Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple (GAFA) have significant market share and a massive influence; given the needs and demands of consumers it seems likely their services will more broadly integrate fintech offerings in the near future; all four companies have taken some steps to offer financial services and industry analysts are watching them closely for new announcements. Source
RealtyMogul has announced it will open its MogulREIT I Fund for self-directed IRA investing; the announcement will give non-accredited investors access to higher performing alternative credit investments for a minimum of $1,000; the Fund has also announced a new dividend reinvestment option and two new property investments. Source
California-based startup Tala has raised $30 million for its marketplace lending platform; investors in the funding round included IVP, Ribbit Capital, Lowercase Capital, Data Collective and Collaborative Fund; the firm offers loans in Kenya through alternative credit underwriting which utilizes accessible data on payrolls, savings, payments history and social network activity; it plans to expand to Mexico and India. Source
Sunlight Financial has gained a $130 million investment from Route 66 Ventures for expansion of its residential solar systems lending business; the firm plans to develop new financing products, expand its Charlotte business center and partner with more solar installers; the firm is currently a trusted provider for a network of solar installation companies and offers its credit products through an easy to use online platform. Source
Lending Club borrowers are given a 15 day grace period for loan payments; borrowers are not assessed a late fee and previously did not pay accrued interest on the overdue amount; Lending Club has revised its grace period policy as of February 24 to require borrowers to now pay additional interest on the late payments; the firm will continue to not charge a late fee until after the 15 day grace period. Source
SoFi has announced details of its latest fundraising round which now adds $500 million in new equity capital for the firm; the financing was led by Silver Lake and included SoftBank and GPI Capital; the fundraising will support the continued expansion for the firm; it now offers student loan refinancing, personal loans, mortgage loans, life insurance, wealth management and banking; it also plans to expand its services to Australia and Canada. Source
AutoFi has announced a new partnership to expand its online point-of-sale auto financing solution; AutoFi has now partnered with iLendingDIRECT which includes a network of credit unions; the new partnership builds on a recently announced offering with Ford Credit and also adds to the platform's extensive auto lending network of banks and specialty lenders. Source
Clarity Services is one of the US market's alternative credit data providers; in their featured blog post they provide a white paper detailing the benefits of using alternative credit data from Clarity Services for direct mail screening and marketing campaigns; by using an expanded set of data, the company suggests lenders can reach more creditworthy consumers. Sponsored Blog Post
Marketplace lender BlueVine has secured a $75 million credit line from Fortress Credit Corp. and funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group LLC; the firm provides online working capital financing for small and medium-sized businesses; it plans to use the financing to expand its working capital solutions and specifically its Flex Credit product. Source
MoneyLion talks about the evolution of the fintech industry and the rebundling of financial services in their featured blog post; the first wave of fintech was known for its unbundling of traditional financial services by fintech companies; as these companies have achieved success from focused product development, they are now looking to expand services for new verticals and cohesive cross selling; banks are also more broadly diversifying to meet customer needs; MoneyLion also notes API development as a key factor supporting the rebundling of services; the firm has brought together a range of online services that help customers improve their financial health and it sees rebundling as an important trend that will help to support more comprehensive fintech services for clients. Sponsored Blog Post