more than the 4.5% or 8.95% that other competitors offer.

New $ 4.8m funding for SME bank Novo (Fintech Futures), Rated: A

Novo has raised $4.8 million in venture seed financing to make banking accessible for small businesses by launching no-fee FDIC-insured digital banking.

Blend seeks to deepen bank ties with account opening product (American Banker), Rated: A

Blend is aiming to expand its customer base of banks and credit unions with a digital account opening product that it says takes some customers as little as two minutes to complete.

The account comes in addition to the mortgage products the digital loan origination fintech already offers and can stand on its own or be integrated as a package, the company said Tuesday.

Will Millennials Bring Non-banks into Their Finances? (deBanked), Rated: A

According to an Accenture surveyfrom five years ago, 34% of millennials said they would bank with Apple if such a product were available.

Best low cost franchises to get into (BM Magazine), Rated: A

Business Services Franchise

Success Member Inc.: It is the leading online loan marketplace that connects consumers with banks, credit partners and multiple lenders both nationally and internationally. They offer training with an expert to this industry of 33 years, along with a lifetime one-on-one dedicated support.

Minimum Cash Required:$25,000

Training and Support: Yes
Financing: Yes
SBA Approved: Yes
Home-Based: Yes

Goldman Sachs’ Marcus Loses Product Head (PYMNTS), Rated: A

Marcus, the consumer bank operated by Goldman Sachs, has seen its head of product Michael Cerda quit his job.

Tradeweb Raises $ 1.1 Billion in Year’s No. 2 IPO in U.S. (Bloomberg), Rated: A

Tradeweb Markets Inc. raised $1.1 billion in the second-largest U.S. initial public offering this year, after again increasing the number of shares it was selling and then pricing them above the marketed range.

Tradeweb’s IPO is also the biggest for a financial services company in the U.S. since online lender GreenSky Inc. raised $874 million in May.

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Brendan Ross, Direct Lending Investments, and Others (deBanked), Rated: A

A class action lawsuit has been filed in California against Direct Lending Investments, LLC (DLI), Brendan Ross, Bryce Mason, Frank Turner, Rodney Omanoff, and Quarterspot Inc. alleging breach of contract, breaches of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty, and fraudulent inducement.

Read the full complaint here.

AI-Powered Asset Manager Pagaya Goes
After Real Estate (Institutional Investor), Rated: A

Pagaya, which manages money using algorithms created with artificial intelligence, has raised $25 million in a series-C financing round led by Oak HC/FT, a health care and financial technology venture firm.

The fund raise will support the company’s move into real estate, corporate credit, mortgages, and other asset classes.

White Oak Commercial Finance Adds Origination Talent in Texas (AP News), Rated: B

White Oak Commercial Finance (“White Oak”), an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors, today announced the appointment of Andrew Bae to Director of ABL Originations, concentrating on Texas and the Southwestern U.S. region. Mr. Bae brings nearly 20 years of experience in commercial finance, most recently leading the establishment of the Dallas office for ExWorks Capital, a senior secured debt fund.

Charles Schwab Now Offers Investment Advice Digitally via Subscription (Subscription Insider), Rated: A

Clients pay a one-time fee of $300 and then $90 a quarter.

United Kingdom

Funding Circle back in securitisation market with £187m deal (P2P Finance News), Rated: AAA

FUNDING Circle has entered the securitisation market for the third time, with a £187m portfolio of UK loans originated by the peer-to-peer business lender.

Alternative asset manager Pollen Street Capital is the equity sponsor of the deal, having backed Funding Circle’s last securitisation eleven months ago.

While Funding Circle operates in the UK, the US, Germany and the Netherlands, the loans included in the securitisation are just from the UK.

Zopa legacy portfolio drags on P2PGI performance (P2P Finance News), Rated: AAA

P2P GLOBAL Investments (P2PGI) has blamed its poorly-performing legacy Zopa portfolio for its latest net asset value (NAV) dip.

The alternative finance-focused investment trust generated a NAV of just 0.31 per cent in February 2019, down from 0.45 per cent in January, and 0.75 per cent in December. This brings the trust’s annualised NAV to 3.7 per cent.

Will more challenger banks evolve as banking as a service providers? (Tearsheet), Rated: A

Starling Bank recently raised £75 million to fund a European expansion. As part of that announcement, the UK-based challenger said it had signed on three new clients to its banking as a service.

According to Starling, it has 20 institutional clients on its BaaS platform, which it launched in August 2018. Payment volume through the service is doubling month over month.

Monzo, following Revolut and N26, mulls new £11 per month premium offering (AltFi), Rated: A

Digital challenger bank Monzo crowned a bumper year in 2018 by coming first for customer service in an independent survey, stealing the title from regular winner First Direct. But will its growing legion of coral card-carriers ever pay for its expanding array of services?

The bank, which is now testing a new paid-for premium offering, thinks they might just do so. ‘Monzo Plus’ – as it is being called – even allows users paying a monthly fee to have Monzo cards in colours other than its famous ‘hot coral’ colour.

How to join the rush for a last‑minute Isa (The Times), Rated: A

There are now just over 48 hours left to make the most of the annual tax breaks on offer in an individual savings account (Isa). This year’s £20,000 allowance expires at midnight on April 5 and you can’t carry it over so it’s a case of use it or lose it.

Monevo Review – An Excellent Place to Begin Your Loan Search (DoughRoller), Rated: A

Through Monevo, you’ll be matched with loans of up to $100,000 with interest rates ranging from 3.99% to 35.99% APR; finding this many competitive options could take you hours to do individually. With Monevo, you can do it in about 60 seconds.

FCA warns that P2P Isas are ‘high risk’ (Money Observer), Rated: A

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned that mini-bonds and peer-to-peer loans held within the Isa wrapper are “high risk”.

Payday lending isn’t over yet – and now its victims are being shortchanged yet again (Independent), Rated: A

The administrators of WageDay Advance, which went under in February, have started contacting thousands of former customers owed compensation through being mis-sold loans by the company to urge them to join a growing list of creditors.

Compared with Wonga, WageDay was more of a piranha fish than a shark – but the problems it has created aren’t all that different.

Five ways to add IFISA diversity (P2P Finance News), Rated: A

THIS WEEK is the busiest of the year for ISA providers and ISA savers alike. As the end of the tax year approaches, investors and savers are rushing to make the most of their annual ISA allowance, while ISA managers scramble to convince them that theirs is the right product.

I trust bricks and mortar and want to invest but what’s the best way to create an income from property? (This is Money), Rated: A

People are still making money from property and always will, sometimes lowering their exposure by jointly investing with friends and family, or looking at peer-to-peer lending. Investing locally can give first time investors more confidence as they know their own postcodes, and can keep an eye on what’s going on.

Finastra welcomes Sharon Doherty as Chief People Officer (Techapeek), Rated: B

Finastra today announced the appointment of Sharon Doherty, as Chief People Officer. Doherty joins from Vodafone, where she held the position of Global Organization and People Development Director. In her new role at Finastra she will have global responsibility for making Finastra the most loved and inclusive employer in the Fintech industry.

China

Regulators to pilot P2P lender registration program in back half of 2019 (technode), Rated: AAA

China is expected to start piloting a registration program for online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms in the second half of this year. Regulators plan to start requiring P2P lenders in pilot cities, located in more developed regions, to register with the monitoring system. Regional and national players will have to meet certain requirements on registered capital, risk reserves, and lender risk compensation in order to be registered in the system. Regulators aim to roll out the national registration system by 2020.

European Union

Fellow Finance’s platform facilitated 18,2 million euros of loans in March (GlobeNewswire), Rated: AAA

In March Fellow Finance investors funded business and peer-to-peer loans worth around 18,2 million euros. Cumulative loan volume grew over 415 million euros and the total number of investors grew to 12 031. You can always check the real-time peer-to-peer lending statistics on our website: www.fellowfinance.com/for-investor/statistics.

Finleap acquires German challenger bank Penta (Fintech Futures), Rated: A

European fintech ecosystem Finleap has acquired Berlin-based digital sector banking solution Penta, reports Jane Connolly.

CoinLoan Enables Borrowers to Obtain Fiat Currency Using Cryptoassets as Collateral (Cardrates), Rated: A

In a Nutshell: In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending arose as an alternative to credit offered by traditional banks. At the same time, blockchain-based cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin also emerged. Now, CoinLoan is bringing the two together through its P2P lending platform that lets borrowers use cryptoassets as collateral for obtaining fiat (or traditional) currency. Lenders provide capital with a guarantee from CoinLoan that they will be repaid in full. Borrowers gain access to funds without needing to dispose of their cryptoassets or prove their creditworthiness.

International

Women in Fintech Demolish Glass Ceiling (Lend Academy), Rated: AAA

Valerie Kay, Chief Capital Officer at LendingClub, is responsible for overseeing LendingClub’s Investor Group. She addresses the need for diversity, inclusion, mutual respect and collaboration. She emphasizes the vital importance of diversity to drive better workplaces, happier customers and more profits.

Andrea Gellert, Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of online small business lender OnDeck, says she sees good progress being made by Fintechs in finding female candidates at all levels including C-Suite and board positions. She points out, “There are more female founders than there used to be. We are moving at a much more accelerated pace than previous industries did in terms of female management.”

Onfido scores $ 50 million investment (Finextra), Rated: A

Onfido, the global identity verification provider, today announced it has raised $50M in funding, bringing the total investment in the company to over $100M.

Australia

Australian neobanks target scale of UK rivals without growing pains (AltFi), Rated: AAA

Sydney-based digital bank Volt promises to offer a faster more personalised service than the country’s big four incumbents – National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group and Westpac.

Melbourne-based small business bank Judo launched last June lends between A$250,000 to A$5,000,000, and is process of applying for a banking license from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

Brokers urged to seize opportunities in SME space (TheAdviser), Rated: A

According to research from small business lender OnDeck Australia, which involved a survey of 331 business with an annual turnover of less than $5 million, 25 per cent of SMEs plan to seek additional finance over the next 12 months.

India

P2P lending (Invest in India), Rated: AAA

India currently has about 30 online P2P lending platforms. Some of these are Faircent, i2ifunding, Lendbox etc. In 2018, as many as 11 P2P players received the RBI licence to operate as an NBFC – P2P company. RBI in its master directions has defined NBFC – P2P as a non – banking institution which carries on the business of a peer – to – peer lending platform. The estimated P2P lending to be generated in India over the next 5 years is pegged at around $ 4 bn. Whereas in China, the P2P lending book currently is around $ 100 bn.

Southeast Asia

LCV TRADE FINANCE FUND ON TRACK WITH AN ADDITIONAL US$ 14.8MIL TO SUPPORT SMES IN SINGAPORE (Digital News Asia), Rated: A

SINGAPORE-based leading SME lending platform Validus Capital (Validus) and Lighthouse Canton, an independent asset management and family office advisory services firm, jointly announce the reopening of the LCV Trade Finance Fund (the Fund) with additional capacity of US$14.8 million (S$20 million; RM60 million).

Canada

OnDeck merges Canadian ops with Evolocity (Finextra), Rated: AAA

OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK), the leader in online lending to small business, today announced it has completed the transaction combining its Canadian operations with Evolocity Financial Group (Evolocity), a Montréal-based online small business lender. The combined companies are majority owned by OnDeck.

South Africa

For South Africa’s first challenger bank, conversational AI isn’t just a nice-to-have (Tearsheet), Rated: AAA

South Africa’s TymeBank has launched Max, an AI-powered conversational assistant designed to help consumers learn about personal finance.

For South Africa’s first challenger bank, conversational AI is an important piece of its product roadmap.

Latin America

Why Fintech Startups Are Rapidly Becoming Unicorns in Latin America (Next Billion), Rated: AAA

Fintech was the #1 sector of venture capital investments in Latin America last year, and experts are estimating that the LatAm fintech market will exceed $150 billion by 2021.

In the past few years, over 300 fintech startups have been born in Mexico alone, coming in just second to Brazil, which boasts nearly 400 startups in its own fintech sector.

Authors:

George Popescu

Allen Taylor

The post Thursday April 4 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

Thursday February 28 2019, Weekly News Digest

News Comments Today’s main news: SoFi to roll out crypto trading with Coinbase. Walmart now offers Affirm loans. Funding Circle fund ups the ante on buyback strategy. Orca launches IFISA. LendDenClub cross 1 million borrowers, lenders milestone. Today’s main analysis: 2019 securitization update. How marketplace lending is a growing and dynamic global market. (A MUST-READ) Today’s thought-provoking articles: The 2009 […]

The post Thursday February 28 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

News Comments

Today’s main news: SoFi to roll out crypto trading with Coinbase. Walmart now offers Affirm loans. Funding Circle fund ups the ante on buyback strategy. Orca launches IFISA. LendDenClub cross 1 million borrowers, lenders milestone.
Today’s main analysis: 2019 securitization update. How marketplace lending is a growing and dynamic global market. (A MUST-READ)
Today’s thought-provoking articles: The 2009 housing market compared to today. Personal loan interest rates for February 2019. Why Midwest BankCentre created a separate digital-only bank. Some bankers are worse off than in 2009. Dragon Victory International analysis.

United States

SoFi to offer crypto trading through Coinbase partnership. This is the most interesting news story of the week. The largest cryptocurrency exchange partnering with one of the largest marketplace lenders to offer cryptocurrency trading will be a huge feather in the cap for both companies.
Walmart now offers Affirm loans. We saw this one coming. In fact, I wonder why it took so long. Affirm snagging Walmart as a customer will catapult it to PayPal status fast.
More on Affirm’s, Walmart’s partnership.
Affirm CEO breaks it down.
2019 securitization update, Square charter status. Square is finally seeing some opposition to its banking aspirations. Excellent analysis from PeerIQ.
The housing market of 2009 compared to today. A LendingTree analysis showing the markets where median home values have increased the most and the least. California is hot. The Mid-Atlantic and Eastern states are not.
Personal loan interest rates for February 2019. A great breakdown from Nerdwallet.
Why a small bank launched a separate digital-only branch. I think we’re going to see more of this. As more consumers demand digital banking, and Millennials are all over it, more brick-and-mortar banks will see the opportunity to launch digital-only branches as separate entities. It’s actually a smart move.
SoFi to offer zero-fee ETFs.
FTC orders SoFi to stop misleading consumers.
Figure raises $65 million.
Gen Xers have the largest auto loan burden.
Elevate Credit posts earnings results.
Elevate’s CIO wins award.
Hunt Real Estate Capital buys RealtyMogul’s loan underwriting program.
Kabbage says it’s prepared for the coming recession.
Kabbage named one of the top workplaces among midsize companies in Atlanta.
CrowdStreet has new self-directed IRA offering.
Liquid P2P, Interest Radar partner.
Direct Lending Investments suspends investor withdrawals.
HSBC partners with Neptune Financial.
Venmo debuts rainbow-colored card.
Mastercard says digital identities will be very important in a few years.
Credit Karma wants to be known for more than free credit scores.
Brex launches credit card for e-commerce.
YieldStreet raises $62 million.
Guaranteed Rate listed as top loan originator.
Americans focus on debt management more than retirement savings.
Banking regulator challenging New York on fintech charters.
Blockchain can be used for P2P lending.
LoanStreet makes new hires.
White Oak Business Capital hires new head of markets.

United Kingdom

International

Some bankers are worse off than in 2009. A look at global IPOs.
Report on how marketplace lending is still a growing and dynamic market. A must-read from DBRS.
Enova expands worldwide credit access.
Blossom Capital gets $85 million from Robinhood, Funding Circle investors.
How lending can earn your Bitcoin online. I’d like to see a service where small lenders can lend fiat and earn Bitcoin.

Other

India: LenDenClub crosses 1 million borrower, lender milestone. Congratulations! Excellent achievement.
Mexico: PayPal to expand small business loans into country with new partnership. PayPal has begun its slow expansion internationally. Could it someday be a global powerhouse?
China: Analysis of Dragon Victory International. A very interesting look from Seeking Alpha.
Latin America: ID Finance Latam revenues climb 403%.
India: Why startups, investors see big potential in lending.
Ireland: Grid Finance suspends investments below 100,000 euro.
Brazil: N26 expands into Brazil.
China: Is the Chinese P2P lending boom over?
Singapore: Fintech investments rose to $365 million USD in 2018.
India: UDS ban will benefit P2P lending.
Australia: How should accountants talk about fintechs?
Singapore: Validus Capital raises $15 million for SME financing.
China: BHB raises $20 million using fake bios of founding team.
Africa: Fintechs inspire with mobile technology.
China: Futu Securities downsizes U.S. IPO.

News Summary

United States

Fintech startup SoFi — known for its online lending services — is partnering with major United States-based crypto exchange Coinbase to roll out crypto trading support, according to a CNBC report Feb. 26.

Millennial online lender SoFi to offer zero-fee ETFs, an unexpected rival for index fund giants Vanguard, iShares (CNBC), Rated: A

The race to zero-fee exchange-traded funds has found an unlikely competitor: Online lending and personal finance platform SoFi, which has filed for two index ETFs that will waive management fees for the first year. In making the move to zero-fee ETFs, the online lender is crashing an ETF party dominated by Vanguard and BlackRock‘s iShares.

FTC orders SoFi to stop misleading consumers (MPA Mag), Rated: B

The Federal Trade Commission has ordered online lender SoFi to stop lying about how much borrowers can save by refinancing with the company.

Digital lender founded by ex-SoFi CEO raises $ 65M to fuel expansion (American Banker), Rated: A

The new company founded by Mike Cagney, the former embattled chief executive of Social Finance, plans to announce a $65 million funding round on Wednesday, bolstering firm’s expansion into other financial services, including wealth management.

With the new venture, Cagney is using some of the strategies from his tenure at SoFi — like diversification into areas typically only occupied by traditional banks. However, the new company, Figure, is focusing on different customers, and it’s taking steps to avoid scandals similar to the ones that saw Cagney step down from the SoFi helm.

Walmart teams with Affirm to offer point-of-sale loans (American Banker), Rated: AAA

Walmart will offer its customers point-of-sale loans for the first time — both on its website and in nearly 4,000 U.S. stores — under a partnership with the Silicon Valley lender Affirm.

Under the deal, Walmart shoppers will be able to get Affirm loans of three, six or 12 months to finance purchases ranging from $150 to $2,000. The loans are already being offered in Walmart stores, and they will be available to Walmart’s online shoppers in the coming weeks.

Affirm’s latest partnership brings its alternative financing to Walmart’s US stores and website (TechCrunch), Rated: A

The companies announced this morning that Affirm’s financing options would be made available in more than 4,000 Walmart Supercenters across the U.S., and will roll out to Walmart.com in the weeks ahead.

The offering will go live across Walmart Supercenters nationwide, except in Iowa, West Virginia and Puerto Rico, and will be soon available on Walmart.com.

Loan app Affirm CEO breaks down new Walmart partnership (CNBC), Rated: A

Loan app Affirm CEO breaks down new Walmart partnership from CNBC.

ABS Vegas – 2019 Securitization Update; Square Charter Status (PeerIQ), Rated: AAA

In regulatory news, Square’s ILC charter application has received opposition from 37 community groups. The groups are concerned about Square’s CRA activities and have asked the FDIC to bolster Square’s CRA requirements. Before this letter from community advocates, nearly all of the 15 letters the FDIC received were in favor of Square’s bid. Square is the furthest along the path to getting an ILC charter and its experience will determine whether other FinTechs follow its lead.

Structured Credit Investor magazine explores the challenges facing the maturing marketplace lending sector. Issuers need to distinguish between the borrower experience that they provide and manage liquidity. The article also makes the point that the sector is ripe for consolidation, although we haven’t seen any M&A yet.

2019 Securitization Update

The first two months of 2019 saw 5 securitization deals totaling $1.7 Bn in new issuance. The issuance volume represents a 23% drop over that seen in the first two months of 2018, as the market recovers from the volatility in equity and credit markets seen at the end of 2018. Total securitization issuance now stands at $46.2 Bn, with 147 deals issued to date.

Source: PeerIQ

The Housing Market’s 10 Year Challenge — Comparing The Housing Market of 2009 to Today (LendingTree), Rated: AAA

When the real estate bubble burst in late 2008, many Americans saw their home values fall drastically, but a lot has changed in the 10 years since — housing prices have rebounded from their lows during the Great Recession. And though prices are now starting to cool, in many cases, home values have even exceeded their 2006 highs.

On average, median home values have increased by nearly $50,000 across the 50 largest metros in the United States since 2009.

Metros where housing prices have recovered the most since 2009

San Jose, Calif.

Median home value 2009: $638,300
Median home value 2017: $957,700
Median home value change: $319,400
Median unemployment rate change: -6.4%
Median household income change: $32,991

San Francisco

Median home value 2009: $591,600
Median home value 2017: $849,500
Median home value change: $257,900
Median unemployment rate change: -5.4%
Median household income change: $27,889

Los Angeles

Median home value 2009: $463,600
Median home value 2017: $617,100
Median home value change: $153,500
Median unemployment rate change: -5.0%
Median household income change: $11,467

Source: LendingTree

Gen Xers Carry the Biggest Auto Loan Burden; Study Finds (One World Herald), Rated: A

According to the loan comparison website, the median balance of Gen Xers who have auto loans is $18,741 is higher than other age groups. It is 9% more than baby boomers’ $17,185 median balance. This is higher than millennials’ $16,200 and 37 percent more than the lowest median balance of $13,666 held by Gen Z.

Personal Loan Interest Rates for February 2019 (Nerdwallet), Rated: AAA

Personal loan interest rates, whether you’re considering a loan from a bank, credit union or online lender, generally range from about 6% to 36%. The actual rate you receive depends on factors such as your credit score and history, annual income, existing debt and where you get the loan.

Online lenders offer the lowest starting interest rates on personal loans to borrowers with good to excellent credit.

Source: Nerdwallet

LightStream and Marcus both require a minimum credit score of 660. LightStream accepts joint applications, and one applicant can have a credit score lower than its minimum. SoFi has a slightly higher credit score requirement and requires at least $45,000 in annual income.

Elevate Credit (ELVT) Posts Earnings Results, Meets Expectations (Fairfield Current), Rated: A

Elevate Credit (NYSE:ELVT) announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 11th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.09, Bloomberg Earnings reports. The business had revenue of $207.29 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $212.42 million. Elevate Credit had a return on equity of 15.72% and a net margin of 1.59%. Elevate Credit updated its FY 2019 guidance to $0.55-0.65 EPS.

Source: Fairfield Current

Hunt Real Estate Capital buys RealtyMogul’s proprietary loan underwriting program (Housing Wire), Rated: A

Hunt Real Estate Capital, which offers financing for all types of commercial real estate, will soon have a new underwriting system to help it originate those loans, as the company is buying a proprietary loan underwriting system from RealtyMogul.

Elevate’s Joan Kuehl Named Dallas ORBIE CIO of the Year (The Progress), Rated: B

Elevate Credit, Inc. (“Elevate”) today announced that Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Joan Kuehl has been named the Large Enterprise CIO of the Year by the Dallas ORBIE CIO of the Year Awards. The award honors chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership.

A Recession Coming? Small Business Lending Platform Kabbage Says It’s Prepared (Forbes), Rated: A

The world is bracing for a recession, with the latest data showing in the U.S. expect it to occur by the end of 2021

If those predictions prove true, it will be the first major economic downturn for some of the nation’s leading fintechs. Born out of the ruins of the recession, these startups have enjoyed nearly a decade of success buoyed by strong economic growth, a bull run in the stock market and low unemployment.

Here’s more on the AJC Top Workplaces midsize companies (AJC.com), Rated: B

Kabbage has been named to the list for five consecutive years and this is its first year in the top five. The private financial technology company, founded in 2009, has 489 global employes and 367 at its U.S. headquarters in Atlanta. Flexibility at work and perks, such as a daily catered lunch and snacks, are among reasons employees appreciate working for Kabbage. Wellness benefits include fitness classes, health equipment onsite, biweekly meditation classes, CPR training, an annual flu shot clinic and sponsoring sports clubs. It also fully pays health benefits for individuals and provides annual bonuses and a 401(k) match. Through its sabbatical program, employees of five years can receive six weeks of paid time off and an additional $6,000. In 2018, Kabbage participated in the Atlanta PRIDE parade and also took a stand against gun violence after the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School. Workers in 2019 will build a Habitat for Humanity home as part of its Kabbage Kares program, which also has supported PAWS Atlanta, Easter Seals and the Epilepsy Foundation.

Diversifying a Self-Directed IRA Made Simple with New Offering from CrowdStreet (The Progress), Rated: A

CrowdStreet, an online marketplace for direct equity investment in commercial real estate (CRE), today launched a streamlined, investor-friendly approach to investing qualified retirement account funds into commercial real estate offerings. This new option makes it easier than ever for individuals to access CRE investments with their self-directed IRAs (SDIRA), thus reducing their investment exposure to a volatile stock market and achieving more independence in managing their investments.

Liquid P2P and Interest Radar Announce Strategic Partnership (Liquid P2P), Rated: A

Liquid P2P and Interest Radar are pleased to announce that they have entered into a strategic partnership. The two third-party investing services for online peer-lending giant Lending Club will combine strengths under a single platform to deliver a more comprehensive automated tool with a patent-pending liquidity solution.

Direct Lending Investments Suspends Investor Withdrawals (Lend Academy), Rated: A

Earlier this month Brendan Ross, the CEO of Direct Lending Investments, Inc., sent a letter to investors notifying them that they have suspended withdrawals and redemptions effective February 8, 2019. Lend Academy was able to obtain a copy of this investor letter, dated February 11, that provides some color into what happened. The reason given was the delinquency of a large holding, VOIP Guardian, a telecom receivables factoring company.

Fintech deal will provide access to midsize businesses in U.S. (American Banker), Rated: A

Add HSBC to the list of banks partnering with commercial online lenders.

The bank on Tuesday announced a partnership with Neptune Financial, a San Francisco online lender that focuses on businesses with $10 million to $100 million in assets. The bank estimates that, with the access it will get to Neptune customers, the deal represents a $1.5 trillion opportunity.

Venmo debuted a limited-edition rainbow-colored card (Business Insider), Rated: A

Venmo, the PayPal-owned peer-to-peer (P2P) giant, debuted a limited-edition rainbow-colored version of its physical card product. The card will function the same as regular Venmo cards, allowing customers to pay wherever Mastercard is accepted, split costs and tips, withdraw funds from select ATMs, and manage their Venmo balance, but it will only be available for as long as supplies last, according to Venmo.

Source: Business Insider

Why digital identities will be so important in the next few years, according to Mastercard’s vice chairman (CNBC), Rated: A

The pace with which we are moving toward the internet of things is “very rapid” but we “can’t have the internet of everyone without the inclusion of everyone,” according to the vice chairman of payments giant Mastercard.

“You have to start focusing on how does the human get involved, and that’s going to be through having a digital identity,” Ann Cairns told CNBC’s Karen Tso on Monday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Credit Karma’s Dana Marineau: ‘We want users to think of us as more than just free credit scores’ (Tearsheet), Rated: A

Today’s marketer on the hot seat is Dana Marineau, Credit Karma’s vice president of brand, creative and communications. People love Credit Karma for its free credit scores, but the company provides so many other free tools. Dana’s team is tasked with elevating the brand beyond just free credit scores, as a place to get help with financial decisions and achieve financial progress. She brings a 15 year experience at EA, working on many of the top sports games in the business.

Why this small bank created a separate, digital-first brand (American Banker), Rated: AAA

When Midwest BankCentre, a community bank in St. Louis, launched the digital-first Rising Bank in February, it joined the ranks of other financial companies —generally large players such as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and MUFG Union Bank — that have created separate, digital-only brands. Unlike them, the $1.9 billion-asset Midwest hopes to keep a community bank feel at the internet-only unit.

The Future Is Plastic: Fintech Unicorn Brex Launches New Credit Card For E-Commerce Merchants (Forbes), Rated: A

Brex, a San Francisco credit card startup that reached a valuation of $1.1 billion late last year, 22 months after its founding, is launching its second product, a physical credit card for e-commerce companies. Its first card, targeted to venture-backed tech startups, has attracted more than 3,000 customers by providing higher spending limits and simplifying the application process.

YieldStreet raises $ 62M to democratise alternative investments in shipping, real estate and more (TechCrunch), Rated: A

YieldStreet — which provides a platform for making alternative investments in areas like real estate, marine/shipping, legal finance, commercial loans and other opportunities that in the past were only open to institutional investors — is today announcing that it has raised $62 million in a Series B round of funding.

Guaranteed Rate Leads Mortgage Executive Magazine’s List of Top Loan Originators in America (GlobeNewswire), Rated: A

For the seventh consecutive year, Guaranteed Rate has the most loan originators of any lender on Mortgage Executive Magazine’s annual list of the “Top 200 Mortgage Originators in America,” including the number one originator.

Guaranteed Rate led the way with 36 originators ranking within Mortgage Executive Magazine’s Top 200, including three of the top five. Shant Banosian of Boston, Mass., was named the nation’s 2018 Top Originator by funding $536 Million in total loan volume.

Americans Focus On Debt Management But Lose Focus On Retirement Savings (Forbes), Rated: A

Our minds are wired to prioritize the near-term over the long-term. We shouldn’t be surprised that a new survey by

U.S. banking regulator fights NY lawsuit over fintech charters (Reuters), Rated: A

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has asked a Manhattan federal court to dismiss a lawsuit by a New York financial regulator over its plan to issue banking charters to fintech companies, saying the lawsuit is premature.

Blockchain and data protection: the main concerns (JDSupra), Rated: A

Blockchain’s usage is no longer limited to digital crypto currencies, as blockchain databases may be deployed in innumerable circumstances and scenarios, including, for instance, within the financial services and insurance sectors for money transfer, peer-to-peer lending and transfer of securities, as well as automatic execution of contracts.

LoanStreet positions for growth with new hires (LoanStreet Email), Rated: B

After the launch of LoanStreet’s commercial lending product and the announcement of their $6.5 million funding round, LoanStreet – the first fully-integrated platform that streamlines the process of sharing, managing, and originating loans – has appointed three credit union industry veterans to support LoanStreet’s aggressive growth.

These new hires include Mike Doherty, Managing Director and Head of Credit Union Sales; Tony Harter, Business Development Director; and Joe Parvin, Business Development Director.

White Oak Business Capital Hires Carol Bader Apicella to Expand Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Markets (GlobeNewswire), Rated: B

White Oak Business Capital, Inc. (“WOBC”), an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors, LLC, has announced that Carol Apicella has joined the firm as Senior Vice President and Senior Business Development Officer. Apicella will be responsible for expanding the firm’s markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

United Kingdom

Funding Circle fund adds firepower for buyback strategy (AltFi), Rated: AAA

The portfolio, an investment trust, of loans originated by Funding Circle lowered its dividend expectations amid lower projected returns last year prompting a discount to its net asset value.

Following a move to a more than 10 per cent discount last year it started share buybacks in a bid to narrow its discount. It has now made additional capital available from its free cash flow to be deployed into share buybacks, the fund said yesterday.

Orca Innovative Finance ISA Launches, Enables Diversified P2P Investment (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: AAA

Orca Money is finally launching its long-anticipated Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA). Orca’s spin on the savings vehicle allows investors to spread their money across multiple peer-to-peer lenders (P2P) thus providing a heightened degree of diversification. Additionally, Orca Money conducts due diligence on behalf of IFISA investors.

Currently, the Orca IFISA allows access to 5 P2P platforms: Lending Works, Assetz Capital, Landbay, Octopus Choice and Lending Crowd.

Experian, ClearScore scrap merger plans (Reuters), Rated: A

Experian Plc, the world’s biggest credit data firm, said on Wednesday that it had agreed with rival ClearScore to abandon their proposed merger, after Britain’s competition watchdog indicated that it may block the deal.

NatWest launches account aggregation as Open Banking takes hold (AltFi), Rated: A

It’s been a long time coming, but Open Banking is finally spreading through the traditional banking industry, this week with the launch of account aggregation for NatWest customers.

The RBS subsidiary becomes the UK’s 4th bank to let customers connect rival current accounts.

Will Open Banking boom in 2019? (AltFi), Rated: A

It has been over a year since the Open Banking UK initiative under the Competition and Markets Authority order and Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) was launched and has become one of the industry’s biggest technology and regulatory shake ups in recent years. It is no surprise that the initiative’s first year has seen a relatively low consumer uptake. This has been coupled with reports that consumers’ knowledge of the scheme appears to be markedly low.

Aave Launches Platform to Pay Bills Using Crypto (Finance Magnates), Rated: A

In an attempt to bring crypto closer to the mainstream, the London-based fintech startup has announced the launch of Aave Pay.

The app will allow its users to pay their utility bills using digital coins by converting crypto into fiat in real-time using bank transfer facility. The company is claiming that the platform can be used to business expenses as well including employee salaries, income taxes, and other commercial or corporate expenses.

Investing in crowdfunded development projects – what you need to know (Property Investor Today), Rated: A

You can invest in peer to peer development loans for the short term or in an Innovative Finance ISA for a longer commitment period, but with the potential to earn tax free returns.

By comparison, a peer to peer lending platform with its own development company will have much more control over its projects and be able to give you more detailed and trustworthy updates.

Failed Lender Reaching ‘From Beyond The Grave,’ MPs Warn (Law360), Rated: A

Failed payday lender Wonga is damaging the finances of thousands of customers “from beyond the grave” because they cannot seek redress for allegedly missold loans as the company was not covered…

International

Some Bankers Are Doing Even Worse Than in 2009 (The Washington Post), Rated: AAA

It may not feel like it, but some corners of banking are suffering as badly as they did during the depths of the financial crisis. Global volumes of initial public offerings and share placings in January and February have been nearly 60 percent lower than in the same period last year. The numbers are worse than the first two months of 2009. If activity doesn’t pick up soon, it would be worrying evidence of the fragility of investor sentiment.

The hope is that the lull is temporary, and technical. The government shutdown in Washington has gummed up U.S. IPOs. Uncertainty over the U.K.’s future relationship with Europe just drags on. And the December stock-market wobble probably killed off deals that were being planned for the window that traditionally opens between January and the start of the full-year earnings season in late February.

Marketplace Lending – A Growing and Dynamic Global Market (DBRS Email), Rated: AAA

I wanted to share with you a new joint report from our U.S. and European structured finance teams. The new report, attached to this email, analyzes the growth of the marketplace lending market around the globe.

The commentary includes the following topics:

— The evolution in finance, from traditional banking to FinTech.
— FinTech’s influence on marketplace lending around the globe.
— Growth hurdles.
— Securitization considerations.

See the full report here.

Bank on it: How Enova’s software expands credit access worldwide (Built in Chicago), Rated: A

Not all credit histories are created equal.

That’s the case for a large part of the world’s population who can’t get access to a loan from a traditional credit provider — like a bank — creating a world in which the hardest working people don’t always get access to the credit they need. Enova, however, believes it has a solution. The fintech company draws on the power of machine learning and data to offer products that expand access to credit for consumers and small businesses.

Blossom Capital scores $ 85m from Robinhood and Funding Circle backers (AltFi), Rated: A

Blossom Capital, which has already backed five startups including rental marketplace Fat Lama, today raised $85m which it will use to lead Series A rounds of between $5m and $10m in Europe.

Eight Simple Ways to Earn Bitcoin Online Legally (The Crypto Updates), Rated: B

Earn Bitcoins as the interest payments: If you have earned some Bitcoins already, you can put the Bitcoins to earn for you. Lend them out at particular interest rate. You can lend the Bitcoins directly to someone known at a greed interest rate and repayment period. You need to assess trustworthiness of borrower. Peer to peer Bitcoin lending is another way to let the earned Bitcoins earn for you. There are many peer-to-peer lending websites where the borrowers post the borrowing requests. Over these websites, you can act as a lender. It is also possible to fund the small portion of numbers of loans to reduce the risk.

European Union

Grid Finance suspends taking investments below € 100,000 (Irish Times), Rated: AAA

One of the largest providers of peer-to-peer loans in the State has shut down a key part of its business aimed at smaller investors, blaming an absence of regulation in the crowdfunding space.

Grid Finance, which is backed by Enterprise Ireland, wrote to holders of its “Brick” accounts – that facilitate the investment of up to €100,000 – in recent days stating that it would withdraw the offering from the marketplace.

China

Dragon Victory International: Exposure To The Chinese Crowdfunding Market At A Regulatory-Driven Discount (Seeking Alpha), Rated: AAA

In recent years as China winds down its industrial and manufacturing powerhouse growth, it’s looking to other developed nations to determine which platforms it should invest in and pave the way to sustained economic growth. As most other major developed nations have done over the past century, financial services and engineering have been a very profitable platform and companies in China are quick to launch their own services to capitalize on the triple-digit growth in online financial services exhibited since 2003.

Similar to Hexindai (HX), which I’ve previously covered as a leading online lender which is capitalizing on the middle class appetite for debt to finance their lives and vacations, Dragon Victory International Limited (LYL) is taking on the crowdfunding segment in the People’s Republic of China. Similar to countless other platforms around the world, the company’s services are around financing new companies and capitalizing entrepreneurs through public funding and they already have over 4.5M users who use their services, a number nearly doubling each year.

Source: Dragon Victory International F-1 filings

China Fintech Today: The P2P Boom Is Truly Over (SupChina), Rated: A

This year, the government has continued to lead a reorganization of the industry:

More companies will die: As of February 17, only 60 percent of online lending institutions had disclosed their operational information for January 2019, including five problematic platforms.
However, the current asset quality of the online lending industry has improved significantly according the data from firms that did report.
As of the end of January 2019, the accumulated amount of the online P2P online loan industry was about 7.78 trillion yuan ($1.16 trillion). The total loan amount in January was 91.4 billion yuan ($13.61 billion), down 55.1 percent year-on-year and down 1.3 percent from the previous month.
Further consolidation of industry players is certain. Some experts quoted in media reports predict that the scale of future online loans will continue to shrink because of regulation.
Some listed companies, such as Aoma Electric and Panda Financial Companies, have abandoned their P2P businesses.
Aoma Electric issued a letter of concern to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on February 14, attributing the decision to the broader economic slowdown, and a high number of overdue loans.
Panda Gold Control in 2018 was also dragged down by its P2P business, and expects a net loss of 41.16 million ($6.13 million) to 57.63 million yuan ($8.58 million) in 2018. Faced with the uncertainty of the P2P sector, Panda Gold Control chose to divest.

A Crypto Project That Raised $ 20 Million Is Caught Faking Its Founding Team (CoinDesk), Rated: A

Launched on Dec. 2, BHB claims to offer an ethereum-based solution for peer-to-peer lending, but by Jan. 18, local media reports were already accusing the project of operating an illegal pyramid scheme. Now, CoinDesk is able to reveal inconsistencies in the information provided about its founding team that further suggest something may be amiss at the China-based project.

However, the image of Bobby White used in BHB’s marketing materials is identical to that of an economics professor at China’s Tsinghua University named Alexander White. Meanwhile, the image of Gregory Moss is the same as one used by a philosophy professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, who is also named Gregory Moss.

Tencent-backed brokerage firm downsizes US IPO amid weak market demand (Technode), Rated: A

Tencent-backed online brokerage firm Futu Securities has set the terms for its US initial public offering (IPO) to raise up to $130 million, which will value the company at more than $1 billion. The company previously set its target at as high as $300 million when it filed for the US listing in December.

Chinese tech behemoth, Tencent, owns over 38% of the company, has shown interest in purchasing up to 25% of the new shares issued.

Australia

How should accountants talk to clients about fintechs? (In the Black), Rated: A

Like the ombudsman’s office, ASIC has also made information available to educate consumers and advisers, including on its MoneySmart Borrowing Basics and Peer-to-Peer Lending sites.

Is any flexibility possible, Shiel wonders, with a peer-to-peer lending model in which the borrower likely doesn’t know who is providing the funds?

India

LenDenClub crosses 1,00,000 borrowers and lenders milestone (News Barons), Rated: AAA

LenDenClub, one of India’s fastest growing peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms, recently crossed an important landmark with more than 1,00,000 borrowers and lenders on its platform. The breakdown of borrowers to lenders is 83,300 and 16700, respectively. The company crossed this milestone by keeping up with latest market trends, and saw an increase in the use of its product InstaMoney, which was launched in June 2018.

Why Do Fintech Startups and Investors See a Huge Potential in Lending? (Entrepreneur), Rated: AAA

Today, thanks to the ongoing digitization, borrowing has become as easy as it can get in India. For contrast, all it takes now is the touch of a few buttons, answers to a few verification-related questions, and anyone can receive a loan in a matter of hours or days, if not minutes. And all of this is without any collateral and while enjoying the comfort of your home. Now, compare this with taking a day off to go to the bank, doing extensive paperwork, visiting frequently to check the progress of your loan application, and ultimately, getting your application rejected because of the loan officer’s misjudgement. All while wasting two months of time in the constant to and fro and taking multiple days off from your office.

It is beyond doubt that the advent of fintech startups has altered the game of lending in India. It has become both simpler and convenient to borrow using their revolutionary approaches driven by state-of-the-art technologies. Currently, more than 1,500 fintech startups (of all shapes and sizes) are catering to the Indian market, and more than half of these startups have been launched over the last 3 years. This gives us a clear picture of how lucrative the sector is becoming for our startup ecosystem. But what is essentially fuelling this trend? Let’s find out.

Banning of UDS to benefit P2P Lending Industry (Inventiva), Rated: A

The latest ordinance of the Banning of Unregulated Deposits (UDS) 2019, was passed by the government to provide a comprehensive mechanism to ban UDS as well as to protect the interest of depositors. This is in line with the Reserve Bank of India’s guidelines on the NBFC-P2P sector, issued in October 2017 to regulate the unorganized lending business in the country.

Asia

Singapore fintech investments rose two-fold to US$ 365m in 2018 (SBR.com.sg), Rated: AAA

US$102.2m of the total funds raised went to lending fintech companies such as the homegrown Funding Societies.

Fintech investments in Singapore more than doubled to US$365m in 2018 from US$180m in 2017, putting the country amongst the top five fintech markets by funds raised last year in Asia Pacific, behind China, India, Australia and Japan, according to Accenture’s analysis of CB Insights data. The number of deals in the country rose to 71 from 61 in 2017, making it the third busiest market in the region, behind only China and India.

Source:

Validus Capital raises $ 15m for SME financing (Fintech Futures), Rated: A

Validus Capital, a Singapore-based SME financing platform, has raised SGD 20.5 million ($15.2 million) in a Series B funding round, led by FMO, a Dutch public-private development bank.

Latin America

PayPal expands its small business loans initiative to Mexico (Leaprate), Rated: AAA

Online payment giant PayPal launched its Working Capital initiative in 2013 as an alternative method for business to access working capital much faster than through traditional means. Many small and medium-sized business (SMB) clients embraced the program and since then the company has advanced more than $6 billion in loans to over 170,000 businesses in the UK, US, Germany and Australia.

PayPal also recently revealed that it has partnered with Konfio, a Mexican online lender that utilizes unconventional data sources to facilitate fast credit assessments, in a deal that will allow PayPal to extend its Business loan and working capital programs to Mexican businesses.

ID Finance eyes ‘pivotal moment’ for Latam fintech as revenue in region climbs 403% (Fintech Finance), Rated: A

ID Finance, the fintech company operating in Europe and Latin America, saw revenue of $49m in 2018. This represents growth of 236% for the business, which was formally separated from its operations in Russia and CIS region last year.

The company is enjoying particularly strong growth in Latam, one of the world’s fastest growing markets for fintech adoption thanks to high mobile penetration and a sizeable underbanked population – according to the World Bank 61% of Mexico’s population is excluded from the traditional banking system, while 40% of Brazil’s 207m population are blacklisted. The company now has 141 employees in Latam and saw revenue growth of 403% in the region last year.

Challenger bank N26 expands to Brazil (Fintech Futures), Rated: A

Germany-based mobile challenger bank N26 is powering on yet again as it has revealed its plans to expand to Brazil.

Africa

How FinTech Companies Inspire Africa With Mobile Technology (PYMNTS), Rated: AAA

With the potential for rapid growth and job creation, FinTech firms in Africa have caught the attention of global investors. According to the London Stock Exchange Group’s 2019 “Companies to Inspire Africa” report, which highlights these firms, the FinTech sector has the second highest growth rate representation of technology and telecoms as well as financial services. As it stands, companies in this space represent more than a quarter of 360 featured firms from 32 different countries. Pan-African payments firm Cellulant is among the companies that appeared in the first and second editions of the report.

Authors:

George Popescu

Allen Taylor

The post Thursday February 28 2019, Weekly News Digest appeared first on Lending Times.

Tuesday November 27 2018, Daily News Digest

Reliable Consumers for JP morgan, Citigroup, wells fargo and Bank of America

News Comments Today’s main news: LendingClub hits $1B in CLUB certificate issuance. Zopa boosts Augmentum Fintech fund returns. Monzo breaks record on crowdfunding round. Yirendai’s critical stage to regain growth. Judo gets $350M in funding. Today’s main analysis: How late-cycle expansions turn into recessions. Today’s thought-provoking articles: LendingClub does more lending during holidays. Turning LendingClub into a financial health club. Why […]

News Comments

Today’s main news: LendingClub hits $1B in CLUB certificate issuance. Zopa boosts Augmentum Fintech fund returns. Monzo breaks record on crowdfunding round. Yirendai’s critical stage to regain growth. Judo gets $350M in funding.
Today’s main analysis: How late-cycle expansions turn into recessions.
Today’s thought-provoking articles: LendingClub does more lending during holidays. Turning LendingClub into a financial health club. Why VCs wouldn’t invest in LendingClub, PayPal today. Are lenders ready for small business growth?

United States

LendingClub hits $1 billion in CLUB certificate issuance. Congratulations.
LendingClub loans more during holidays. This is interesting, but it shouldn’t be surprising since LendingClub deals with personal loans. I’d be interested in seeing figures for Affirm, Klarna, and the up-and-coming POS lenders entering the scene.
Turning LendingClub into a financial health club.
Why VCs wouldn’t invest in PayPal or LendingClub today. Maybe this is why your fintech or alternative lending startup isn’t getting the funding it needs to grow.
How late-cycle expansions turn into recessions. Another interesting PeerIQ analysis.
PeerIQ’s Q4 Lending Earnings Insights Report.
Are lenders ready for small business growth? Interesting infographic: “The credit gap for small businesses has increased due to lack of supply, not demand.”
Betterment, Merrill Edge, Fidelity lead in digital advice branding.
5 business loans you can get without being profitable.
TD Bank launches new digital mortgage experience powered by Roostify.
Lending alternatives investors should know about.
How Marcus marketed its high yield savings account.
The rise of neobanking.

United Kingdom

India

Other

News Summary

United States

LendingClub Reaches $ 1bn in CLUB Certificate Issuance (Lend Academy) Rated: AAA

LendingClub has seen issuance of their new CLUB Certificate reach $1bn in less than a year after first announcing the pass-through security product last December at their investor day. The CLUB Certificate was created to make it easier for institutions to invest in LendingClub originated loans.

Loan for the holidays: Lending Club loans out more during holiday shopping months (Thinknum Media) Rated: AAA

This year was a record-breaking season for holiday shopping, as online spending surged 23.6% according to Adobe Analytics.

But where is all that money coming from? While some consumers saved up for the season, others might have turned to loans, such as ones offered at Lending Club ($NYSE:LC), to pay down huge gifts or refinance debt from credit card spending.

Outside of March 2016 — a month during an unusual stretch of time right before its chief executive Renaud Laplanche stepped down and a federal subpoena came in — Lending Club typically has the most loans issued by dollar amount in the months before the holiday season, according to data tracked since 2013.

Source: Thinknum

LendingClub CEO Working to Turn It Into a Financial Health Club (Web Pro News) Rated: AAA

The CEO of LendingClub, Scott Sanborn, says that they are really looking to make membership in the club mean something and are working to take Lending Club and turn it into a ‘financial health club’ that will help people successfully manage expenses. He says that LendingClub helps by shining a spotlight on credit card debt which is the first step to doing something about it.

A Looming Crisis in People’s Overall Financial Health

We are seeing really an epidemic happening which is incomes have been stagnant for more than 20 years. All of people’s major expenses, healthcare, college, housing, is going up and it’s creating a real looming crisis in people’s overall financial health and it’s something that people just aren’t talking about. Close to half of Americans have credit card debts and they are more than twice as likely to talk about spousal infidelity than they are about the fact that they have credit card debt that they need to manage. We believe that by shining a spotlight on the problem it’s the first step to helping people do something about it.

Top fintech VCs explain how PayPal missed a golden opportunity and why they wouldn’t invest in LendingClub today (Business Insider) Rated: AAA

PayPal is arguably one of the biggest success stories to come out of Silicon Valley in the last 20 years. It launched the careers of Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, and Max Levchin and paved the way for other members of the “PayPal mafia” to make seed investments in a next generation of startups.

“OnDeck and LendingClub have scaled, strong businesses now, but you’d never invest in those companies as startups today,” Harris said. “I don’t think you would look at unsecured personal lending or small-business lending, where you have to go out and acquire customers in the wild, with no special sauce. That’s 10-year-old thinking.”

The current model many VCs advocate is for companies to find ways to offer additional services, like loans, to existing customers. Acquiring new customers can be expensive, and there’s a competitive advantage when you underwrite or target new services to existing customers, because they know more about them.

PeerIQ’s Lender Earnings Webinar; Bank Exec Comments on the Credit Cycle (Peer IQ) Rated: AAA

One of the main themes that we explored in the LEI was how late we are in the credit cycle. Most C-level executives were extremely are sanguine on the economy but are nonetheless taking precautions. PeerIQ’s view is “The good news — and the bad news — is that conditions don’t get better than they are now.” We recommend reviewing Bloomberg Julie Verhage’s “US Banks See Good Times Ahead Even as Many Prep for Downturn” for more.

Source: Peer IQ

How Late-Cycle Expansions Turn into Recessions

The current US expansion that started in June 2009 is the longest on record at over 113 months. Late expansions are characterized by low unemployment, high consumer confidence, high asset values. We currently observe a near 50-year low unemployment rate, near record high consumer confidence, and the highest level of consumer credit outstanding (although well below peak per-capita debt levels).

Ironically, it is these solid economic indicators that are responsible for the party coming to an end. In a simplified model, credit availability expands to the marginal borrower (e.g., new entrants, cov-lite corporate loans, thin-file credits, etc.) just until the marginal consumer or corporate loans creates more losses than expected. Lenders feel the pinch on credit performance and on funding due to rising rates. Lenders individually tighten lending leading to a reduction in the supply of credit on an aggregate basis.

PeerIQ’s Q4 2018 Lending Earnings Insights Report (Lend Academy) Rated: A

PeerIQ released their Q4 2018 Lending Earnings Insights Report which points to a number of themes showing the economy is strong but CEOs are striking a cautious tone. Delinquencies and defaults continue to be low as consumers have seen their wages rise and taxes drop. Lenders are increasing reserves as they anticipate credit to renormalize in the near future, saying the economy right now was too good to be true.

Read the Full Report here.

Excerpts:

Regulators are increasingly focusing on the greater role of non-banks in consumer lending.Large money center banks continue to pull-back from riskier loans such as small business and consumer lending. Large banks instead have increased their credit facility volume 6x since 2010. FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams cites the significant role of non-banks in origination as potential for systemic risk. The FDIC is contemplating granting ILC charters to non-banks – a major shift.

Delinquencies and charge-offs in FinTech asset classes are near all-time lows, although charge-offs on prime credit are increasing. Enova (Subprime) and OnDeck (Small Biz) are seeing near cycle-low charge-offs, while LendingClub (Prime) is seeing higher delinquencies on newer vintages. The change in LendingClub’s charge-off estimates across loan grades was mixed. Charge-offs on grades B and C are estimated to be higher by 28 bps and 16 bps respectively QoQ.

Small Businesses Are Poised for Growth, but Are Lenders Ready? (Business Wire) Rated: AAA

Source Business Wire

Betterment, Merrill Edge, Fidelity’s Go Lead the Pack in Digital Advice Branding, Claims Cerulli (Financial Advisor IQ) Rated: A

Robo-advice pioneer Betterment is the pack leader in digital platform awareness among investors, a new Cerulli Associates study reveals. But Merrill Lynch and Fidelity aren’t far behind, the study shows.

Among the more than 5,500 people polled, the Betterment brand was known by 15% of respondents, Merrill Lynch’s Merrill EDGE by 13%, and Fidelity’s Go by 12%. Trailing the three frontrunners was Charles Schwab’s Intelligent Portfolios and Vanguard’s Personal Advisor Services, which were each recognized by 10% of respondents, the study reveals.

For its digital platform marketing awareness study, Cerulli polled investors under the age of 45 earning more than $125,000 annually and with more than $250,000 in investable assets.

5 Business Loans You Can Get Without Being Profitable (NAV) Rated: A

With the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting over 415,226 startup firms less than 1 year old in 2017, it’s apparent that this category of business will need funding like never before. However, business loans are tricky. On hand, they tend to offer a larger line of credit to companies than personal loans or lines of credit. On the other hand, qualifying can be difficult and often requires you to provide at least two years of documentation that you are profitable.

For the brand new business that hasn’t managed to turn a profit (yet), what is left? How can you get a cash infusion into your business in time to expand, add employees, support a product launch, or refinance existing debt? The following loans are a bit non-traditional, but just might be exactly what you are looking for in your quest for funding during your startup years.

TD Bank Launches New Digital Mortgage Experience Powered by Roostify (Business Wire) Rated: A

Roostify, a digital lending platform provider, announced that TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank^®, has leveraged Roostify’s technology to provide customers with a digital mortgage offering. This digital experience combines the latest in lending technology with a human-centric approach that gives TD Bank’s customers an accelerated, low-stress path to home ownership.

The deployment now provides prospective homebuyers with useful tools to assist them in finding a loan that fits their needs and budget. Leveraging Roostify’s proprietary DecisionBuilder lead tool, TD Bank’s Digital Mortgage allows consumers to explore which loan products they qualify for, right from a simple-to-use web page. Consumers can then move on to apply for their chosen loan in minutes, and follow a streamlined, all-digital process for moving their loan through closing. With easy access to TD Bank’s expert loan team, homebuyers can enjoy both the convenience of a digital solution and reassurance of expert guidance as they navigate one of the most significant transactions of their lives.

The Lending Alternatives Hopeful Investors Should Know Inside And Out (Forbes) Rated: A

People buy real estate for many reasons — generating cash flow, a tax write-off, appreciation value. Some of the greatest profits are made when buying real estate in a down market. Seasoned investors and fortunate newcomers who purchased coastal residential property from 2012-2017 are sitting on healthy equity appreciation as well as competitive interest rates in the 3.5-5% range.

The traditional path to buy a property is to obtain financing through banks, credit unions or a mortgage company. Following the 2008 housing crisis, traditional lenders implemented more strict guidelines: Stellar credit scores from 740 and above, stable employment, a low debt-to-income ratio, six months or more of liquid reserves.

For hopeful investors unable to meet these demands, alternatives are to pay all cash or to finance the purchase using hard money financing or a private lender. By utilizing one of these two methods, buyers also do not have to be concerned with the mounds of paperwork lenders requested. There are some advantages and disadvantages by using either type of alternative financing.

How Marcus by Goldman Sachs took to the streets of New York to market its high yield savings account (Tearsheet) Rated: A

Marcus, the online consumer bank by Goldman Sachs, has been running a man-on-the-street ad campaign about recent research the company conducted. According to the survey, 60 percent of Americans with savings accounts don’t know the interest rate on their savings account, and *more than half* of Americans with savings accounts (56 percent) opened theirs without exploring other options.

Dustin Cohn, head of brand and marketing communications at Marcus, joins the podcast to talk about the survey and why Marcus chose interest rates as a differentiator. We unpack the recent advertising campaign and explore the recent acquisition and integration of personal finance app, Clarity Money.

Ross: Easy money and the rise of ‘neo banking’ (My NorthWest) Rated: A

Banks are entering a whole new era. It’s called neo banking. Because it’s so “neo.”

You just sign over your paycheck, and suddenly you can buy things with a wave of the phone. As far as I can tell, you just look romantically at what you want to buy – and it’s yours!

You can even get loans. But it’s friendlier because neo banks don’t have loan officers who look at your income statement and say “Ha ha ha, you’re kidding!”

United Kingdom

Zopa helps boost Augmentum Fintech fund returns (Peer2Peer Finance) Rated: AAA

ZOPA’S latest funding round has boosted the value of Augmentum Fintech’s portfolio, helping the fintech investment fund report net asset value growth of 5.1 per cent in its maiden financial results.

UK-listed Augmentum Fintech unveiled its first financial results on Monday since launching in December 2017. It reported that a recent £60m private fundraise by Zopa had boosted the value of its stake in the lender by £3.5m to £22m.

Augmentum Fintech Sees Portfolio Rise In First Interims Since IPO (Morning Star) Rated: A

Augmentum Fintech PLC reported its first interim results Monday since listing on the London Main Market in March.

In the period from incorporation on December 19 last year to September 30, the fintech venture capital investor had a net asset value total return of 5.1%.

At September 30, Augmentum Fintech’s NAV per share was 104p. The company’s net assets at September 30 totalled GBP97.8 million.

The company’s portfolio fair value increased 62% since the company listed in March to GBP53.9 million on September 30 from GBP33.3 million on March 13.

Monzo confirms record-breaking UK fintech crowdfunding round (City AM) Rated: AAA

Digital bank Monzo has today announced it will be heading back to the crowd for the last chunk of its series E fundraising round, with a target of up to £20m.

The raise, first reported exclusively by City A.M. in August, will be the largest fintech crowdfunding round in the UK to date.

Going live on Exeter-based platform Crowdcube, existing Monzo investors will get early access to the round from 3 December. The round will then be opened up to other Monzo customers, who can invest up to £2,000.

Banking app Monzo explores expansion into high-cost loan products (The Telegraph) Rated: A

Monzo, the financial technology start-up, is considering launching loans aimed at “the Wonga segment” of the market, its chief executive Tom Blomfield said.

Mr Blomfield said he hopes in future to offer loans to people with poor credit scores who may not be able to access more traditional loan products.

UK Competition and Markets Authority Questions PayPal Acquisition of iZettle (Crowdfund Insider) Rated: A

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a statement on the PayPal acquisition of iZettle – an event that was announced in early 2018 and closed in September. PayPal purchased Sweden based iZettle for $2.2 billion as the company seeks to gain access to iZettle’s point of purchase credit platform.

The CMA stated:

“… the CMA has found that PayPal could face insufficient competition in the UK after acquiring its market-leading rival. The finding raises concerns that the merger could result in customers, which include small and medium-sized businesses, paying higher prices or receiving a lower quality service.”

The CMA added that iZettle could have provided strong competition for PayPal if the company had not moved to take over the Fintech.

NatWest digital loan ceiling lifted to £700K (FinExtra) Rated: A

NatWest has today announced the launch of a new digital platform which will be available to all NatWest business and commercial customers allowing them to apply online for secured and unsecured loans of up to £750,000 – the largest digitally available loans in the industry.

The new platform, available to all business and commercial banking customers who use online banking, will allow applicants to complete the process in a matter of minutes, with a decision being communicated to customers usually within 24 hours, sometimes immediately. This fully digitised application process streamlines the customer experience and reinforces NatWest’s position as the UK’s leading commercial lender.

NatWest’s development underlines the bank’s commitment to further improving its digital offering and builds on the success of its ESME Loans platform, which provides loans of up to £150,000, Mettle – the standalone digital business current account, and LenderComm, the first production use of blockchain in the syndicated loan marketplace.

Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending supports acquisition of Euxton Tile Supplies Ltd (Bridging Loan Directory) Rated: B

Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending (ABL) has supported the acquisition of Euxton Tile Supplies Ltd (Euxton) by Earle Group with a £2m asset based lending facility, comprising a £1,250,000 confidential invoice discounting line and a £750,000 cash flow strip to provide the desired level of headroom in the transaction.

Wonga to automate compensation claims (TNT Magazine) Rated: A

Wonga, the payday lender that went into administration this August, plans to automate its compensation claims process – sparking fears that customers will lose out. Accounting firm Grant Thornton is in the process of winding up Wonga and is legally obliged to assess the claims of all customers who believe that they have been mis-sold loans.

The Guardian reports that in a bid to cut costs the administrators are creating an automated ‘adjudication tool’ that will decide which claims to pay out on, rather than processing each claim manually.

In its October letter to creditors, Wonga said that it had been receiving roughly 200 to 500 compensation claims every day after it went into administration on 30 August. Before that date the company had received 24,000 complaints from customers and a further 9,500 had been escalated to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Proplend Milestone: Surpasses £50 Million in Online Lending (Crowdfund Insider) Rated: A

Less than six months after surpassing £40 million in online lending, UK based peer to peer lender in the property space, Proplend, announced on Monday it has now reached £50 million in online lending. According to the lender, all loans are commercial property backed, comprising a mix of bridging and mortgage lending risk-adjusted returns, which were funded by the lending platform’s growing band of Classic account, Pension account, and ISA “Lenders.” Proplend also revealed:

“By circumventing the traditional banking system, our Lenders have access to secured, inflation-beating fixed income returns whilst providing creditworthy commercial borrowers with an invaluable source of fast, flexible, interest only alternative funding. Having facilitated its first loan in 2014, Proplend has since accommodated over 50 commercial facilities, each loan typically funded within 24 hours by more than 100 participating Lenders. With a maximum loan term of 5 years, 20 loans have fully repaid to date with more than £15m capital returned and over £4m interest earned across the book – much of it tax-free.”

China

Yirendai Is At A Critical Stage To Regain Growth (Seeking Alpha) Rated: AAA

Yirendai Ltd (NYSE: YRD) released the third quarter 2018 earnings on November 12, with diluted Earnings per ADS of RMB2.43 (USD$0.35), decreased from USD 0.5 from second quarter. Considering the application of ASC 606, the adjusted earnings per ADS (if ASC were not adopted) is RMB 5.89 (USD 0.86), increased from RMB 4.91 in the same period from last year.

The volume of newly originated loans has been decreasing, more than the loan volume decrease of the industry. We can compare YRD’s loan volume with the industry, as well as some competitors, as below.

Source: Seeking Alpha

WeiyangX Fintech Review (Crowdfund Insider) Rated: A

Ping An Invests $47 million in Berlin-based Fintech Startup Finleap

The Ping An Insurance Group’s Global Voyager Investment Fund led a €41.5 million ($47 million) investment towards Berlin-based Fintech company Finleap.

Internet Finance Association of Jiangxi Province Issues P2P Exit Guidelines

On November 16, the Internet Finance Association of Jiangxi Province issued the “Guidelines for the Exit of Online Lending Intermediary Organizations in Jiangxi Province (Trial)”, stating that online lending institutions should put the rights of protecting lenders at the top of their exit work and minimize the loss of lenders. The guidelines specifically mention that when a P2P institution exit, it needs to take eight steps, namely:

(1) to file an application for withdrawal;

(2) to set up an exit work leading group;

(3) to issue an exit notice and close some platform functions;

(4) to prepare a business list of circumstances and formulate an exit plan;

(5) submit an exit plan and other related materials;

(6) publish relevant information such as the exit plan;

(7) implement the lender’s funds as planned, and steadily settle the stock items;

(8) completion of the exit.

European Union

Lendingblock Receives In-Principle Licence as DLT Provider in Gibraltar (Crowdfun Insider) Rated: AAA

Securities lending platform for digital assets Lendingblock has issued a statement indicating that the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) has made an in-principle decision to grant the firm authorization as a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) provider. Lendingblock adds that it continues to work closely with the GFSC as it seeks the full DLT licence.

Lendingblock says that following this decision, and the successful testing period, the Lendingblock platform is open for institutional onboarding in preparation for launch.

Market participants are now able to sign up for access and will be able to commence borrowing and lending BTC, ETC, BCH, and LTC beginning early next year.

Digital lenders ‘must keep investing to grow’ (IBS Intelligence) Rated: A

Research from digital ID specialist Mitek has concluded that there is a huge opportunity for digital lenders to grow, if they continue to invest in digitisation.

The findings have been published as a whitepaper, authored by fintech research practice Autonomous NEXT. Titled European Digital Lenders, it looks into the state of the digital lending market in Europe.

He said the report found that venture capital investment is still flowing into the space and is set to hit $800m in Europe: “The UK alone has originations of over $6bn, and Europe-wide, the addressable market is $150bn – with current digital lender revenues estimated at $400m,” he added. “Moreover, the market shows impressive originations growth, with a 60% CAGR since 2013.”

Australia/New Zealand

Australian challenger bank Judo gets $ 350m funding boost (Fintech Futures) Rated: A

Melbourne-based challenger bank Judo Capital is edging towards a bank licence with a $350 million debt facility agreement with firm Credit Suisse.

The bank shared the news with Business Insider. David Hornery, co-founder and co-CEO of Judo, says the facility will provide further depth to Judo’s funding for Australian SMEs.

Short-term loan, long-term debt: Superloans under investigation after slew of complaints (Stuff) Rated: A

Short-term money lender Superloans has come under attack from people who say they target poor and vulnerable consumers, charge extremely high interest rates, and resort to illegal means for recouping their money.

The Commerce Commission has launched an investigation into Superloans after it received more than 20 complaints against the company since 2013 – several from financial advisors.

Copies of the complaints, obtained under the Official Information Act, reveal one complainant alleged Superloans threatened to take repayments out of a person’s pay cheque, illegally.

Another woman complained that a Superloans’ employee only looked at her bank statements before approving her loan application, and did not check her credit.

India

IvyCap Ventures makes first investment in P2P lending through Lendbox (The Ecomonic Times) Rated: AAA

Credit marketplace LendBox has secured the first investment by a large institutional investor in India’s peer-to-peer lending space, raising Rs 6 crore in a pre-series A financing round.

Major Trends Witnessed this year in Fintech (Entrepreneur) Rated: A

Online lending platforms have been quite phenomenal in filling in the credit void within our country. But how accomplished are they in doing so? MSME loans are considered as the trickiest element of lending given the sheer opacity that exists within the sector. This opacity has decreased the share of scheduled commercial banks in MSME credit from 95% to 90% between December 2015 and March 2018. The credit growth turned negative post-demonetization. During the same period, the share of loans by NBFCs (which are essentially used by online lending platforms) nearly doubled growing with an annual average of 35 per cent, largely because of cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Big Data.

5 ways to reduce risk in P2P lending (The Economic Times) Rated: A

Lending money is a risky affair. However, there are ways to minimize the risk. Since peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is a relatively new concept and the RBI regulations for the P2P sector are barely about a year old, here are five effective ways in which you can reduce the risk to ensure getting your money back. Of course, with interest.

Understand the platform
You should try to understand how the online P2P model works before lending money on it. An investor should be aware how the money is lent on the platform and what are the risks involved in lending money on the platform.

Do not hesitate to ask the P2P player about the overall volume, defaults, recovery process and likely returns. You can do your own research or simply contact the P2P company through emails, chats or phone calls.

Do not go overboard
Sure, P2P platforms can offer your higher double-digit returns. But that doesn’t mean you should lend your entire in P2P lending. Choose the amount you wish to invest and then diversify,” says Raghavendra Pratap Singh, Co-Founder, i2ifunding.

Ex-Infosys CFO & Director V. Balakrishnan Joins Association of NBFC P2P Platforms as Patron Member (Indian Web) Rated: B

Within a month after the formation of NBFC-P2P industry body, Association of NBFC P2P Platforms, the association today announced the joining of finance industry veteran & Former Infosys Chief Financial Officer V Balakrishnan as Patron Member.

P2P lending industry players have formed association to represent the Indian NBFC-P2P industry at various national as well as at international forums. The P2P operators participating in the operations are OML P2P, Monexo, PaisaDukan, Finzy, Cashkumar, Liquiloans, Micrograam, Lendsmartp2p, Peerlend and Indiamoneymart. The association aims to establish formal lines of communication between various government and regulatory authorities on matter of compliance and to create awareness about the industry and to work towards enhancement of public trust in this sector.

Asia

HonestFund Raises $ 12.2 million (USD) in our Series B round (Honestfund Email) Rated: AAA

HonestFund is one of the largest peer-to-peer lending players in South Korea. We were founded in 2015 and currently have about USD 300 million in cumulative originated loans. We have recently raised USD 12.2 million in our Series B round from the top VC firms, IT giants, and the largest financial institutions (i.e. Shinhan Bank and Hanwha Life Insurance) in South Korea.

Canada

Unlicensed online payday lenders are operating in New Brunswick (Global Newswire) Rated: A

Unlicensed online payday lenders are targeting New Brunswickers, warns the Financial and Consumer Services Commission.

FCNB has been receiving complaints from consumers about inappropriate collection practices by payday lending businesses not licensed to operate in the province.

“We are hearing that these businesses are contacting consumers who have fallen behind in their payments at their place of employment and in some cases, threatening to seek repayment from their employer. Sometimes they are contacting them up to 50 times a day,” said Alaina Nicholson, director of Consumer Affairs at FCNB. “It is against the law for a payday lender in the province to contact you at your place of work, or to contact your employers or coworkers to collect a payday loan that is late.”

Subscribe Technologies Upgrading Lendertech With Peer To Peer Lending Service And Integrating Platform Into Gingerly Marketplace (Stockhouse) Rated: A

Subscribe Technologies Inc. is pleased to announce it is upgrading the Company’s Lendertech financial technology platform with financial service auction and matchmaking features and has begun the initial phase of integrating the technology with the Company’s flagship Gingerly small business software application marketplace.

LenderTech facilitates greater and broader access to capital for those in need, including across a number of traditional and emerging areas such as mortgages, commercial lending, auto loans, student loans, and small business loans, among others.

As intended, our development team is now integrating this money lending service into the Gingerly software application marketplace and dashboard, with the addition of new Peer-to-Peer matchmaking features, designed for SMEs to have greater and faster access to lenders in one clean and simple to use interface.

IOU Financial Inc. Joins the FINSYNC Lending Network (PR Newswire) Rated: B

IOU FINANCIAL INC., a leading online lender to small businesses (IOUFinancial.com), is pleased to announce its strategic partnership with FINSYNC, Inc. (“FINSYNC”).

Small businesses of all types rely on FINSYNC to visualize, manage and project cash flow and analyze loan options. IOU’s non-collateralized financing product has been assimilated by FINSYNC, enabling users who apply for financing through FINSYNC to quickly access IOU’s affordable, flexible financing for working capital and expansion.

Africa

Nigeria’s mixed signals on fintech (Euromoney) Rated: AAA

Earlier this year, the country’s central bank and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System opened a regulatory sandbox to enable budding fintech companies to develop new products freely and securely, becoming one of the first African countries to do so.

Even before that launch, Nigeria was frequently touted as the continent’s next big fintech hub, set to compete with South Africa and Kenya.

Bitcoin exchange NairaEx, online lender KiaKia and invoicing platform Payant are just three of the firms that have made a name for themselves in short order.

Authors:

George Popescu

Allen Taylor

What Happened at the Money 20/20 2018 Conference in Las Vegas?

Its a good thing that everything that happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas, which is where the Seventh Annual Money20/20 Conference took place on October 19-21, 2018. With the goal to “fearlessly take on the mission of creating a simpler, fairer, faster and more inclusive financial system for individuals, businesses, and society as a whole,” the three-and-a-half […]

Themes included :

Payments and Platforms
Banking and Personal Finance
AI and Deep Learning
Cybersecurity and Fraud
Alt Lending and Credit
Blockchain and Crypto
Digital Identity and Biometrics
And much more

While this is going to serve as a brief overview of the Conference, some of the notables who spoke, and bigger announcements, there will be special interest on Alternative lending and credit. We’ll also look at the all-important payments race.

A lot of the coverage is available on YouTube where Money20/20 has its own channel, so, if you missed the conference, you still have free access to some of the information.

Day One

Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak is always a good bet to help you get a financial conference rolling. The business legend’s assurances that the claims that artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, along with other forms of technology, are going to cut into human productivity are unwarranted helped to establish an ongoing theme that tech is necessary for the broader inclusiveness of our collective financial future.

Jennifer Bailey, VP Internet Services for Apple Pay, detailed some of the expansions of the new iPhone X, which include face ID security.

Other notable speakers from the first day of the conference included John Collison of Stripe, Michael Mebach, CPO of Mastercard (who spoke on how to build a seven-trillion-dollar middle class), Anand Sanwal of CB Insights, and Bill Ready of PayPal.

Day Two

Day Two’s lineup of speakers was headed by none other than Virgin’s own Richard Branson, who told a remarkable story about how he created Virgin by renting a plane and selling seats to the other passengers scheduled to be on the American Airlines flight that was delayed. Sallie Krawcheck, Ellevest’s CEO and co-founder, had some valuable remarks on diversity, and Vanessa Colella, head of Citi Ventures and CIO of CitiGroup, shared some keen insights on partnerships.

Possibly the speaker from the conferences second day who made the biggest impression was Nikolay Storonsky, CEO of Revolut. The way money is moved is changing rapidly, but if Storonsky is correct in his predictions, it may change even faster. He predicts that in 10 years, two or three large fintech players will take 95 percent of banks’ business marking an industry overhaul akin to how Amazon bypassed the retail industry and Uber took on taxis.

Day Three

Patrick Gauthier, VP of Amazon Pay, spoke to Tracey Davies’s central theme when he talked about the use of technology to make things simpler and more natural between the merchant and the consumer. Harley Finkelstein, CEO of Shopify, pointed out that middlemen will not be totally going away in the financial realm of the future, but they will have to “provide a disproportionate amount of value for their profit margin in the future.”

Other notable speakers included Asiff Hijri, president and COO of Coinbase, who framed the crypto world well when he spoke of the two base use cases of the space, the store of value of bitcoin and the ability to build apps on top of Ethereum, while noting that we’re still looking for that breakthrough app. His quote “Fintech before crypto, and the promise of a stablecoin…is like mobile before the iPhone came along” might be one of those “remember when” moments.

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal also spoke on the third day of the conference. Now an advisor and advocate of Steady, the platform which helps Americans find work, says his partnership with these efforts is driven by recollections of a past where the only investments that paid off were those he embarked on in order to help others.

Day Four

Much of what happened on Day Four is listed below, including the Uber/Barclays and the Grab/Mastercard partnerships, but the day also had some other mentionable happenings.

Marisol Menendez, head of open innovation for BBVA, introduced the overall winner of the 10th annual BBVA Open Talent competition, the reward going to Sedicii; founder Rob Leslie accepted the award. Sedicii provides a service that identifies data between two organizations without exposing the underlying data.

Also, adding some hope for the financial sector in general, Ripple’s Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Chris Larson stated that he thinks digital assets can help guard against another financial crisis by solving some of the key problems of global liquidity. He also predicts that a fluid digital asset (he thinks it will be XRP, of course) will make more fluid the trillions of dollars that are tied up due to the “clunkiness” of current systems.

Focus on Alternative Lending and Credit Cards

As instant payments and expanded remittance options gain more prominence in the world of payments and commerce, an app designed to speed up the remittance process, designed via Visa APIs, took top honors at the conference.

American Express and Amazon announced a partnership, which will produce a no-annual-fee business card. Cardholders (Amazon Prime members) will get to choose if they want to receive five percent rewards on any Amazon purchase (Whole Foods included) or 90-day payment terms, a reward that might benefit small businesses with cash flow issues.

Goldman Sachs’s Marcus Platform announced a new wealth management offering designed to make the financial market more inclusive for average Americans. The offering will focus on online savings accounts and personal lending, the end game being to educate customers on some of the ins and outs of the financial sector.

Grab Financial and M and A Mastercard announced a partnership that will make prepaid cards available to underbanked and underserved customers in Southeast Asia in order to bring them into the financial realm and allow them to conduct business globally.

Gregory Wright, CPO and SVP of Experian, touched on a common theme from the conference, that of businesses going forward by putting consumers first. He reinforced the platform’s focus on putting the consumer at the center of the lending decision by giving the consumer more control over his or her data to allow them to make a more informed lending decision. The goal is for lenders to make better decisions at lower risk while giving more consumers access to credit.

David Richter, global head of business and corporate development for Uber, joined with Curt Hess, CEO of BarclayCard US, to announce the unveiling of the Uber Visa card. A native app specifically designed for the Uber platform, the app will make it more engaging and enjoyable for Uber riders and Uber eaters to experience the platform. The card will also offer real-time notifications of rewards and balances, rather than customers having to wait a month for a statement as credit cards traditionally do.

Other Noteworthy Announcements

ViSync took the grand prize in the conference’s hackathon challenge. According to a Visa spokesperson, their entry, an app designed to help send remittance payments overseas, should make it easier for migrant workers to send money back to their home countries.
FICO announced an “Ultra” FICO rating. The new device will consider how people manage their checking accounts and will incorporate things like overdraft history to determine credit scores. The goal is to help younger people and others with little or no credit and people who are rebuilding their credit after a couple of setbacks.
Tracey Davies, president of Money20/20, also announced the Rise Up! program, the pilot of which took place at this event. Rise Up! seeks to increase inclusion into the financial sector on all levels. This pilot program, which will expand to other demographics in the future, focused on gender (women make up 50 percent of the population, but only 20 percent of leadership roles in the financial sector.). Of the 300 women who applied to the program, only 35 were selected. Those who were selected were privy to special seminars and one-on-one access to various leaders from the financial space.

The Payments Race

Knowing how we build points of sale, I wonder if the organizers of the original event knew just how apropos the payments race would be to the overall message of the Money20/20 events. Whether they did or not, the event serves to draw a good picture of how we use and interact with different forms of currency in our daily lives.

Closely resembling the scavenger hunt of the television series The Amazing Race, five participants were given six days to make it to Las Vegas for the opening day of the convention. They drew to see which host city will host most of their scavenging, and then they all have to make it to their city and then to Vegas. Along the way, they got points for things like the number of states they visited and the different modes of transportation they use.

The catch is this: Each participant was only allowed to use one form of payment; the options were

Team Checks
Team Cash
Team Credit Cards
Team Devices (Apple Pay and such)
Team Crypto

The episodes—all of which can be seen on YouTube—show the obstacles in trying to perform these tasks with only the given form of payment.

As you can imagine, Team Checks had a hard time of it, and they had to rely on the goodness of many others to navigate their journey. Team Cash didn’t face as many obstacles, but travel required some finagling as they got deeper into the trip. Team Crypto had some transportation issues early on, but also relied on the kindness of others to make the necessary accommodations.

Team Credit seemed to have the most ease traveling—they just rented an RV and drove—and the representative from Team Devices said after it was all over that using only devices proved to be easier than she thought it was going to be; she did have to go to some pretty significant lengths to rent a car.

In all, the little series of videos showed the importance of various forms of payment and that we still haven’t gotten to the point where we can survive conveniently on one single form of payment; still, everything from the conference seems to speak to the reality that we’ll get there.

And how did the race turn out? Well, I haven’t seen an actual crowning, but Team Crypto was the first to get to the Las Vegas sign, which was basically the finish line—I haven’t seen anything that mentioned how each fared at the number of states visited or modes of transportation used. If Team Crypto did prove the winner, it was their second straight title.

The event will return to Vegas next year, the dates being October 27-30, 2019.

Author:

Written by Paul Keenan.

Monday August 20 2018, Daily News Digest

News Comments Today’s main news: SoFi is shopping for $1B credit line. KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to Prosper Marketplace Issuance Trust, Series 2018.2. Monzo headed to unicorn status. China Rapid Finance debuts up to $20M share repurchase program. Today’s main analysis: Forcasting cash flows using machine learning. Today’s thought-provoking articles: Report sheds light on early success of real […]

News Comments

Today’s main news: SoFi is shopping for $1B credit line. KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to Prosper Marketplace Issuance Trust, Series 2018.2. Monzo headed to unicorn status. China Rapid Finance debuts up to $20M share repurchase program.
Today’s main analysis: Forcasting cash flows using machine learning.
Today’s thought-provoking articles: Report sheds light on early success of real estate crowdfunding. Key facts about SBA loans. 7 out of 10 people in the UK bank online. Why blockchain is the future of global lending.

United States

SoFi is shopping for $1 billion credit line. The interesting thing about this is, they’re looking at banks.
KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to Prosper Marketplace Issuance Trust, Series 2018-2.
Forecasting cashflows using machine learning. This is a very interesting read from PeerIQ.
PeerIQ CEO on OCC fintech charter.
On the early success of real estate crowdfunding. There are some very interesting findings in this report. Anyone interested in real estate crowdfunding would do well to read this.
Fintech names on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies.
Treasury’s plan to legitimize online lenders is good for small businesses.
Fintechs are cautious about OCC fintech charter.
CRA-like standards for fintech could reduce credit access.
Companies offer employees payday loan alternative.
Zelle wants to let consumers pay businesses.
TransUnion unveils solution to extend real-time credit offers.
Credit Karma acquires Approved.
RealtyShares exits industrial property investment.

United Kingdom

Monzo could join the ranks of European unicorns. This would do a lot to legitimize digital banking in Europe. The question is whether the rise of digital banking, and challenger banks, in the UK and Europe will ever migrate to the U.S.
7 out of 10 people bank online.
How P2P lending plugged the funding gap for small businesses.
Curo, QuickQuid, and LendingStream could face big legal action.
Income investing, inflation, and P2P lending.
Lndr adds PayPal integration.

China

International

Why blockchain is the future of global lending.

Other

News Summary

United States

SoFi Eyes $ 1B Credit Line, Post Q2 Loss (PYMNTS), Rated: AAA

Student loan refinancing company Social Finance (SoFi) is looking for a loan of its own: The company is in talks with banks to secure a revolving credit line of as much as $1 billion after posting a second-quarter loss.

KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Prosper Marketplace Issuance Trust, Series 2018-2 (Business Wire) Rated: AAA

Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) assigns preliminary ratings to three classes of notes issued by Prosper Marketplace Lending Issuance Trust 2018-2 (“PMIT 2018-2”). This is a $500.5 million consumer loan ABS transaction.

Preliminary Ratings: Prosper Marketplace Issuance Trust, Series 2018-2
Class	Preliminary Rating	Initial Class Principal
A	A+ (sf)	$335,500,000
B	BBB (sf)	$59,950,000
C	B+ (sf)	$105,050,000

Forecasting Cashflows using Machine Learning, Strong Retail Sales Report (PeerIQ), Rated: AAA

The price of a loan is the present value of the loan’s cashflows (after accounting for losses and prepayments), discounted by an appropriate discount rate:

Source: PeerIQ

Cashflow Modeling with Credit Models

The inputs of a credit model are loan attributes and borrower factors such as:

Originator of the Loan
Term of the Loan
Interest Rate on the Loan
Original Principal of the Loan
Age of the Loan (Months on Book)
Loan Grade
Prior Loan Status
Borrower’s Credit Score at Origination

The sparse transition model assumes 7 possible loan statuses which describe the performance of the loan:

Current (or Status C)
1 Month Delinquent (or Status 1)
2 Month Delinquent (or Status 2)
3 Month Delinquent (or Status 3)
4 Month Delinquent (or Status 4)
Default (or Status D)
Paid Off (or Status P)

Source: PeerIQ

Once a loan arrives at a terminal absorbing state (“Defaulted” or “Paid Off”) there is no future possible transition as there are no further cashflows. Therefore, the probability of a loan remaining defaulted is 100%.

Source: PeerIQ

Model Calibration

Source: PeerIQ

PeerIQ CEO Ram Ahluwalia on OCC Fintech Charter: Consumers Win if it is Implemented Correctly (Crowdfund Insider) Rated: A

We asked Ahluwalia who will benefit from the OCC Fintech Charter and whether it was big tech, Fintechs or other.

“The long-term winner of the charter is the US consumer who will benefit from greater competition, innovation, and access to the financial system. New technology and entrants will also promote the dynamism and resilience of the US financial system,” stated Ahluwalia. “Payments companies that seek to compete with Visa / Mastercard also stand to benefit. Payments arms of firms like Google, Apple, Amazon, and PayPal would fit the profile, as well as large non-bank lenders that can demonstrate sustainable profitability de-risked their business models. Fintech lenders are a major winner as well as they’ll be able to compete on a more level playing field. Big technology firms have an opportunity to expand their role in financial services as well.”

New Research Sheds Light on Early Successes of Real Estate Crowdfunding (EquityMultiple Email), Rated: AAA

Some of the survey’s key findings include:

A full 65 percent of respondents plan to allocate at least 10 percent of their portfolios to real estate crowdfunding sites, with nearly 40 percent expecting to allocate at least 20 percent
More than 60 percent of respondents report typical annual returns of at least 8 percent
Respondents considered “transparency and details with respect to investment opportunities” the most critical factor in a crowdfunding platform, exceeding all other choices, including “attentive customer service” and “diversity of investment opportunities”
With respect to individual investments, “geographic focus” (i.e. where a property is located) matters less to investors than “sponsor/lender experience”, the property’s upside potential or several other factors

Source: Real Estate Crowdfunding Investor Preferences

Read the full report here.

Key Facts About the SBA (Email from SmartBiz Loans ) Rated: AAA

Source: SmartBiz Loans

Many Fintech Names on the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies (Lend Academy) Rated: A

Of the 5,000 companies on this year’s list exactly 233 are in the financial services category. Below is a screenshot of the top 10 companies in this category. Leading the list is Fundrise, the real estate platform for individual investors, a name that would be familiar to Lend Academy readers (I interviewed CEO Ben Miller on the podcast last year). Another well known name is Fundera, the small business lending marketplace, who were the third fastest growing company in our category. I encourage you to explore the complete list here where you can search for specific companies or filter by industry, state and many other criteria.

Source: Lend Academy

Treasury’s plan to legitimize online lenders is good for small businesses (The Guardian) Rated: A

Companies in this industry such as Kabbage, Lending Club and BlueVine have grown significantly over the past few years by offering financing to many small businesses that otherwise would not be able to get loans. Their deals are quick to approve, rarely require collateral and are usually tied in to a customer’s financial systems for close monitoring.

Last month, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced that it was moving ahead with its plan to allow online lenders to apply for banking charters. When recognized as a bank, those types of financiers would no longer have to comply with state laws and would instead be subject to federal banking regulations. “Companies that provide banking services in innovative ways deserve the opportunity to pursue that business on a national scale as a federally chartered, regulated bank,” Joseph Otting, the comptroller of the currency, one of the country’s top financial regulators, told the Los Angeles Times.

RPT-‘Fintechs’ sound cautious note on offer of U.S. bank charter (Rueters) Rated: A

Financial technology companies that lend online are sounding a cautious note on a U.S. banking regulator’s plan to offer them special federal charters because of concerns over legal challenges and requirements that are more onerous than expected.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said last month it would accept applications for banking licenses from the likes of LendingClub and OnDeck Capital Inc, online lenders that do business outside the traditional banking system. They then could operate nationwide under one banking license rather than a patchwork of state-specific regulations.

Fintech executives lobbied for the license and applauded the OCC’s decision, but they are not immediately rushing in, they told Reuters.

CRA-like standards for fintechs could reduce access to credit (American Banker) Rated: A

As reported in American Banker, consumer advocacy groups are concerned that financial inclusion expectations for fintechs chartered as special-purpose national banks may not perfectly mirror the requirements of the Community Reinvestment Act.

This possibility exists because the final version of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s licensing manual supplement for fintechs lacks the same level of specificity as the draft manual that was published for comment last March. Consumer advocates have been steadfast in their insistence that the substance of the CRA, which by its terms applies only to depository institutions, be applied to nondepository fintech national banks. Yet imposing CRA-like requirements on these institutions would likely result in reduced credit opportunities for low-income communities.

Walmart And Others Offer Workers Payday Loan Alternative (NPR) Rated: A

So when Loving heard about a company called PayActiv, a tech startup that helps companies get their workers emergency cash for very small fees, “I thought to myself, now that’s a good idea,” he says. And he signed up.

“Our data analysis showed that it was close to $150 a month being paid by the working poor — per employee or per hourly worker in this country,” says Shah. “That’s a substantial sum of money because it’s about $1,800 or $2,000 a year.”

Venmo competitor Zelle wants to let you pay businesses, too (Payment Source) Rated: A

Zelle, a Venmo-style app that lets consumers send money to friends, roommates and babysitters, is working on ways to ensure that customers can safely pay small businesses as well, according to people familiar with the situation.

Zelle, backed by Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and other banks, is beefing up its risk-assessment tools as part of the effort, according to one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the feature hasn’t been announced. The idea is to help protect users when they’re paying businesses like gardeners and hairdressers.

TransUnion Unveils Solution to Extend Real-Time Credit Offers (DSNews) Rated: A

To meet the evolving needs of consumers, Chicago-based TransUnion has announced the launch of credit offers through a simplified, SMS-initiated, mobile experience. The technology seamlessly integrates real-time credit decisioning with consumer and device authentication, creating a secure, personalized, and dynamic user experience.

Credit Karma acquires US lendtech Approved (Fintech Futures) Rated: A

Credit Karma, based in San Francisco, has 80 million members across North America, almost half of which are millennials and 80% of which access the service via their mobile devices.

Andy Taylor, founder and CEO of Approved, says it started the firm with a “vision that borrowers could visit an open house not having even talked with a lender, find the home of their dreams, and get fully pre-qualified on their mobile device before a listing agent offered them a business card”.

With this joint mobile mentality, both firms will be looking to cash in from the crowded US mortgage market. Approved says it has done nearly $5 billion in loan originations.

RealtyShares and Novaya Real Estate Ventures Exit Industrial Property Investment (Herald Courier), Rated: B

RealtyShares, an online platform for commercial real estate investing, has announced that one of its investment syndicates recently exited an industrial investment property—1 Distribution Center Circle in Littleton, Massachusetts—in partnership with Novaya Real Estate Ventures, an established Boston-based operator of commercial real estate throughout New England.

United Kingdom

Monzo poised to join ranks of Europe’s fintech ‘unicorns’ (Financial Times) Rated: AAA

Monzo, the British digital bank popular with millennials, is set to become the latest European fintech “unicorn” with a fresh round of fundraising expected to put a valuation on the company of up to $1.5bn.

The east London-based online bank, known for its distinctive pink cards, is signing up 18,000 customers a week and aims to reach as many as 4m customers in the next couple of years, according to Tom Blomfield, its chief executive.

Seven out of 10 people in UK now bank online (Financial Times) Rated: AAA

While email is still the most common reason people use the internet, online banking is the fastest-growing use. According to a survey by the Office for National Statistics — looking at the UK population, not just internet users — 69 per cent said they banked online, almost double the proportion recorded 10 years ago (35 per cent).

The ONS began running its survey in 1998. In the case of internet usage, people were asked about their use in the January, February and April before the survey.

Source: Financial Times

How P2P plugged the funding gap for small businesses (P2P Finance News), Rated: A

BEFORE the global financial crisis, banks were the lender of choice for Britain’s small businesses, and perhaps the only option they would consider.

Since then, banks have become more risk averse and are pulling back from lending in some parts of the market, especially since the EU referendum. Peer-to-peer, or rather peer-to-business (P2B), lending has stepped in to fill the gap.

The Peer-to-Peer Finance Association (P2PFA) says the industry provided £660m of new lending to businesses in the first quarter of 2018 and, since the third quarter of 2017, there has been a 35 per cent increase in net lending.

US-based payday loan giants Curo, QuickQuid and Lending Stream could face legal action in ‘bigger scandal than PPI’ (Daily Mail Online) Rated: A

Giant American payday lenders could face legal action in the UK today after they were accused of mis-selling loans to up to a million Britons.

Paydayrefunds.co.uk are preparing legal action against Quickquid, Curo and Lending Stream after the US-payday lending giants have so far refused to disclose information on customers who could be due tens of millions of pounds back in compensation.

The company issued a letter of action six months ago, which is due to run out next Friday. Paydayrefunds.co.uk revealed they have already appointed a barrister in preparation for issuing an injunction at the High Court against the lenders.

Income investing, inflation and P2P lending (Investors Chronicle), Rated: A

Emma Aygemang gives us a report on the Financial Conduct Authority’s study on peer-to-peer (P2P) investing, and there’s a discussion on the implications of restricting the sector to private investors, and where P2P providers need to up their game.

Crypto Lending App Lndr, Adds PayPal Integration to Increase Adoption Rates (Bitcoin Exchange Guide), Rated: B

A new cryptocurrency lending app called Lndr is planning integration with one of the most popular financial services in the world: PayPal. This integration will open the ownership to digital assets to 100 million people around the world, which can cause an unseen widespread of cryptocurrency usage even for people who never before considered using cryptocurrencies.

China

China Rapid Finance Debuts Up to $ 20 Million Share Repurchase Program (Crowdfund Insider), Rated: AAA

China Rapid Finance Limited (NYSE: XRF), one of China’s largest consumer lending marketplaces, announced earlier this week the launch of its new share repurchase program, which allows the lender to authorized the repurchase of its ordinary shares in the form of American depositary shares with an aggregate value of up to $20 million.

China regulator orders bailout of peer-to-peer lenders by managers of distressed assets (SCMP), Rated: A

During a Wednesday meeting in Beijing, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission asked four managers of distressed assets – Huarong, Cinda, Great Wall and Orient – to extend their mandate to non-performing loans owed by peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms, according to a source familiar with the matter. The meeting was first reported by Reuters on Thursday.

Regulations help resolve P2P plight in China (Global Times) Rated: A

In July, a total of 165 platforms reported problems, among which 65 percent had difficulties in investments withdrawal, while executives of 8.72 percent of those firms stole money and ran away, according to a report released by domestic industry website wdzj.com on August 1.

Accumulated transactions in the domestic P2P industry had reached 7.48 trillion yuan by the end of July, the report said.

On Wednesday, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission asked the country’s four State-owned asset management companies to help address rising risks in the P2P sector, according to media reports.

China orders bad-loan managers to help failing P2P lenders (Financial Times), Rated: A

China’s banking regulator has instructed the country’s four state-owned bad loan managers to deal with failing peer-to-peer lending platforms, a sign of Beijing’s concern about possible financial and social instability from the shadow banking sector.

Hundreds of P2P platforms have collapsed in recent months due to borrower defaults and fraud by platform operators. The defaults have sparked panic among investors, some of whom have sought early redemption of their investments.

European Union

European IPOs may shake off sluggish start with a fall bonanza (Gulf Times) Rated: AAA

European markets are set to see a slew of big initial public offerings this fall. Potential mega listings – from companies such as Aston Martin, Volvo Cars and Spanish oil firm Cepsa Trading – could help Europe overcome a relatively slow first half. IPOs there have raised about $31bn in 2018 so far, compared with almost $38bn in the same period last year, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Still, volatile markets threaten to spook investors and owners away from new share sales. Concerns that turmoil in Turkey could hurt the region’s lenders has added to pressure on European stocks from the US-China trade spat. Commodities have tumbled along with US equities, fuelling fears that the sell- off may be the start of a broader market correction.

International

Disruption or evolution? Why blockchain is the future of global lending (IT Pro Portal), Rated: AAA

Global spending on blockchain solutions is estimated to reach $2.1 billion this year, but for there to be a blockchain revolution, many barriers – technological, political, organisational and societal – need to be overcome first.

Currently, citizens in Europe have the lowest levels of ‘complete trust’ in traditional banks. This is worrying, given money is simply a means of exchange, built on the trust bestowed upon it.

However, some bankers will tell you the traditional financial system is ‘global’ and ‘efficient’ as it is, despite being fully aware of its flaws. In our industry, lending, if you’re currently a non-bank lender who would like to diversify your global lending potential, you will find that it is punitively expensive, time-consuming and exclusive to large funds and traders. This ultimately reduces the potential reward for non-bank lenders through fees.

Given the astonishing fact 39 percent of the world’s population are unbanked, blockchain technologies and associated crypto currencies could open the door for anyone, anywhere to lend, borrow and invest. All you need is internet access.

Australia

Aussies borrow money not knowing how personal loans are assessed, study finds (Daily Telegraph) Rated: AAA

AUSTRALIANS have borrowed $46.6 billion in personal loans over the past 12 months, research has found, but experts claim many are unaware of how loan applications are assessed and how they may affect their own credit scores.

RateCity analysed Australian Bureau of Statistics data from the past 12 months and found personal loan numbers were up 6.4 per cent year on year, with more than half a million Australians using them to buy cars in that period. The total borrowing for new cars was $8.33 billion at an average loan size of $36,341; while a further $5.88 billion was borrowed for used cars.

On top of this, we borrowed $6.05 billion for debt consolidation and $2.54 billion for household goods, but despite the huge outlay, many borrowers are confused about how personal loans work and why they may not be offered the low interest rates they see on advertisements.

India

P2P has great potential, but too early to compare with equities (India Times), Rated: A

People with zero or poor credit score find it hard to get a loan from NBFCs and banks. P2P aims to serve such unbanked and underbanked population. Tell us how do you do it?
NBFCs and banks also lend to people ‘new to credit’. These people typically have a financial transaction whether in form of a bank account or income data, whether salaried or self-employed, and can be validated on the risk ratios, basis the information.

Asia

Cambodia Establishes New Fintech Association (Crowdfund Insider) Rated: AAA

Cambodia Fintech Association also reported it undertakes four major streams of work on behalf of its members, which are the following:

Champion: Advise government and regulators on policy change that supports Fintech innovation and growth
Assist: Provide research, legal/regulatory help, service provider discounts and other benefits that help our members build and scale their Startups
Match: Get customers to buy, investors to invest, and talent to get involved in Fintech solutions
Bridging: Connect ventures (capital), talents (education) and other stakeholders within the Cambodia Fintech ecosystem and provide connections to overseas hubs through our network Events and Partners

According to the Phnom Penh Post, CFA Vice President, Eddie Lee, stated that Cambodia is currently progressing in its fintech, but startups are slowly starting to surface in the country. Lee also explained that CFA has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Taiwan Fintech Association, Thailand Fintech Association and Singapore Fintech Association to establish bridges with similar groups in the region. He added that the next step is to register the CFA with the Asian Fintech Network.

Authors:

George Popescu

Allen Taylor