As I do at this time every year I take a look back at the top 10 news stories of the year published on Lend Academy in 2018. These are the most read stories of the year ranked by the number of page views (based on Google Analytics data).
1. My Quarterly Marketplace Lending Results – Q4 2017
The most read story of the year is my quarterly investment report for Q4 2017, published in February. I share details of my marketplace lending investments every quarter and these articles are usually quite popular.
2. Goldman Sachs Shares Their Vision for the Future of the Marcus Platform
The number two article of 2018 is no surprise. While I wouldn’t say the fintech industry is obsessed with Goldman Sachs they certainly come up in my conversations more than any other company. This article covers a presentation on the future of Marcus by then Goldman Sachs President (now CEO) David Solomon at an Alliance Bernstein conference.
3. Publicly Listed Fintech Companies – a Tale of Two Sectors
We published this article in the lead up to LendIt Fintech USA 2018 and it focused on the publicly listed fintech companies that would be attending. It included new research on the trends in the stock price of these companies and looked at the performance of the overall fintech sector.
4. My Quarterly Marketplace Lending Results – Q1 2018
Another one of my quarterly investment reports makes the top 10 most read posts.
5. Is Marcus Going to Launch a Credit Card?
In January Goldman Sachs announced they had acquired the credit card startup Final so, of course, speculation began that Marcus would soon be launching a credit card. It didn’t happen…at least not in 2018.
6. SoFi’s Latest Product Called “SoFi Money” is Here
I think the second most talked about company in fintech may well be SoFi. They are moving beyond the lending space into offering bank-like services. The SoFi Money account is a hybrid checking and savings account with no fees, free ATM access and it earns decent interest (it now pays 2%).
7. Amazon and Their Push Into Fintech
Review of a report from CB Insights that details all the ways in which Amazon are making inroads into financial services.
8. How Goldman Sachs Created Marcus To Be a Dominant Force in Consumer Banking
Another article on Marcus makes the top 10 (that is three of the top eight if you are keeping count). This article was a look back at the first two years of Marcus by Goldman Sachs and the impact the company is having on fintech.
9. Marketplace Lending Predictions for 2018
My very first post of 2018 squeaks into the top 10 with my predictions for 2018. Look for the 2019 edition next week.
10. Industry Pioneer Sam Hodges Steps Down as Head of Funding Circle USA
The head of Funding Circle USA, Sam Hodges, stepped down in April. He was one of the co-founders of Funding Circle’s US operations and a driving force in the growth of marketplace lending for much of the past decade.
So, a diverse group of stories make up the top 10. Keep in mind when reviewing this list that most of the 10 articles above were published in the first half of the year giving them more time to attract the most page views. What almost made the top 10 was my piece about Mike Cagney (published in mid-November) and his new startup. Other stories worth noting from this year were Square’s entry into consumer lending, OnDeck announcing a second major bank partner, the LendingClub settlement with the government and the Funding Circle IPO, just to name a few.
This will be the last article published on Lend Academy in 2018. I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and here’s to a prosperous 2019 for fintech.
