Press Releases

Cyrielle Chiron of Peoples Group Joins Canadian Lenders Association Board of Directors

Toronto, ON — March 2, 2023 — The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) is thrilled to announce the election of Cyrielle Chiron, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy and Innovation at Peoples Group, to its Board of Directors. Cyrielle brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the CLA. Her extensive knowledge and understanding of the industry […]

New DE&I Report: “The Future of Work”

The CLA is thrilled to announce the publication of its latest report, created in partnership with Divercial. Based on survey results from a variety of CLA members, this report provides an analysis of the current state of DE&I in Canadian finance, and offers recommendations for companies to ensure their work environment is inclusive for all […]

BILL 13 – AN ACT TO AMEND THE CONSUMER PROTECTION AND BUSINESS PRACTICES ACT

BILL 13 – AN ACT TO AMEND THE CONSUMER PROTECTION AND BUSINESS PRACTICES ACT Legislative amendments to the Consumer Protection and Business Practices Act were introduced in October in the House of Assembly to regulate high-cost credit lending in Newfoundland. The government recognizes that high-cost credit products may help individuals with no other options, however, […]

Largest lending summit in Canada kicks off Nov. 16

Largest lending summit in Canada kicks off Nov. 16 Leading voices from across the wide spectrum of the lending industry in Canada will gather for the sector’s largest event of the year at the Canadian Lenders Summit in Toronto Nov. 16. Join over 450 fintech lenders, banks, credit unions, tech vendors, portfolio providers and government […]

CLA Response on the Consultation on Lowering the Criminal Rate of Interest

With over $186 billion in consumer credit balances, the non-prime consumer segment is a significant contributor to the lifeblood of the Canadian economy; they also represent the segment of the population that most relies on sources of alternative credit, given their inability to qualify at major financial institutions who focus largely on servicing prime consumers. […]

Clik2pay Joins the Canadian Lenders Association

Toronto, ON, March 8, 2022 – The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) is pleased to welcome Clik2pay, a unique online payments service that facilitates bill, invoice, and online payments directly and securely from customer bank accounts. With Clik2pay, real-time payments are completed easily by text message, e-mail, checkout button, or QR code – and are processed […]

Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the Upcoming Federal Budget

List of Recommendations   Recommendation 1: The government should include language in Budget 2022 that accurately defines the fintech lending sector, differentiating it from payday lending.    Recommendation 2: The government should ensure that credit options remain available across the entire credit spectrum.   Recommendation 3: The government should amend the Canadian Payments Act to […]

Peoples Group Joins the Canadian Lenders Association

Toronto, ON — February 9, 2022 — The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) is excited to welcome new member Peoples Group, a leader in Canada’s lending space.  Through Peoples Trust, Peoples Bank, Lendful and First Inheritance, they provide residential, multi-family, and commercial mortgage products, as well as asset based and corporate lending solutions and consumer loans. […]

Merchant-focused BNPL SUMMIT launches in Toronto & Chicago 

TORONTO — December 15, 2021 —  The global BNPL SUMMIT, hosted by the Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) has partnered with Retail Innovation Conference & Expo (formerly known as RetailX) to provide online and in-person content for the merchant community in Canada and US . The in-person event will be held at the McCormick Place Convention […]

CLA Response to the Fall Fiscal and Economic Update

On December 15th, the Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland delivered a fiscal and economic update on the state of Canada’s economy. In the address, the Minister underscored the importance of “finishing the fight against COVID-19” and outlined some key focus areas for the Canadian economy moving forward. Lenders should pay particular attention to the monetary […]

Fintech Symple Loans Joins the CLA, Giving Canadians an Online Borrowing Experience with Lower Interest Rates

TORONTO — November 18, 2021 — The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) is pleased to welcome Symple Loans – a global lending fintech company offering low-cost personal loans for Canadian consumers. Symple uses state-of-the art technologies to digitize the end-to-end borrowing experience for applicants and advanced analytics to offer credit-worthy, prime, and super-prime customers lower interest […]

Credolab to enhance Canadian Lenders Association’s Lenders API

TORONTO — October 13, 2021 — The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) is pleased to welcome credolab as a new approved vendor. Credolab’s embedded scoring technology provides deeper and more accurate behaviour insights to assess the creditworthiness of all Canadians, even new immigrants, fairly and unbiased. Credolab provides a novel fintech solution that leverages previously untapped behavioural […]

RNDpoint Joins Canadian Lenders Association to Offer Digital Lenders ABLE Platform

September 16, 2021 (Toronto)—The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) is pleased to welcome RNDpoint, a UK-based lending software provider behind the ABLE Platform, a pre-packaged solution for end-to-end loan management, servicing, and collection.  Founded in 2014, RNDpoint is a trusted software provider for banks, credit unions and alternative lenders worldwide. Its flexible all-in-one ABLE Platform makes […]

All Ships Investors Closes First Canadian Real Estate Transaction on the Percent Platform

Toronto— September 28, 2021 — CLA Approved Vendor All Ships Investors announced a new partnership as part of its advisory to the financial technology company and alternative investment platform, Percent. This new partnership is with Indigoblue, a Canadian residential mortgage originator. It’s the most recent in a series of new partnerships between Percent and a […]

BridgePoint Financial Joins the CLA

TORONTO — September 28, 2021 — The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) is pleased to welcome BridgePoint Financial, a leader in Canada’s litigation finance market providing innovative and value-added funding solutions with an unwavering focus on client service since 2005. Gary Schwartz, President of the CLA, said, “BridgePoint Financial brings key expertise in the litigation finance market […]

Bloom Launches Modern Home Equity Release Platform for 55+ Canadians

Toronto, ON, September 21, 2021 – Bloom Finance Company Ltd. (“Bloom”) announced the launch of its home equity release platform for 55+ homeowners across Ontario. Following a limited rollout in select markets through the summer, the Bloom Reverse Mortgage is now available in all Ontario markets, and will soon be available in other provinces in […]

E-Signature Provider Syngrafii Joins CLA as Approved Vendor of Compliant e-Signature Tools

TORONTO — September 15, 2021 — The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) is pleased to welcome Syngrafii Inc, a global pioneer in e-signatures, video signing and remote on-line notarization as an approved vendor of integrated technology tools that provide the mortgage and lending market with enhanced efficiencies, customer service and acquisition capabilities within a robust compliance […]

Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the Upcoming Federal Budget

List of Recommendations âť– Recommendation 1: That the government should, in accordance with the Advisory Committee on Open Banking’s recommendation,1 move forward quickly to implement a hybrid, made-in Canada system of consumer-directed finance. âť– Recommendation 2: That the government should amend the Canadian Payments Act to ensure RPAA-regulated FinTechs are eligible to benefit from Payments […]

Crypto custodian Brane Capital Joins CLA, Launching Canada’s First Comprehensive Collateral Custody Solution for Crypto-Backed Loans

June 14, 2021 (Toronto) — The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) is pleased to welcome Brane Capital, Canada’s leading cryptocurrency and digital asset custodian, as Brane launches the first Canadian collateral custody solution for loans secured by crypto assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Combining cutting-edge custody technology, private key management protocols, and customizable reporting capabilities, Brane’s […]

Canada’s 2021 Budget: The CLA’s Response

We are disappointed that the world-class innovation and experience of the Canadian fintech lending sector is not harnessed in Canada’s economic recovery plans as it has been successfully in the UK, US and Australia. We are pleased, however, that the government recognizes that the digital economy is critical to growing a more prosperous economy. Fintech […]

Response to Ontario High-Cost Credit Consultation

Response to the Alternative Financial Services: High-Cost Credit Consultation Paper March 30th, 2021 Introduction The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) supports the growth of companies that are in the business of lending, or providing other means of credit, to small businesses and individuals. We represent over 100 companies across Canada. Our members are fintech innovators and […]

Zūm Joins CLA as an Approved Vendor to Offer Lenders Best in Class Payment Technology

February 16, 2021 (Toronto) — The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) is pleased to welcome ZĹ«m, a leader in fast and intelligent payment operations, into its membership as an approved vendor based on their ability to optimize borrower satisfaction and revenues through next generation payment solutions.  ZĹ«m empowers lenders to offer efficient and cost-effective real-time funding […]

2020 Wrap Up in Canadian Lending

2020 has been a year marked with incredible resilience, recovery and innovation.  Though many industries played vital roles supporting Canada’s businesses and citizens through COVID, the lending industry deserves special recognition. This year lenders took extraordinary steps to support Canadian families and entrepreneurs. Many instituted relief programs, cut rates, and worked with all levels of […]

Alternative Credit Scoring in Canada

November 19, 2020 The Bank of Canada recently rained on hopes for a quick recovery from the economic impacts of the country’s coronavirus slowdown — a hope nurtured, many thought, by signs of economic resilience over the summer.  Alas, late in October, the Canadian central bank issued a Monetary Policy Report suggesting that hard times will continue, perhaps all […]

Echelon & CLA Announce Strategic Relationship

TORONTO, August 10, 2020 – As part of a strategic relationship signed between Echelon Capital Markets (Echelon) and the Canadian Lenders Association (CLA), Echelon has officially been named as the Preferred Financial Advisor to the CLA, effective immediately. Echelon’s investment banking team has advised a number of CLA members with their capital and M&A needs […]