LendKey is a lending-as-a-service technology provider for banks and credit unions; the company has released a Student Loan Refinance Report discussing borrower trends at banks and credit unions; provides statistics on borrower demographics, lending preferences and loan performance; finds that the student loan refinance market is healthy and that borrowers are saving an average 2.2% in annual interest expense after refinancing. Source
A growing number of refinancing products have increased student loan refinancings in recent years; however in the current environment, borrowers may see less savings from refinancing; borrowers reported average rate refinancing reductions of 2.2% earlier this year and that number has been trending lower since 2014 when borrowers reported rate reductions of over 3%; in 2016 student loan refinancings accounted for over $200 million for institutions on the LendKey platform; that value and the business for alternative refinancing platforms is at risk of trending lower as rates rise and the benefits of refinancing decrease overall. Source
Marketplace lending has evolved from personal loans to numerous verticals; Prime Meridian Capital Management discusses real estate lending and investment opportunities it offers in comparison to other real estate products; provides examples of platforms including ShareStates, Patch of Land, Realty Mogul, LendingHome and Money360; gives details on loans and the investing process for real estate platforms. Source
Online lender Upgrade is opening an office in Phoenix; founded by former Lending Club CEO Renaud Laplanche, the firm launched in April with a fundraising of $60 million; the Phoenix office will be its first expansion from its San Francisco headquarters and the firm plans to hire 100 employees this year. Source
Collateral has announced plans to test a mobile app for borrowers and investors; the platform sees app development as a trend for the industry and will be one of the first platforms to offer a mobile app for both borrowers and investors; it also expects the mobile app to be a factor for managing competition with banks; Collateral is a secured personal property lender offering loans of GBP5,000 ($6,415) to more than GBP1 million ($1.3 million). Source
CommondBond has expanded its loan offerings to include undergraduates; its products now include loans for undergraduate and graduate students, refinancing options for graduates and employer student loan benefits; its newly launched in-school loans have variable APRs starting at 2.87% and fixed APRs starting at 5.50%; they will also include a range of repayment options; in combination with the new loan offerings CommonBond will also partner with Pencils of Promise to support the educational funding of a child in need for every new loan funded on the platform; additionally, CommonBond has announced new online tools for comparing loans; the firm is also building out its employer student loan benefits product which involves integration with Gradible, which it acquired last year. Source
Growth Street has originated over $67.44 million since its launch in November 2016 with a new CEO and two new executive hires; the firm has now reported 600 new investors on the platform in the five months since its launch; Growth Street provides financing for UK SMEs; the short term financing options appear to be a factor attracting investors; the platform matches borrowers and lenders for 30 days and also allows investors to withdraw funds with notice of 30 days. Source
Five Star Bank will join the technology ecosystem of SmartBiz Loans; as an SBA loan partner, Five Star Bank's loans will now be available as a loan financing option for small businesses seeking funding on the SmartBiz Loans platform; in addition to matching services, SmartBiz Loans also helps to support fast and efficient loan processing through its bank-enabling technology; the partnership will help increase the availability of loans for small businesses on the platform and also support new business development for Five Star Bank. Source
Kroll Bond Rating Agency has assigned ratings for Avant's most recent securitization deal; the portfolio includes three tranches of consumer notes valued at $192.6 million; ratings for each of the three tranches are included in the chart above and range from A- to BB. Source
Lend Academy provides a resource for new investors in Lending Club and Prosper; their article includes five basic principles for investing in the platforms; the five key elements for investing include: 1) diversify investments 2) expect defaults 3) keep cash balances low 4) automate investing and 5) avoid taxes by investing through an IRA. Source