Marketplace lending

Consumer lending 2017: Bold bets and strategic exits

12/13/17

In a year of political upheaval and weak commercial credit growth, lenders sought to capitalize on an economic bright spot — consumer spending — by reviving the personal loan, allying with fintechs and exiting traditional business lines that no longer made sense.

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Why a Mexican department store chain is investing in a U.S. fintech

12/13/17

Grupo Coppel and Insikt, an online lender, would appear to be cut from different cloth, but they share an expertise in providing credit to working-class, largely Hispanic consumers. The retail conglomerate also operates 1,000 bank branches in Mexico, mixing banking and commerce in a way that U.S. regulators have not allowed.

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Quarles calls for transparency; Bitcoin boils over — again

12/08/17

Fed's supervision chief wants more openness on bank stress tests; cybercurrency jumps 40% in 40 hours, climbing past $19,000.

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Why so many women business owners avoid bank loans

12/06/17

Women are not only less likely to be approved for loans than men, they are less inclined to apply for loans in the first place. Among the reasons: aversion to debt and fear of rejection, according to a new report.

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Madden ruling was a step backward. Congress should fix it

12/04/17

The court decision regarding the “valid when made” doctrine moved us further away from creating a more effective and inclusive financial system.

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CFPB leadership shakeup leaves fintech borrowers vulnerable

12/01/17

Richard Cordray won’t be around anymore to keep an eye on the fintech sector. The question now is: Who will?

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Seeking bigger U.S. presence, Barclays joins crowded online lending market

11/21/17

The British banking giant has been testing its new online lending platform with a handful of its U.S. customers and plans to roll it out in full force next year. It's all part of a broader effort to expand its U.S. consumer business beyond credit cards.

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Cleveland Fed withdraws online lending study after doubts arise

11/19/17

Fed researchers purported to show that consumers who use peer-to-peer loans have bad financial outcomes, but questions quickly emerged about the data they used.

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Why Cleveland Fed should retract its online lending study

11/17/17

The report’s authors presented findings that seemed to reflect issues with the peer-to-peer lending industry, but they actually relied on data from a much broader category of loans.

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‘Good riddance’: Comments of the week

11/16/17

Readers weigh in on the departure of Richard Cordray, debate whether online lenders are akin to subprime lenders, offer praise of a community banker, and more.

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