Mutual lender takes equity stake in fintech platform
Beyond Bank Australia has become the fourth customer-owned lender to take an equity stake in growing marketplace lender SocietyOne. The mutual lender yesterday announced it has acquired $1.5 million worth of shares in SocietyOne, as well as agreeing to increase its funding arrangement with the marketplace lender to $10m. G&C Mutual Bank, Maritime, Mining and Power Credit Union and Regional Australia Bank joined SocietyOne’s share register in May this year following the company’s successful $25m capital raising. The move by Beyond Bank Australia to take a stake in SocietyOne follows a long relationship between the two, with Beyond Bank Australia among the first institutions to become a direct SocietyOne investor […]
How partnerships are driving this fintech lender forward
Small business lender GetCapital is utilising strategic partnerships to benefit its customers. Fintech companies were originally thought of as disruptors, but as the game continues the rules are starting to change. Today, you’re more likely to see banks and corporates building bridges with fintech companies rather than putting up defensive walls. This is the case for GetCapital, a small business lender sharing its reins with business heavyweights such as Qantas and Alibaba. Established in 2013, GetCapital started providing standard small business loans to Australian businesses and has now diversified it to include trade finance and invoice discounting. GetCapital CEO Jamie Osborn says the idea is to provide an online small business […]
Australian FinTech, Media Partner for LendIt Europe
Australian FinTech is delighted to be a Media Partner for the upcoming LendIt Europe conference, taking place on October 10-11, 2016 in London. We’re very excited to be part of this event and encourage you to attend if you have not already registered. As a LendIt Europe media partner, we are able to offer you an exclusive discount on LendIt Europe 2016 passes. Use the promo code AF16VIP when registering to receive 15% off your ticket. Register Now: http://bit.ly/29ZSvTm Partnered with the P2P Finance Association, LendIt Europe is Europe’s largest conference for the online lending community, with 1000 attendees expected in 2016. Confirmed speakers include: […]
The growing popularity of peer-to-peer lending
Years ago, the financial services offered to people who wanted to profit from their savings was very cut and dry. You would either invest your money in the stock exchange, property, or in a term deposit account, to gain interest on your principal investment. Now, investors have the opportunity to expand their portfolio and commit their funds to newer, and arguably more exciting, investment options. Peer-to-peer lending (P2P) This disruption to traditional financial services is due to the growing popularity of peer-to-peer lending (P2P) in the market. This lending process is a method of debt financing that allows individuals to borrow and lend money without the use of an official […]
Just don’t call us payday lenders
More than 20,000 Australian small business owners have trouble accessing finance (Deloitte Access Economics). Are they denied access because they aren’t good candidates for loans? Yes, in some cases. However, a significant number (37%) of these businesses are denied finance because they don’t have collateral (be it a home or considerable assets) to secure a loan against. Interestingly more than 40 per cent of rejected applications examined by the NSW Business Chamber were for amounts less than $100,000 – it seems traditional providers aren’t interested in small loans, or small business. Archaic systems and processes which serve the interests of incumbent big business are being dismantled in the current global […]
Fintechs ‘on the front line’ for brokers
A recent meeting has highlighted that when it comes to serving customers in the third-party channel, “there’s a space for everyone”, and that fintechs can act to bolster and expand the businesses of their broker counterparts. The meeting last week was attended by both brokers and fintechs in Sydney and asked the question: “Disintermediation and diversification: what impact will fintech have on finance brokers?” On the night, founder and CEO of uno Vince Turner highlighted that technology has firmly entered it’s “third wave”. “The first wave was simply building the internet. HTML, dial-up, all this kind of stuff in the ‘90s,” Mr Turner explained. “The second wave was building an […]
SMEs need protection from online Payday Lenders
In 2015, online SME lending in Australia was around $250m, up from a zero base two years ago. Growth will continue exponentially and online SME lending will become a significant alternative source of funding for Australia’s SMEs. Online lenders perform an important role by lending to thousands of SMEs that would otherwise struggle to attract support from a bank. I am a big supporter of this sector but am concerned that many SMEs don’t understand what they are getting themselves into when they borrow from some lenders that could be more accurately described as SME payday lenders to SMEs. These concerns together with suggestions as to how the interest of […]
LoanDolphin exceeds $100m in home loan auctions
LoanDolphin, Australia’s leading loan bidding platform, has reached a significant milestone with more than $100 million worth of home loans through its platform. LoanDolphin launched in February 2016 and the $100 million mark was surpassed August 2016. LoanDolphin is a free online platform for people to refinance or obtain new home loans at rates not advertised by banks or lenders. Customer’s using LoanDolphin have already begun saving tens of thousands of dollars on their mortgage. Lenders and bankers bid to win customers’ business on LoanDolphin, which have delivered an average savings of $5254 per year to homeowners, according to LoanDolphin CEO Ranin Mendis. “The simplicity, efficiency and negotiating power provided […]
