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Canadians for Open Banking: CCI’s Open Letter to Minister Freeland

Canadians for Open Banking: CCI’s Open Letter to Minister Freeland We are calling on the Liberal government to keep their 2021 election promise and enact rules to mandate open banking in Canada. To sign your name to this letter, click here. Dear Minister Freeland, The Competition Bureau recently confirmed what many of us already knew […]

Mortgage Suitability: Enhancing Trust and Transparency in Canada’s Lending Landscape

Mortgage Suitability: Enhancing Trust and Transparency in Canada’s Lending Landscape Navigating the Canadian mortgage market, with its diverse range of options and complex regulatory landscape, can be a daunting task for borrowers and brokers alike. As the Canadian housing market continues to evolve and the industry grapples with the challenges of the current economic climate, […]

Alternative Data in Credit Decisioning: Meeting the Demands of the Expanding Canadian Financial Services Market

Alternative Data in Credit Decisioning: Meeting the Demands of the Expanding Canadian Financial Services Market It’s a challenging time in the Canadian market. Between high interest rates, inflation stubbornly sticking at close to 4% and consumers’ fear of a potential recession starting to curb spending, it’s hard to find the growth we need to fuel […]

The Invisible Threat: The Urgent Need for Robust Electronic ID Verification

The Invisible Threat: The Urgent Need for Robust Electronic ID Verification A new breed of criminals is executing sophisticated mortgage frauds, leaving behind a trail of shocked homeowners, destitute lenders, and baffled law enforcement agencies. Welcome to digital fraud. As reported in Le Devoir, the recent dismantling of a fraud network by the Service de […]

The Digital Transformation of Canada’s Lending Landscape

The Digital Transformation of Canada’s Lending Landscape The Canadian lending landscape has been reshaped by a confluence of factors in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a catalyst for rapid change. Traditional banks and mortgage lenders, who have long held sway in the industry, now find themselves in the midst of a digital […]

The 5 Crucial Steps to Building a Lending Product

The 5 Crucial Steps to Building a Lending Product Remember when you had to be a bank to build financial products? How quickly times have changed! In the not-so-distant past, large retailers like Canadian Tire, Walmart, and Rogers had to go through the lengthy process of becoming a Schedule I Bank in Canada in order […]

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity – CEBA in 2024

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity – CEBA in 2024 Almost 80% of all businesses in Canada have a CEBA loan, representing just under $50B in federal funds. In less than half a year, most entrepreneurs will attempt to repay or refinance these loans. Whether or not they will be able to do so remains to […]

Lenders and Insurance: A Path to Stability in Uncertain Times

Lenders and Insurance: A Path to Stability in Uncertain Times The Canadian lending landscape is currently navigating a period of uncertainty. While it may not be a full-blown downturn, there are challenges ahead. Traditional revenue models relying solely on interest income are being tested. Fewer Canadians qualify for standard loans, and many are hesitant to […]

International Students Contribute C$36 Billion to Canadian Economy

International Students Contribute C$36 Billion to Canadian Economy New research from MPOWER Financing estimates that international students contribute C$36 billion to the Canadian economy. The data comes as Ottawa debates changes to its study permit program for international students seeking a Canadian education. MPOWER Financing, the leading provider of no-cosigner loans to promising students from […]

Canadian Consumers Want Choice – Let’s Continue To Innovate Together

Canadian Consumers Want Choice – Let’s Continue To Innovate Together Digitization has revolutionized financial services, offering more sustainable credit, new payment options, and healthier financial tools for Canadian consumers. This has reduced costs, accelerated access to capital, improved transparency, and promoted financial inclusion in the sector. Despite these achievements, there is more to be done […]

Innovative Financing: Accelerating Canada’s Clean Technology Tax Credit Transformation

Innovative Financing: Accelerating Canada’s Clean Technology Tax Credit Transformation Our ambitious foray into clean technology and its pursuit of net-zero targets have taken center stage, echoing through Canadian government and corporate corridors alike. In a defining move, the Canadian government, in March 2023, unveiled a suite of investment tax credits (ITCs) aimed at accelerating the […]

BNPL: Welcome to 2024 Next-Gen Services

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is a mirror reflection of the ever-growing demand for digital consumer financial products. It has become synonymous with the “Pay in X” or installment model, catering to the needs of the Fast Fashion sector. This trend was driven by a younger, digitally-savvy demographic, who sought affordable, trendy clothing that would […]

Unlocking Credit Opportunities: The Power of Rent Reporting

In today’s rapidly evolving economy, where personal creditworthiness and access to credit are crucial for individual advancement, borrowers are exploring diverse strategies to bolster their credit scores. With consumer debt at unprecedented levels and Bank of Canada rates gradually creeping, Canadians are incredibly seeking innovative ways to maintain creditworthiness and avoid potential credit denials down […]

Climate Policy and Finance: Freight Train A’Comin

There is a train wreck scenario for financial institutions where inaccuracies or incomplete disclosures lead to public scrutiny and loss of trust. The financial sector is at the forefront of a significant transformation, driven by the urgency of climate change and the advent of stringent regulations. In Canada, Article B-15 by the Office of the […]

CLA & the 2023 TransUnion Canada Summit

Dean Velentzas from the CLA reviews the 2023 TransUnion Canada Summit After an exhilarating experience at last year’s TransUnion Canada Summit, where I documented my experience in this op-ed, I was thrilled to have been invited to TransUnion’s 2023 event. The theme, “Finding Opportunity for Profitable Growth,” set the stage for captivating discussions covering a […]

Open Banking’s Rocky Road: A Review of this Year’s Open Banking Expo

Op-Ed by Dean Velentzas, Head of Policy This month, the Canadian Lenders Association was invited to attend the Canadian Open Banking Expo, a full-day conference held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada. With over 60 industry headliners from around the world, predominantly North America, the event sought to address pressing questions regarding […]

Redefining Finance: How Non-Banking Entities are Disrupting Canada’s Financial Landscape and Driving Embedded Finance Forward

Authored by Kris Hansen, Co-Founder, CTO at Synctera Exciting times are upon us in Canada’s financial sector. Vault‘s making moves to help out SMBs. Tim Hortons has jumped into the ring by launching its own credit card through its mobile rewards app. And of course, news from a few months ago at Synctera. Canada is ready for financial […]

Peter Routledge (OSFI) on Sustainable Finance

“I’m Committed to Transparency” OSFI’s Superintendent of Financial Institutions on Guideline B15: Climate Risk Management On April 27th, Peter Routledge, Superintendent of Financial Institutions, outlined to CLA and other stakeholders the following at an Economic Club of Canada event in Toronto: “As nations of the world mitigate the physical and transition risks produced by climate […]

More Data, Less Friction: Growing Your Customer Base Without Sacrificing Experience

More Data, Less Friction: Growing Your Customer Base Without Sacrificing Experience Mitigating Risk, Increasing Revenue, and Improving the Customer Experience Amidst Economic Uncertainty Author: Cheryl Woodburn, Country Manager, Canada – Provenir In this time of economic uncertainty (including global political instability, challenging macroeconomic conditions, and post-covid rebounds), Canadian lenders are finding it more challenging than […]

2023 Federal Budget: Why 4.7 Million Canadians?

How we calculate that 4,789,567 Consumers May Be Left Without Access to Credit. A subcommittee of the Risk Roundtable representing CROs from companies servicing the sector calculated that approximately 4.7 million Canadians would be negatively impacted should the rate be dropped to a 35% APR. In calculating the reduction in the qualifying APR, the Risk […]

2023 Federal Budget: Fictional Hannah Vs. Real Hannah

2023 Federal Budget: Fictional Hannah Vs. Real Hannah In the 2023 Federal Budget, there is a fictional illustration of Hannah, a single mother in Guelph who makes $35,000 as a cleaner at a hospital. The government celebrates that Hannah will save $775 over the life of a hypothetical $5,000 loan with the new 35% APR […]

Canada’s New Taxonomy Roadmap Report: What it Means for The Future of Sustainable Lending

Canada’s New Taxonomy Roadmap Report: What it Means for The Future of Sustainable Lending In May 2021, the Sustainable Finance Action Council (SFAC) was mandated to provide advice and recommendations to Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on defining green and transition investment (taxonomy). Following […]

CIBC’s 2022 ESG Report: Building a Better Future

CIBC’s 2022 ESG Report: Building a Better Future CIBC, one of Canada’s leading banks, has released its 2022 ESG Report, outlining its commitment to creating a more sustainable and equitable future. The report highlights CIBC’s efforts to mobilize sustainable finance, reduce its emissions intensity, and create access to opportunities for all. One of the key […]

Scotiabank Releases 2022 ESG Report Highlighting Significant Progress on Environmental, Social, and Governance Initiatives

Scotiabank Releases 2022 ESG Report Highlighting Significant Progress on Environmental, Social, and Governance Initiatives Scotiabank has released its annual Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Report for 2022, providing key updates and insights into the bank’s progress on its environmental, social, and governance initiatives. This year’s report demonstrates the bank’s ongoing commitment to transparency and reporting […]

Why Representation of Women in Finance and Fintech Matters

Why Representation of Women in Finance and Fintech Matters International Women’s Day is an important opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness of gender issues, and promote gender equality and diversity. While the financial industry has made great strides towards gender equality and diversity in recent years, there are areas where we need to do […]

The Benefits of Compliance Programs to Alternative Lenders

The Benefits of Compliance Programs to Alternative Lenders A key but often overlooked value-add for consumers and lenders alike are optional programs or products offered ancillary to loans. As lending rates are subject to macroeconomic volatility and more lending companies compete for market share, these programs take on new importance as a way for lenders […]

Credit Repair vs. Credit Building: Understanding the Differences and Benefits

Credit Repair vs. Credit Building: Understanding the Differences and Benefits Credit repair products and credit building share a common goal of improving consumers’ credit scores; however, they service completely different needs in the market. Credit repair products are designed to help consumers address errors, inaccuracies, or negative items on their credit reports that may be […]

What’s in a Name? How a Job Title Became a Source of Contention in Alberta

What’s in a Name? How a Job Title Became a Source of Contention in Alberta Does a rose really smell as sweet by any other name? It might for a lovestruck young Capulet, but in the competitive world of technology and innovation, Shakespeare’s contention is being disputed between the Alberta tech sector that is aggressively […]

SMEs Still Facing Uphill Battle Post-Pandemic

SMEs Still Facing Uphill Battle Post-Pandemic On the back of the recent pandemic, SMEs Canada-wide, the largest contributing members to the Canadian economy have been and continue to be affected. Unfortunately, as a direct result of the pandemic, those revenue declines that perhaps marginally affected larger enterprises, affected Canadian SMEs to a much […]

Op-Ed: The Role of Fintech in the Future of Small Business

Op-Ed: The Role of Fintech in the Future of Small Business This article was authored by CLA member company Boss Insights. Businesses are inundated with needs as they work to grow their vision. There was a time when businesses had one relationship to address those needs. These needs have not always been met by banks. […]

The Lifeblood of Canada: How Small Businesses Can Survive (and Thrive) Under Current Economic Conditions

The Lifeblood of Canada: How Small Businesses Can Survive (and Thrive) Under Current Economic Conditions Introduction The state of independent business ownership has undoubtedly been challenged over the last two years. Inflation is at a multi-decade high, the Canadian dollar remains under pressure, the economy is experiencing ongoing supply chain challenges, and we are just […]

The Unexpected Rise of Employment-Based Lending

Lending has traditionally followed this simple value proposition: “I’ll give you something of value today, and in return, you’ll give me something of value (and a little more) in the future”. We’re seeing an interesting spin on this model playing out in labor markets. There have been substantial shortages of labor in certain industries over […]

Dean Velentzas from the CLA Reviews the 2022 TransUnion Canada Financial Services Summit

Dean Velentzas from the CLA Reviews the 2022 TransUnion Canada Financial Services Summit As someone who has only worked in the financial services sector for approximately two years, you could imagine the sense of pride and excitement I felt when I was invited to the 2022 TransUnion Canada Financial Services Summit reserved for clients of […]

Op-Ed: Non-prime Lending Ensures Access to Credit for Eight Million Canadians

Op-Ed: Non-prime Lending Ensures Access to Credit for Eight Million Canadians by Gary Schwartz, originally published in The Hill Times. If we focus on the wrong solution, the result will be an unintended outcome of reducing access to credit, pushing non-prime Canadians to high interest payday lenders, and keeping them in cycles of debt […]

Why Auto Finance Players are Digitizing Sales For Future Growth

This article was authored by CLA member company RNDPoint. Total lockdowns caused by the pandemic led to tremendous development of digital technologies. Now, every industry has adopted digital solutions. Total digitization has become not only a modern trend but the inescapable, inevitable future. In the article, we’ll try to reveal the current situation in the […]

Celebrating Pride at the Canadian Lenders Association

June is Pride Month, which means that companies and individuals are taking the time to uplift LGBTQ+ voices, celebrate LGBTQ+ culture and commemorate its history. From Google filters to Amazon’s specifically curated film series and reading lists, companies big and small participate in some way each year, either out of PR obligation or genuine enthusiasm. […]

Lily Cook from the CLA reviews the LendIt Fintech’s USA 2022

The Canadian Lenders Association partnered with LendIt Fintech for the recent event, LendIt Fintech USA, which took place at the Javits Center in New York City from May 25-26. Speakers included executives from Chime, Goldman Sachs, Mastercard, Nubank, Visa, FirstBank, and HSBC, among about 350 others. After a brief keynote from 100-day-young Mayor of New […]

Microfinance Software: Solving The Problem Of Solvency

Microfinance Software: Solving The Problem Of Solvency by RNDpoint The post-pandemic world has poised the microfinance industry for change. On one hand, due to the high demand for funds from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and households, microfinance institutions (MFIs) have experienced growth in customer numbers. On the other hand, some forecasts say that the […]

Is AI Still A “Black Box” For The Financial Industry?

According to a forecast made by Statista Research Department in March 2022, the global Artificial Intelligence market is expected to grow up to $126 billion by 2025. Despite the traditional nature of the banking sector, financial institutions (FIs) joined the race as well. Is AI a real all-in-one solution for FIs and FinTech? What drawbacks […]

The Role of Non-Dilutive Growth Capital for Funding Startups & SMBs

Non-dilutive capital—which refers to capital a business owner receives without requiring them to give up equity—is a popular and growing form of alternative financing for Canadian startups and SMBs. Debt capital markets have lagged behind equity markets as a viable financing instrument for startups and SMEs. Historically, lenders and providers have been few and far […]

International Women’s Day: CLA Member Case Study

Today we have an opportunity to reflect on all the work that has been accomplished to make Canadian financial services a gender-inclusive industry and all the work that has yet to be done. In honor of International Women’s Day, we would like to celebrate a few positive developments and highlight areas for future growth. CLA […]

Loan Monitoring and Early Warning System Raise Green Flag for Avoiding NPAs Deterioration in Microfinance Organizations

In recent years, the financial sector has been suffering from a ballooning number of bad loans and non-performing assets (NPAs). Despite decent performance showing 8% NPAs rate on June 30, 2020, the figures are expected to shoot up to 10-11% on March 31, 2022, according to S&P Global’s research. While traditional banks and large financial […]

A Lender’s Guide to Creating A More Gender-Inclusive Workplace

Is your company gender inclusive? At the Canadian Lenders Association, we strive to directly address the areas in which the financial services industry still needs growth. Despite progress in recent years with some companies’ DE&I strategies (see TD case study below), many workplaces have yet to implement their own strategy for gender-inclusivity. It’s time to […]

Corporate Cards, Cash Flow & Credit: Fintech Solutions for SMEs

In the past, cash flow has been a considerable challenge for small to medium sized enterprises, which typically employ less than 500 people. SMEs are vital to the functioning of the Canadian economy, and contribute almost half the GDP generated in the private sector. These businesses are Canada’s largest employer, with over 8.4 million Canadians […]

Tech Lending: Venture Debt’s New Darling

Gone are the days when venture debt was a specialty product. Today, debt markets are wide open, and it’s a tremendous opportunity for tech-focused companies. This type of lending, often referred to as “technology lending,” can turbo boost start-ups and set them up for accelerated growth—all the while keeping their equity intact. New companies can […]

Legal Considerations in Crypto Lending

Over the course of the pandemic alone, the total market cap for cryptocurrency has increased from approximately $150 billion to $2.5 trillion. Looking forward, the market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 60.8% between 2021-2026. Regardless of whether you believe in the widespread adoption of cryptocurrency as a form of […]

Life Stages: Fostering Early Financial Literacy

November is Financial Literacy month, and one important but often-overlooked demographic in need of financial literacy is the under-18 crowd. Kids who learn the value of money and how to appropriately manage their finances are likely to grow into responsible and independent adults. The vast majority of schools, however, don’t have any educational infrastructure in […]

Trends in the Alternative Mortgage Sector

You’ve heard it all before: the Canadian housing market is an ever-expanding bubble, and banks are increasingly unable to meet the needs of the average borrower. With the Liberal party promising to build, preserve, or repair 1.4 million homes in the next four years, now is an opportune time for alternative lenders to educate homeowners […]

Private Debt Solutions: The Answer You’re Looking For

For far too long, a handful of banks have dominated the private debt market in Canada. Current supply-chain bottlenecks and inflation have led to growing retrenchment from banks, causing them to lend more conservatively. On top of this, commercial lending is extremely slow: it can take up to a year to secure a loan due […]

US BNPL Policy Snapshot

FAST FACTS: The U.S. government has begun an inquiry into BNPL in advance of potential legislation. Last week, government officials heard testimony from both sides of the aisle. Here’s the rundown of what was covered: Dr. Kristen Broady specifically cited Klarna as a positive example of BNPL. There was a large focus on determining whether […]

Community Fintechs: How Banking in Segments is DEI in Action

Fintechs are the New Community Banks Fintechs across the world are challenging community banks by offering targeted products to niche demographics. While not banks themselves, they provide a suite of services that run the gamut of lending, savings accounts, and financial advice. Many engage in customer segmentation in order to better serve the needs of […]

Alt Data: Key to Inclusive Lending?

Alternative data is financial information not typically collected by a credit reporting agency. Unlike conventional data such as credit scores, quarterly financial statements or company filings, alternative data can drive new insights and can be leveraged for business expansion. Further, it can be used to provide credit opportunities for thin-file and no-file customers, democratizing the […]

BNPL Media Insight Report

A global study released today analyzed thousands of paid social media ad campaigns from Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm over the last 90 days. Brand Total’s research report analyzed all paid social campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn from the three leading BNPL solutions over a 90-day period, from June 13th to September 10th. […]

A $27 Credit Card Limit

Kudos to Slice. This Bengaluru-based fintech startup just launched their new Rs 2,000 ($27) credit card. In a market where adoption rate of credit cards has remained largely stagnant over the past several years, this entry level card can drive origination of first time users and is a hook in the data lake to identify […]

Africa: A BNPL Goldmine

Larry Diamond, CEO of Zip, is on a global shopping spree: Buy Now, Profit Later. Since August 2018, when Zip app was launched in the Google Play Store, Larry and his partner, Peter Gray, have acquired PartPay Limited (New Zealand), SpotCap (ANZ), Twisto (Czech), Spotii (UAE) and, this past month, Quadpay for $430 million. The […]

BNPL in Fractions

Survey by LendingTree of 1,040 Americans found: 1/3 of consumers have used BNPL! Among those who’ve made a purchase with buy now, pay later, 62% have done so five or more times and 81% said they’re likely to use it again. Amazing stats! 2/3 of shoppers who have used BNPL said they typically buy more […]

Amazon | Affirm: The End Game?

What is Amazon’s winning formula? Besides being the paragon of logistics it has always won on consumer stickiness (Prime) and seamless checkout. Amazon filed the 1-Click patent in 1997 and it was granted by the USPTO in 1999. Besos’ 1-Click payment shopping made decisioning on your basket almost too easy. One click made any payment […]

Earned Wage Access

This month two Canadian fintech lenders made Earned Wage Access (EWA) announcements: Koho, the challenger bank launched will now allow clients to access a portion of their paycheque daily instead of waiting until the end of their two week cycle. ZayZoon, the godfather of EWA in Canada announced a partnership with Visa making it easier for […]

Flinks: What does $103M get the National Bank?

On the heels of their $11M Series A round investment in July last year, National Bank steps up to acquire a majority stake in fintech startup Flinks. What does it mean for Canada’s sixth largest lender, National Bank? The move uncannily mirrors the US investment news that J.P. Morgan was a named investor in Plaid‘s last equity round. Are we at […]

BNPL: Confessions of a Merchant

I am Sally Mainstreet Merchant who invested in cloud commerce 10 years ago. With COVID, we have pivoted most of the company’s efforts into our online operation. Optimizing checkout for our customers is key for me. Like most merchants, my goal at checkout is to eliminate friction. Undue clicks to commerce drive basket abandonment. Any […]

Layaway + Credit Card = BNPL

Back in the 1930s – yes, think Dust Bowl and The Grapes of Wrath – storekeepers, hard up for sales but leery of extending credit, invented a facility called layaway. The merchant would “lay it away” for later pick-up when the consumer had the cash to pay off the balance. (If the consumer did not […]

Confessions of a BNPL Shopper

I am Bob Average Millennial | Gen Z shopper. I have never experienced the need to step into the corner bank – I got a $500 entry-level credit card in college, forgot to pay for a novelty purchase, and have refrained from using it since. I live in a world of Wealthsimple Cash and KOHO […]

Open Banking Report: Toe in a Cold Lake

Guest Article by John Mavriyannakis Three years in the making, having initially been tabled in the 2018 budget, the Canadian federal government has released its final report on Open Banking. Touted by many media outlets as a win for the Canadian consumer, it will do little to impact the success of FinTechs here and may […]

The British Invasion

Zilch, a London-based Fintech, has acquired Miami-based lender Neptune Financial (NepFin) as a Buy Now, Pay Later beachhead into North America. Zilch rides the Mastercard rails with an open-loop payment card (Zilch presently provides access to 5000+ stores). The business model is focused on pre-purchase acquisition of the customer allowing for a seamless experience at checkout. Philip Belamant calls […]

The Birthplace of BNPL? Brazil.

It all started with inflation math. As far back as the 1950’s in Brazil “crediários” became synonymous with installment credit payments. For decades Brazil suffered from chronic high inflation. Inflation reached more than 6000% by the late 80s. People spent their money as soon as they earned it and shopkeepers were leery of extending credit. […]

An Ottawa Pre-Budget Missive

On Friday, August 6th, the Canadian Lenders Association officially submitted its recommendations to Canada’s Standing Committee on Finance in advance of the upcoming federal budget. In the submission, the CLA calls on the government to: Embrace a consumer-directed model of finance Ensure that Canadian FinTechs are fairly represented by the Canadian Payments Act Strive towards […]

The Invisible Person

Credit invisibility is a significant problem for Canadians. 35.3% of Canadians are credit invisible vs. 19.3% in the US. The issue disproportionately affects immigrants, minority communities or younger individuals. Recent research by PERC shines a light on credit invisible Canadians. PERC defines the ‘credit invisible’ population as individuals with “either no account payment history in […]

M&A Reciprocity: the Afterpay-Square deal.

It is an embarrassment of retail riches: Afterpay brings 100s of thousands of merchants to the deal and Square brings a multiple of 10x that number. Reciprocity Key is enhancing Square (No-Bank Required) banking app: Cash App (formerly Square Cash): On the consumer side, the obvious benefit is that BNPL provides Square a strategy to onboard […]

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in FinTech

The business case for diversity in FinTech is clear: inclusive companies are better able to attract talent, tap into new markets and create innovative products. Financial services companies are seeing an average 2-4% revenue growth per 1% increase in diversity. Unquestionably, this imbalance need to be righted: however, we need to go beyond checking a […]

EQ Bank: Payment & Open Banking

President: “What does the next 18 months look like in your sector – Anything loud and proud – the good and the bad.” Equitable Bank: We believe that two key areas should have significant impact within the banking ecosystem and be a net positive for consumer choice over the next 18 months: 1) Payments Modernization […]

Ottawa’s Open Banking Leaves Some Doors Closed

We commends Minister Freeland and the federal government for releasing the long-awaited report on the implementation of consumer-directed finance. This report is a step towards creating a more robust, competitive, and consumer-friendly banking industry. The 34 recommendations in the report offer a holistic overview to how Fintechs can use the financial information stored with banks […]

The Angle on the Square Deal

Square in San Fran & Afterpay in Melbourne have tied the ecosystem knot. What does $30 billion get Square? It allows for an enviable laddered service offering across its merchant network … and most importantly adds the extremely sexy Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) moniker to Square’s suite of financial services. BNPL is a white hot sector […]

Open Banking: Cut the malarkey!

Earlier this month the Biden Administration published a lengthy executive order designed to promote competition in banking. Below are two snippets from the document that turned fintech heads (headers are ours): Checks on bank M&A “Over the past four decades, the United States has lost 70% of the banks it once had, with around 10,000 bank closures. Communities […]

We need new used-cars!

Used car values have skyrocketed over the last 12 months – up 45% YoY! Why? Increased demand: Consumers are sitting on savings that they have accumulated over the last 12 months, and are leveraging that money for larger purchases. Decreased supply: Troubles with new car production due to factory shutdowns and semi-conductor shortages have limited production, […]

Bye Bye Bye Overdraft

Overdraft fees are back in the hot seat after a number of consumer groups recently condemned the product as punitive. What are overdraft fees? An overdraft fee is charged when a payment or withdrawal from your bank account exceeds the available balance and your bank covers the transaction as part of an overdraft protection service. But in […]

How BNPL Works?

Remember Oleson’s Mercantile in Little House on the Prairie? Local shoppers had the flexibility of asking Harriet or Nels Oleson if they could put some cash down now and pay the rest later. Similar to the trust relationship of a small town local store that would allow a regular customer to put an amount of […]

Native Digital Consumers & BNPL

Advanced by Millennials and Gen Zs, BNPL has become a mainstream option at online check out. PYMNTS study of Gen Z consumers ages 22 – 33 were over 18% credit invisible and 20% poor credit. We see that over 50% of all consumers have used BNPL services as an alternative at checkout: Key findings 55.8% of […]

The Future of Automotive Lending

How can our automotive industry mobilize around the goal of 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035? Adoption, lack of incentive and lack of raw materials make this an a challenging target. The Canadian Lenders Association automotive leadership round table is tasked with discussing strategies to service Canadians as we change the way cars are purchased […]

6 vs. 294 year-old

Six-year-old Revolut is now worth more than 294-year-old NatWest Bank, which has a market cap of $28bn USD. Revolut is a FinTech darling even with losses that doubled last year to $290m. Revolut’s 15 million customers and 35 country expansion helps sweeten the pill. Thursday the company raised $800m from Tiger Global Management and SoftBank. It’s rally cry is […]

How best to Discover Sezzle (BNPL)

BNPL continues to make news. Lots of corporate jostling and partnerships. Banks and rails are positioning themselves for the gold rush. Discover is in the game buying $30 million shares of Sezzle .There is a quid pro quo: Sezzle will be riding the Discover rails providing Buy Now Pay Later services to card holders and […]

FinTech = $1 of every $5

One in every five dollars invested by venture capital this year has gone into FinTech. According to The Economist, FinTech funding has surged to $34b last quarter and over 60 of these companies are headed to the public markets.

Apple Pay Later x 4

With Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) taking the fintech lending marketplace by storm, Apple has thrown its hat into the ring. No surprise. How it works: Users have the option to pay for: Four fortnightly INTEREST-FREE payments or INTEREST-BEARING installment loan over several months. Code named “Apple Pay in 4” and “Apple Pay Monthly Installments.” […]

The Crypto Rails War

Visa says crypto-linked card usage tops $1 billion in first half of 2021 used by consumers globally on non-crypto goods and services. That is up from a humble start compared to the same period last year. Visa said digital payments such as cryptocurrency have the potential to disrupt $18 trillion of annual consumer spending with cash […]

Forbes Fintech 50 2021

Note: Fintech 50 startups must have either headquarters or substantial operations in the U.S. and be private. Also some nice growth from last year: Stripe is worth $95 billion, up from $35 billion Many are likely to go public soon, either through IPOs or SPAC deals. Marqeta etc. Name Categories Funding Location Addepar Wall Street […]

Fintech Rocket

In The Business Research Company’s Report on Fintech the company assessed the global fintech market value at $127.66 billion in 2018, and indicated growth an annual growth rate of 24.8% through 2022. The FinTech (Financial Technologies) market consists of sales of technology and platform based financial services and related goods. FinTech is the use of […]

FinTech in a Box

Picks and shovels vendors in a gold rush usually do well. A new breed of startups are white labeling full-stack platforms that FIs can use to launch their fintech startups and products. FinTech in a box: the goal is to enable the emerging sector to focus on growth and not on servicing technical debt. The […]

Fintech Lending is on the Rebound

A recent report by S&P Global Market Intelligence paints an optimistic picture for fintech lenders in a post-pandemic environment. Unsecured personal lenders are projected to rise in volume by 51%, to $47.9 billion in originations annually. Small-and medium-sized business lenders are expected to rise by 16.1% to $15.8 billion. Student lenders are forecast to rise 152% to […]

Pride in Banking

The CGLCC estimates that Canada’s 1m person LGBT+ population has an annual spending power of $90 billion. To better serve the needs of this community, fintechs are personalizing the consumer banking experience: BMO, Citi, and Republic Bank now offer Mastercards with a client’s “true name”. US digital bank startup Daylight, advises clients how to set savings goals toward transition-related medical […]

Straight A’s For Student Lenders

54% of undergrads have student debt at graduation, owing an average amount of $28,000. In the U.S. this number has reached over $1.7 trillion. Startups in this space are developing technology to target both private and federal loan debt in areas, such as responsible lending, loan management and refinancing, as well as make it easier […]

A “teeny-weeny little bit” is now an official measurement

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, said the bank has seen “a teeny-weeny little bit” of life in its loan book, highlighting Chase’s consumer products as a source of growth. This jives with the latest from the Federal Reserve highlighting consumer loans as the only major category to post month-over-month growth in May, up 1.3% from […]

The APR Red Herring

The Annual Percentage Rate is a way of standardizing the cost of credit. It is simply the interest rate plus any additional cost associated with borrowing money and it serves as an important metric to compare different credit options. However, the media, regulators and government often fixate on this number and miss the underlying borrower […]

Future of Upsell | Downsell

What is the future of the upsell-downsell relationship between fintech lenders and banks? The wall between incumbent and fintech-forward credit is crumbling and 2021 maybe an opportune time to advance contiguous lending. I have always said that technology makes for strange bedfellows. Can banks partner with fintechs (with their iron-gut risk modelling) to service borrowers […]

Bank’s FinTech Sandbox

Once upon a time, I was in telecom running Impact Mobile. The refrain in the 2010s was that over-the-top (OTT) services would commoditize the carriers making them proverbial dumb pipes. Smartphone, App Store … Yup, it happened. Granted, a big and profitable dumb pipe, but many of the value-added services evaporated for the telecommunication leviathans. […]

Explaining FinTech to a 7-Year-Old

How do you explain #FinTech to a 7-year-old? Well it all starts with a bucket of Mega Bloks: quite simple, no instructions needed. You begin with deposits and then snap on savings … at some point add insurance, mortgage and investment blocks. We call these laddered services and they’re quite addictive when you’re 5 years old. Then […]

Financial Data Squeeze

In a world where data is the ultimate currency, the corner bank is becoming less useful to the struggling SMB. Enter embedded financial ecosystems. We know that commerce leviathans (Shopify, eBay, Amazon) have begun servicing mom-and-pop main-street with more than a storefront in the cloud. And we know that lending products are the gateway drug … […]

Revolut Losses and Gains

In the face of COVID, challenger-bank Revolut‘s adjusted operating losses rose to $210M Cdn. (A little down for its 3-fold sales growth in 2019.) Revolut’s main revenue comes from interchange fees and fluctuates based on consumer card usage – COVID led to a sharp decline in payment volume. However … the Crypto white knight came to […]

Open Banking Boon

In the four years since Britain introduced #openbanking, the island nation has been the beneficiary of near half of all global FinTech investment. “It wasn’t because there was political stability or a low-cost taxes, it was because there was certainty around the regulatory regime,” says my colleague Steven Boms, head of FDATA North America Yes, certain data can […]