Critics point to flaws in China’s SME loan rules
China has initiated efforts to boost lending to small businesses, but some critics now say the rules imposed on banks to heighten their SME lending levels may be too rigid. Read more: www.pymnts.com
LendingClub shares soar on smaller than expected loss
Online lending platform operator LendingClub reported a smaller-than-expected loss and said an investor had agreed to buy $1.3 billion in loans. Read more: www.fintechranking.com
P2P sharing economy players Airbnb and Zopa team up
While the concept of peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is creative in and of itself, UK-based P2P lending pioneer Zopa is letting its creative roots show. Read more: finovate.com
Credible takes $10m for student loan marketplace
Online student loans marketplace Credible has picked up $10m in its Series B round. Regal Funds Management led the round. Read more: www.fintechroundup.com
SoFi targets mortgage lending in Australia
SoFi, is preparing to launch in Australia to offer mortgages in direct competition with the banks. Read more: www.afr.com
Microsoft Azure now hosting SME alt-lender
Folk2Folk announced Tuesday that it has gone live on Microsoft Azure cloud after being hosted on Rackspace. Read more: www.pymnts.com
Online lender Spotcap launches in UK
Two years after its launch, online lender Spotcap is expanding into the UK market, providing flexible and accessible funding solutions to SMEs. Read more: www.finextra.com
Clara nabs $27m in VC funding for mortgage lending platform
California-based FinTech startup Clara has raised $27m in a second round of financing led by Redpoint Ventures and Venrock. Read more: www.altassets.net
Should online lenders consider direct mail marketing?
While using the internet with online advertisement and social media is an applicable marketing strategy for many industries, it is not true in the lending space. Read more: www.lending-times.com
Bank SME lending surges, alt-lenders flop
Marketplace lending platform Biz2Credit has published its latest small business lending index, and the numbers signal A rise in SME lending and some rough waters ahead for alternative finance. Read more: www.pymnts.com