When ‘it’ happens, SocietyOne urges us not to reach for the credit card
Australia’s pioneering and leading marketplace lender, SocietyOne, has launched an integrated marketing campaign to capitalize on the fast-approaching holiday season, where demand for consumer credit typically jumps with increased expenditure on festivities and gifts. The campaign, entitled “When ‘it’ happens”, highlights how even positive situations can put financial strain on even the most savvy Australians. It tells the story of ‘regular guy’, Dave, who is financially in control until a series of unexpected events blows his budget out of the water. SocietyOne saves the day by rewarding Dave’s good credit rating with a low-rate personal loan, saving him from resorting to a credit card – which can often become a […]
Fintech Prospa has now written $750 million in loans
Fintech Prospa, a lender to small business which in June postponed an ASX-listing after being pinged about unfair loans terms, says it has now written $750 million in loans. Loans for the year to June were $367 million, a 70% increase on the previous 12 months and 9% higher than prospectus forecasts with strong momentum in the fourth quarter. For the six months to June 2018, loans hit $211 million, up 16% on prospectus forecasts and up 61% on the previous corresponding period. Earlier this month Prospa confirmed it had removed or amended some of its contract terms seen as unfair following a review by corporate regulator ASIC. Among the […]
Brave fintech MoneyMe to test the market
Trying to list a financial services company while a royal commission into banking is going on is not for the faint-hearted, but it does not appear to be preventing small financial technology lender MoneyMe from attempting the move. Moneyme.com.au offers personal loans, cash loans, short-term loans and fast cash advances and is attempting to launch an initial public offering through Bell Potter and Ord Minnett. The company was co-founded about two years ago by Clayton Howes, who secured $30m in debt and equity funding at the time, according to reports. No doubt the deal will be a tough ask for the brokers involved in trying to list the business, but […]
A first for Australian fintech: SocietyOne becomes first Aussie P2P to hit $500M in lending
SocietyOne has today become Australia’s first and only marketplace lender to reach $500 million in loan originations across its personal loan, agri lending and marketplace business, and is now setting its sights on reaching $1 billion by the end of calendar year 2019. The milestone follows a record August and the recent appointment of ex-Westpac and Citibank exec, Mark Jones, to the top job of CEO. “We’re delighted to have reached this significant milestone as we deliver an even better deal for our borrowers and investor funders,” said Mr. Jones. “We’ve been growing steadily over the past 12 months while we continued to transform our business and build new capabilities […]
ASIC warns all fintech business lenders over contracts
The corporate regulator wants all online business lenders to remove unfair terms from their contracts just like Prospa has done, indicating start-ups that want to compete against banks will be held to similar regulatory standards as community expectations lift following the royal commission. In a letter sent last week to Brad Kitschke, CEO of industry lobby group FinTech Australia, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission declared “action [is] required”. ASIC said it “will consider regulatory action where appropriate” if fintechs don’t comply with the 2016 laws that prevent lenders using excessive contractual power over business borrowers. Banks have already been forced by ASIC to make the changes, although Hayne royal […]
OnDeck small business online lending tops US$10 Billion
OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK), has announced it has achieved a milestone in the Financial Technology (FinTech) industry, becoming the first non-bank online lender to surpass US$10 billion in total loans originated to small businesses. OnDeck, with operations in the United States, Canada and Australia, is the world’s largest non-bank online lender to small business by total loan volume. Founded in 2015, OnDeck Australia is a subsidiary of OnDeck (ONDK). The achievement by OnDeck, a pioneer of the FinTech lending industry, is the latest indication that small businesses increasingly prefer to seek financing online. According to the Small Business Credit Survey from the Federal Reserve, small business owners are turning to online […]
Guide to borrowing from fintech lenders released
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) and theBankDoctor.org released a guide to help small to medium enterprise (SME) owners better understand the ‘ins and outs’ of borrowing from fintech lenders. “This is another step closer to transparency and disclosure for the fintech industry; an alternative finance solution for SMEs,” Ombudsman Kate Carnell said. “Borrowing from fintech lenders is a joint project between ASBFEO and independent SME finance expert, Neil Slonim from theBankDoctor.org. “It provides answers to the questions asked by most potential borrowers: What is a fintech lender and how is it different to a bank? What products do they offer? How much can I borrow and […]
Lendi named as one of LinkedIn’s top startups
Leading online home loan platform, Lendi, has been recognised in the 2018 LinkedIn Top Startups list, honouring the 25 most sought-after startups in Australia. The LinkedIn Top Startups list celebrates the companies and people making an impact in the professional world. The list is derived from a blended score looking at factors including interest in the company, engagement with employees, job interest and retention, and is informed by the billions of actions taken by more than 575 million professionals on LinkedIn. “At Lendi, we put people at the heart of everything we do. To be featured on Australia’s first LinkedIn Top Startups list is a significant milestone for us. It […]
