The most recent report on US consumer credit shows credit card debt reaching a new high and surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008; outstanding credit card debt in June was $1.02 trillion; source discusses increased market competition in the credit card market; also notes higher default rates yet increased risk taking given the improved market environment. Source
Online lender Earnest is working with Barclays to find a potential buyer; seeking buyout at approximately $200 million; firm has raised over $300 million since 2013 and grown to 200 employees. Source
Blog post outlines platform performance and improving delinquency rates across most grades and terms; provides perspective on the economic backdrop and interest rates; the company has updated their loss forecasts; projected returns are similar to last quarter with small increases for grades F and G. Source
Better Mortgage is now offering mortgage loans in thirteen states with the expansion to Florida; the lender offers a number of advantages for borrowers including a 100% digital experience and a verified pre-approval letter for qualified borrowers within 24 hours; with the licensing in Florida, Better Mortgage gains access to lending in Tampa and Jacksonville, recently reported as two of the healthiest housing markets in the country. Source
Scott Sanborn talks with Bloomberg about LendingClub's recovery and Q217 results; says the firm has focused on internal controls and investors; highlights that 44% of loan funding in Q2 came from banks; also discusses competition with credit cards and the consumer credit market. Source
Andrew Ng, former artificial intelligence chief of Baidu and founder of Google Brain, is launching a new online course for deep learning; the course will be available through the online education site he co-founded, Coursera, and will include content from his popular machine learning course at Stanford where he is currently a professor. Source
Rachel Schneider discusses a new way of thinking about the financial lives of Americans; suggests that many of the models are out of date; Schneider worked with a research project called US Financial Diaries which worked with 235 families to learn about every dollar that they spent, borrowed, saved, earned, and more; through the research they understood these families on a much deeper level to understand the 'why' behind financial decisions; Schneider shares many interesting data points including income and spending spikes in the lives of Americans; highlights the opportunities for fintech companies in the US. Source
GreenSky is the third most valuable fintech company in America; managed by David Zalik it provides a unique lending service with a business model scalable to diverse industries; currently focused on home remodeling contractors it offers fast approvals for borrowers with support by phone, website or mobile app; Forbes provides more details on David Zalik, the evolution of the business and its future aspirations. Source
StreetShares has announced a $10.3 million fundraising; the US marketplace lender specializes in funding business loans to companies managed by veterans; the platform has a range of product offerings with loans issued for $2,000 to $100,000. Source
Crop Pro is based in Des Moines and has raised an $8 million Series A round; company provides services and products for farmers including crop insurance; will use the funds to expand its team and speed development of products and services; firm aims to bridge the gap between agricultural and financial technology; Crop Pro is the first agriculture venture-funded insurance provider to be approved by the USDA to offer federal crop insurance to farmers. Source