Most financial services firms look to educate users by having a blog or providing some links to resources; Acorns CEO Noah Kerner says the company wants to go further, they have their own online magazine, interviews with celebrities and provide financial how tos; they will also push content to you based upon how you use the app, trying to customize your experience; the big difference they see is when they combine education with the app experience, helping to move education beyond just reading articles. Source.
Acorns has partnered with personal financial management app Clarity Money; Acorns now has two million investment accounts with users investing spare change into customized investments; Clarity Money launched in 2016 and is an app for personal finance advice and expense and savings management; users of both platforms benefit from the partnership with Clarity Money customers able to use Acorns' automated investing features and Acorns' investors able to sync their Acorns investment account to their Clarity Money dashboard. Source
The latest round for the fintech startup values the company above Betterment; the app helps users invest by rounding up...
Acting CFPB Head Mick Mulvaney said he thought the payday lending rule was too far along for the agency to change but that he supports a congressional rollback; the Congressional Review Act gives Congress 60 days to nullify a regulation; Mr. Mulvaney is currently involved in a dispute over whether or not he can run the agency on an interim basis and he said he anticipates staying for 5 to 7 months. Source.
Acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika spoke about the online lending industry, discussing the potential of companies taking deposits and seeking banking charters; he shared,"One way a maturing industry adapts to changing market conditions is to diversify its funding sources and expand into other sources that offer greater stability. As the industry matured, companies have found a balance that includes selling loans to retail and wholesale investors, securitizing loans, and even exploring the potential for deposits." American provides more on his remarks in their article. Source
While giving a speech the acting head of the OCC stated that banks need more competition not less; he also commented on companies like Amazon or Apple becoming banks, Noreika states; “Laws that prevent companies with resources and means from becoming competitor banks only serve to protect existing big banks from would-be rivals”; as Crowdfund Insider reports the benefits of having big tech companies become banks could help to lower cost, increase access and help to serve those who might be left behind by traditional banks. Source.
While speaking at an event at Georgetown Law School Acting OCC Head Keith Noreika defended the proposed fintech charter; Mr. Noreika also took questions on the fear of commercial companies being granted banking charters; “A national bank charter is a special thing, and the OCC will not undermine its value by granting charters to companies that are not ready to meet our admittedly high expectations” said Noreika. Source.
New York-based hedge fund Marathon Partners Equity Management LLC is actively pushing OnDeck Capital to reduce costs and reach profitability more aggressively than it has already outlined; the firm owns approximately 1.75% of the company's outstanding shares; Mario Cibelli is the primary spokesperson for Marathon Partners and says he contacted members of the board in March to urge for deeper cost reductions and analysis on a potential sale; it is likely that Marathon Partners could gain a board nomination from the discussions; OnDeck Capital could also see more involvement from hedge fund shareholder EJF Capital LLC which has said in public filings that it may also reach out to the company to discuss its future strategy. Source
In a week where LendingClub posted their first quarter earnings sending their stock up by more than 25% an activist...
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been defined by speed,” claims Acxiom Market Pulse, which attempts to reflect and analyze the changes...