Investors are continuously looking for new asset classes, equipment finance is one of the stronger performing areas and the presentation by Patricia Voorhees of The Alta Group at LendIt USA 2017 explains why this segment is ripe for capital; the total market is $1.7 trillion and currently only about $300 million is financed through term leases or loans; most equipment is put on some other form of credit like a credit card; the more technology that is enabled and the more chances to make a loan at the point of sale will allow for the market share to grow; Patricia also pointed out that ABS deals in the equipment space outperformed all other categories because the nature of the equipment is essential use and the integration of the finance providers in the transactions; equipment finance could be the next big opportunity, we will have to wait and see how it shakes out in the next couple of years. Source
LendIt has posted presentations from LendIt USA 2017 keynote speakers and the event's various tracks on its blog; keynote speaker videos are now all available on the LendIt website and videos from different tracks continue to be added; also available on the website are LendIt USA 2017 photos. Source
Patrick McHenry is one of the most proactive advocates for fintech in Congress; at LendIt USA 2017 he provided his insight from Congress on fintech and also spoke with Lend Academy in their podcast; his views are framing many of Washington D.C.'s legislative debates and his legislation, the Financial Services Innovation Act of 2016 (HR 6118), could be a significant factor helping to support future fintech innovation in the US. Source
Online lenders don't have a deposit base to lend out money, so they need to look at different forms of capital sources and Paul Fielding of SoFi talked about these options at LendIt USA 2017; they break up the investor pool into a few different buckets; investors looking to buy whole loans, their securitization shelf that has thus far done over 20 securitizations and direct capital from banks; understanding the right fit for the right investor and how that fits into the capital buckets is the key; while taking questions Paul discussed the recent formation of 1940 Act funds and believes the likes of BlackRock and AllianceBernstein could move into the consumer whole loan market as pensions begin to look at playing in the space; he also talked about the ABS markets being fickle, but in his view all markets are fickle as investors look at their allocation strategies. Source
Jason talks about this year's LendIt USA event which will take place on March 6-7; while initially focusing just on online lending at its first event, LendIt USA has evolved to include a much broader agenda of fintech topics; IBM Watson will be giving a keynote on artificial intelligence this year and beyond just lending other featured topics will include blockchain, financial inclusion, wealth management and biometrics; PitchIt@LendIt has gained increased interest across the industry and this year had over 250 entries; attendees will also hear from asset allocators and learn about bank partnerships; LendIt has expanded networking within the LendIt mobile app to include 1-1 meeting functionality. Source
Competition in the personal loan market has become quite heated since the financial crisis; banks of all sizes, and credit unions now have to compete with the likes of emerging fintech companies who have originated billions in loans; at LendIt USA 2017 Ken Lin of Credit Karma did a keynote presentation on some of the keys to success in this highly competitive market; helping to understand the trends of the last few years (higher defaults and increased APRs) can first give you a better understanding of current market conditions; the keys to success to overcome and reverse those trends are to continuously refine your underwriting models, solve real customer pain points and find a way to win on mobile; keeping ahead of the curve is not easy with so many players but making improvements to certain areas could go a long way. Source
Banks have been trying to understand what they will need to change to stay competitive as finance becomes more digital; the key question they try to answer is buy, build or partner; at LendIt USA 2017 we hosted a keynote fireside chat that focused on how a global cooperative bank stays innovative; digitizing their lending process to become more like a platform, understanding that fintech is more of an evolution and not a revolution, better understanding the customer's needs and offering hybrid solutions is key to staying ahead of the innovation curve. Source
The securitization market in marketplace lending continues to strengthen as more lenders utilize this capital route; the LendIt USA 2017 panel on securitization talked through the market conditions and what it takes to do a deal; the panel went through the challenges faced in 2016 and how the industry has come back looking stronger; the industry has gotten back to the fundamentals which are a cornerstone of securitization deals; the vast majority of deals are made up of unsecured consumer loans, but other asset classes including mortgages, student loans and auto have been coming to market; topics touched upon also included barriers to success, vertical versus horizontal interests and the effects of risk retention on the overall market. Source
Providing credit to the underserved is something a lot of companies attempt to achieve; 138 million people in the US need access to credit and most of these individuals are concentrated in nine states; when it comes to credit there isn't a lot of options for non prime consumers; at LendIt USA 2017 James Gutierrez of Insikt discussed expanding access to credit where the consumer gets a personal touch to their experience; at his previous firm James offered face to face loans in Latino supermarkets to the underbanked; his experience there allowed him to bring that personal interaction to a digital platform without losing the intimate feel; Insikt is able to scale in a quicker fashion but still provide credit where the consumer knows they are getting an option that suits their needs. Source






