How one fintech is changing the mortgage industry
Customers choosing home loans have traditionally either negotiated directly with banks or worked with a broker to secure the best loan that particular broker could find them. But with hundreds of lending products on the market and many brokers working with panels that limited them to a small subset of loans, consumers lacked the information to ensure they were getting the best rates and product features. Fintech Hashching has turned the process on its head by negotiating and de-branding a range of home loan products, which are then referred to brokers along with customer prospects. Because customers choose loans based on their attributes and aren’t told which organisation the loan […]
Lumi raises $31.5m to improve small business lending
Australian fintech company and alternative lender Lumi has announced it has raised $31.5 million in Series A funding as part of its plans to give small- and medium-sized enterprises easier access to finance. As a result of the funding, Lumi will become the first pre-revenue fintech business lender to offer a warehouse securitisation program in Australia. By combining its application programming interface (API) with traditional credit data and the applicant’s social impact, Lumi aims to streamline the loan application process for small business owners. Yanir Yakutiel, founder and CEO of Lumi, says the company is trying to solve the key issues of alternative lending for small businesses. “We saw a […]
Morrison government fund offers $2b boost for SME loans
The Morrison government will inject $2 billion into the small business loan market in an unprecedented effort to boost lending to cash-starved firms which have complained of a worsening credit squeeze.The creation of a taxpayer-backed securitisation fund to invest in small and medium enterprise (SME) credit will also potentially expand an asset class for institutional investors such as superannuation funds to invest in. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Small Business Minister Michaelia Cash will announce the small business funding policy on Wednesday, promoting the soon-to-be-established Australian Business Securitisation Fund as a way to overcome banks typically only lending to the self-employed when they pledge their personal home as collateral. The government […]
New breed of savvy Australians embrace digital and choice in pursuit of home ownership
The Lendi Home Loan Index Q3 2018 (LHLI) unveils key trends among Australians searching for a home loan online*. The LHLI suggests that more consumers are taking financial matters in their own hands by embracing a digital-first approach in lieu of the traditional bank or broker model. While the wider home loan industry is dominated by the big fours, the LHLI shows that Australians using Lendi are brand agnostic. In fact, 82.9 per cent of Australians don’t have a preference for settling their loan with a major lender. The LHLI data also signifies Australians’ positive intentions when it comes to their own debt management. An overwhelming 85.5 per cent […]
Ord Minnett readies online consumer lender MoneyMe for fund raising
Fast-growing consumer lending company MoneyMe knows plenty about writing cheques, and now it is asking potential investors to do the same. Street Talk understands MoneyMe will front institutional investors and family offices in coming days, seeking support for a pre-initial public offering funding round. The raising is expected to be worth as much as $15 million and structured as a convertible note issue. Stockbroker Ord Minnett has been lining up investor meetings in Sydney and Melbourne, fund manager sources said. If successful, it would be the first (quasi) equity raising by the personal lender. The company made headlines when it secured $100 million from global credit investor Fortress Investment Group […]
Wisr tech upgrades lower average interest rate, drive growth and creditworthiness
Wisr, Australia’s first neo-lender (ASX: WZR), saw continued strong loan growth and customer acquisition in the first quarter of the 2019 financial year. Between July and September 2019 the company saw loan origination value grow by 49% when compared to the previous quarter, as well as 22% increase in overall loan volume. The result is the third consecutive quarter that Wisr has recorded quarterly loan growth in excess of 45%. The company also announced it had surpassed $50 million in loan originations since beginning operations, almost half of which were written from the beginning of 2018. Anthony Nantes, Chief Executive Officer, Wisr said borrower shift away from traditional lenders, brand […]
uno Home Loans appoints Anthony Justice as CEO
Online mortgage broker uno Home Loans has appointed Anthony Justice to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Anthony joins uno having spent the last decade in senior management roles in the financial services industry, including CEO of IAG’s Australian Consumer Division. uno Home Loans Chairman Abi Cleland said: “Anthony has extensive financial services experience; an impressive track record of leading and transforming customer-focused businesses; and strong alignment with uno’s values.” “We are delighted Anthony has come onboard to lead the charge as uno ramps up its growth trajectory and continues to shake up the home loan industry.” Anthony Justice said: “Getting a home loan is one of the biggest financial […]
Australia’s ‘first’ blockchain lender sets sights on mortgages
Australia’s “first” blockchain lender, which is set to launch next year, is offering a crowdsourced funding equity to brokers. Australian Mortgage Marketplace (AMM), co-founded by industry stalwarts Graham Andersen (CEO) and Kym Dalton (COO), has pledged to “overhaul” the Australian mortgage market with the “biggest change since the GFC” by funding prime loans on “Australia’s first mortgage securitisation blockchain”. According to the wholesale lender, which aims to be backed by major investors and industry super funds, its “Carbon” securitisation platform will leverage distributed ledger technology to deliver the benefits of increased transparency, security and automation. Its operating efficiencies will also reportedly present “pricing benefits” for Australian borrowers, enabling partner brokers to […]
