Press Releases

Excluding Fintech Lending in the Time of COVID

By: Gary Schwartz, President of the Canadian Lenders Association This article originally appeared in the Globe & Mail   While governments globally have actively engaged their fintech lenders to help deliver loans to shuttered Main Street merchants, our government has chosen to exclude this burgeoning sector. It seems counterintuitive to ignore companies that pre-COVID had been […]

Covid-19 Small Business Survey Results (CLA)

Toronto, May 26th, 2020 – Canadian Lender Association has completed a comprehensive national survey in cooperation with its fintech lenders. CLA members finance over 100,000 micro, small and medium sized businesses nationally. The survey results indicate that even with the deployment of the Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP), small businesses struggle to overcome liquidity issues. […]

Truth in Advertising for Insolvency Trustees

Standardization of Public Disclosures  May 25, 2020, Ottawa – The CLA has serious concerns regarding the recent representations made by certain insolvency trustees on mainstream and social media, either via advertising or through public statements. It is our view that any advertising that encourages consumers to consider bankruptcy as a first course of action – […]

FDATA North America Endorses Canadian Lenders Association’s Proposal

April 24, 2020, Washington, DC & Toronto – The Financial Data and Technology Association (FDATA) North America today announced its endorsement of the Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) proposal to include financial technology (fintech) participation in Canada’s COVID-19-related financial relief programs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). While Canada’s Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) should provide […]

Proposal to Develop, Implement and Administer a Small Business Emergency Funding Program

Canadian Lenders Association (“CLA”), in conjuection with Kilgour Williams Capital (“KWC”), is pleased to submit this proposal to develop, implement and administer an emergency funding program (the “Program”) to assist Canadian small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that may not be well served, by the Business Credit Availability Program (“BCAP”) being administered through […]

Foreign Governments Working with Fintech to Distribute Aid to SMBs

Governments are looking to fintech platforms as way to effectively adjudicate and distribute aid to small businesses. Below are examples of how foreign governments are working with fintech and on what terms.     USA: Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) asks lenders to underwrite based on whether the borrower was in operation on Feb 15, not […]

A Message to Canadians Borrowers

Covid-19 has impacted the daily lives of millions of Canadian families from coast to coast. As individuals, we are all experiencing tremendous levels of financial stress, as are the small businesses that define our neighbourhoods. Our primary goal at the CLA is to play as active a role as possible in alleviating this financial pressure […]

Canada’s Government Assistance Programs for SMBs Compared to Foreign Governments

COVID-19 fallout could force 1 in 4 small businesses to close doors permanently. Ottawa has responded with a stimulus package that included a wage subsidy, tax deferrals and billions in credit to keep SMBs afloat during this massive cashflow crisis. Please read the CLA’s Open Letter to Government, which outlines further actions that can be taken in […]

Canadian Lenders Association Establishes COVID-19 Consumer Lending Working Group

March 30th, 2020 (Toronto)—The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) today announced the formation of a national working group to support consumer lenders in their response to COVID-19. The consumer lender working group will serve as an advisory committee and resource for CLA members and advocate on their behalf as ongoing actions are considered in efforts to […]

Open letter to the Government of Canada: Canadian small businesses need fintech lending options during COVID-19

The Canadian Lenders Association and its members ask the Government of Canada to extend their proposed economic stimulus for small businesses to include financial technology-driven lending options. March 24, 2020, 9:00AM EST (TORONTO, ON) The Right Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau The Honourable Bill Morneau The Honourable Mary Ng The Honourable Navdeep Bains The Honourable […]

Lettre ouverte au gouvernement du Canada : Les petites entreprises canadiennes ont besoin d’options alternatives de financement pendant la COVID-19

L’Association des PrĂŞteurs Canadiens et ses membres demandent au gouvernement du Canada d’Ă©tendre les mesures de relance Ă©conomique pour les petites entreprises afin d’inclure des options de financement par voie de technologie financière. Le 23 mars 2020 Cher Premier ministre Trudeau, M. Morneau, Mme Ng, M. Bains, Mme Freeland, M. Duclos et M. Rodriguez : […]

Canadian Lenders Association Establishes COVID-19 SMB Working Group

March 19th, 2020 (Toronto)—The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) today announced the formation of a national working group to support members’ response to COVID-19. The working group will serve as an advisory committee and resource for CLA members and advocate on their behalf as ongoing actions are considered in efforts to provide additional credit to small […]

Q1 2020 Regulatory Update

This quarterly update covers any consumer, commercial, and mortgage lending regulatory and policy activity on a provincial and federal level for the Q1 2020. The report details: Jurisdiction Name of Law/Regulation Brief Summary of Changes The report is prepared monthly by the Advocacy and Regulatory Committee of the Canadian Lenders Association. https://www.canadianlenders.org/committees/ Special thanks to […]

BMO, Cox & BFS Capital join Canadian Lenders Association Board

Feb 11th, 2019, Toronto, Canada – The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) today announced that Lyla Kanji, Head Loan Syndication & Specialty Finance, Canadian Commercial Banking at BMO Financial Group, Jerome Dwight, EVP of Cox Automotive Canada (Dealertrack) and Mark Ruddock, CEO of BFS Capital have joined as members of the association’s board. “We are very excited to expand the […]

Leaders-in-Lending Winners, presented by BMO Financial Group

Nov 20, 2019, Toronto, Canada. Canadian Lenders Association (CLA), the voice of the innovative business and consumer lending industry, announces the winners of the 2019 Leaders-in-Lending Awards. Wayne Pommen, CEO, Paybright –  paybright.com and Financeit  –  www.financeit.io won the Exectutive and Company award respectively. “We are proud to sponsor this year’s lenders award that recognizes the world-class […]

OnDeck Canada CEO, Neil Wechsler, Announced as New Chair of Canadian Lenders Association

Nov 12th, 2019, Toronto, Canada – The Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) today announced Neil Wechsler, CEO of leading online small business lender, OnDeck Canada, as the new Chair of the CLA’s Board of Directors. Neil’s appointment comes with a renewed vision to ensure the CLA is the national leader in fostering transparency for innovative lending practices […]

CLA Announces the Leaders-in-Lending Awards, presented by BMO Financial Group

Nov 11, 2019, Toronto, Canada. Canadian Lenders Association (CLA), the voice of the innovative business and consumer lending industry, announces the Top 25 Lenders of 2019. “In partnership with BMO, we are excited to continue to celebrate innovation and leadership in Canada’s lending sector,” says Gary Schwartz, President of the CLA. “Today we announce the […]

The Canadian Lenders Association Reaffirms Industry Lending Values

Toronto. November 11th, 2019. Canadian Lenders Association (CLA), the voice of the innovative business and consumer lending industry, reaffirms its commitment to further transparent and ethical lending to Canadian borrowers nationally. “As an association that represents key aspects of Canada’s lending ecosystem including: policy, advocacy, standards, and innovation, it is important to renew and reaffirm […]

Inverite Joins the Canadian Lenders Association

July 16, 2019, Vancouver, BC, Canada: Inverite, the first Canadian designed, developed, and focused real-time bank verification service and an advocate of open banking, has joined the Canadian Lenders’ Association (CLA) as an affiliate member. “Inverite is proud to become an affiliate member of the CLA,” said Lloyd Evetts, Inverite’s director of business development. “As […]

July 2019 Regulatory Update

This monthly report covers any consumer and commercial Lending regulatory and policy activity on a provincial and federal level for the month of July. The report details: Jurisdiction Name of Law/Regulation Brief Summary of Changes The report is prepared monthly by the Advocacy and Regulatory Committee of the Canadian Lenders Association. https://www.canadianlenders.org/committees/ Special thanks to […]

Marble Financial Becomes Member of the Canadian Lenders Association

MLI Marble Lending Inc. (CSE:MRBL) (“Marble” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has joined as a member of the Canadian Lenders Association (“CLA”). The CLA provides its members the tools to innovate and grow and to foster safe and ethical lending practices. “We believe that clarity and transparency should be maximized in all credit […]

Coast Capital Savings and OnDeck Canada Announce Small Business Partnership

Montreal, Quebec and Surrey, B.C., July 11 – Coast Capital Savings, Canada’s largest credit union by membership, and OnDeck Canada, a leading online lender to Canadian small businesses, today announced an innovative partnership aimed at accelerating online lending to Coast Capital small business members. Beginning this month, Coast Capital Savings (Coast Capital) small business members […]

SharpShooter Funding Joins the CLA

Toronto, ON – July 10, 2019 – SharpShooter Funding and First Down Funding join the Canadian Lenders Association as general members. First Down Funding and SharpShooter, are proud to become a member of the Canadian Lenders Association and look forward to adhering to the principles for which they stand. “Membership of the CLA establishes First […]

Credit Invisible: Keynote Video

1 in 3 Canadians may be credit invisible according to PERC Canada. Michael Turner, President of PERC Canada debuted groundbreaking research on credit invisibility and credit deserts in Canada at the Canadian Lenders Association’s Credit Invisibility Summit. Keynote Highlights: Michael Turner is the CEO and President of Policy and Economic Research Council (PERC).  He sets […]

Klarna | Affirm: Panel Video

See panel hosted by Canadian Lenders and Retail Touchpoints in Chicago @ RetailX The Changing Face of Checkout: Panel: • Gary Schwartz, President of the Canadian Lenders Association • Chris Faught, VP of Omnichannel at Affirm • Lindy Crea, Head of U.S. Partnerships at Klarna. This panel highlights ways to develop a successful relationship with […]

Affirm, Klarna & CLA: The Changing Face Of Checkout

Hasbrouck Heights, NJ May 31, 2019 — During the Retail TouchPoints (RTP) Live! @ RetailX event, June 25-26 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, the Changing Face Of Checkout panel will highlight strategies to attract next-gen shoppers. As part of the Digital Transformation Track at RTP Live!, the panel will take place Wednesday, June 26 at 11:00am. […]

Disruption Conference: CLA partner with The Credit Association of Greater Toronto

CLA partner with the The Credit Association of Greater Toronto to support the Disruption Conference on June 13th in Toronto. CLA members can register at CAGT member price. https://conference.cagt.ca/ The Credit Association of Greater Toronto (the “CAGT”)  promotes excellence and innovation in the Credit and Financial Industry and other enabling verticals to drive performance and customer experience […]

2019 Global Benchmark Study: Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance & Canadian Lenders Association Continue Partnership

Cambridge, UK., and Toronto, Canada, May 16, 2019 –The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) and the Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) today announced a continuation in their partnership to support research into the innovative Canadian lending sector through the 2019 Americas Alternative Finance Benchmarking survey. The CCAF’s Global Benchmark continues to be the largest academic benchmarking […]