US legislators have proposed that student loan debt be discharged in the case of bankruptcy; the current law gives added protection to student loan lenders by requiring the debt to be repaid in bankruptcy; lawmakers and lobbyists are also considering other provisions that would provide debt relief to student loan borrowers who have filed for bankruptcy; while the debt relief initiatives will benefit borrowers, the effects will add increased default risk for investors in private student loans and private student loan securitizations. Source
Known for its personal finance and credit advice, Credit Karma has announced some new changes and initiatives with an overall rebrand; expanding on its free credit scores, credit reports and credit monitoring, the firm has launched Credit Karma Tax which will offer free tax preparation services; the service is driven by its acquisition of AFJC Corporation which provides online tax preparation solutions; with the tax offering, the firm has rebranded to convey itself as a financial assistance solutions provider; according to Credit Karma Founder and CEO Kenneth Lin, "We'll continue to add tools and features that will make Credit Karma more of a personal assistant for finance." Source
Better have launched the Equity Unlocker, allowing employees to use vested equity as collateral for mortgages.
Upstart's Q4 earnings showed a downward trend of losses, CEO, Girouard, remains positive despite cost cutting measures.
Non-bank lender Pemberton Asset Management sees a big opportunity in business lending with the uncertainty surrounding Brexit; Pemberton is confident that European banks will pull back as a result of Brexit and slow their lending practices; the sizable raise also points to the confidence in private debt funds as an option for companies unable to get financing from the banks.
Fitch Ratings has upgraded its outlook for Canadian banks from negative to stable; cites solid risk management, increasing profits and better than expected capital positioning as factors for the upgrade; says recent regulatory changes, slow GDP growth, high household debt and decreasing home prices are still concerns for 2017. Source
LendingClub saw revenue and earnings at the high end of their guidance range but, due to ongoing uncertainty remain reserved with next steps.
Federico Baradello founded Finalis, the investment banking-as-a-service platform for dealmakers, after working in a sector he knew was long overdue for an upgrade.
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