Applying for a residential mortgage is a slow and complicated process. While technology is certainly making this process more efficient we still have a long way to go before it is a quick and seamless experience. The same can be said for commercial loans. For most community banks these are the two kinds of loans that make up the majority of their loan book.

The future of fintech is going to be very much intertwined with the future of banking. Banks will continue to partner with fintechs, invest in fintechs as well as acquire fintechs. Banks will increasing look and behave more and more like fintechs with a focus on speed, ease of use and transparency. One large bank that is a leader in this area is KeyBank.

In Europe there are many options for retail investors looking to invest in loans. While regulations differ by country there are usually several options for individual investors to deploy their capital. And then there is Mintos which is in a class all by itself.

Most small businesses need access to capital at some point. But the challenge for many small business owners is that they do not qualify for a bank loan and what they do qualify for can be really expensive. This challenge is made more difficult if you are an immigrant with a thin credit file.

Good customer outcomes is not something often associated with subprime auto loans, particularly when those loans are targeted at the Hispanic market. That market is mostly thin-file/no-file and is notoriously difficult to underwrite. With asset-backed loans there is an advantage where the car can be repossessed if loans payments are not made. But that is not a good customer outcome.

Today, there are plenty of fintech companies with both strong balance sheets and a desire to get a banking license. Several have announced they are starting down the process of applying for some kind of bank charter. But there is another alternative that we have not yet seen in this country. And that is for a fintech company to acquire a bank.

There is a new breed of fintech company today that is adding customers by the millions by providing simple financial tools that people actually want and use. These are mobile-first offerings that have deep engagement with their loyal customer base.

It is not easy to scale a marketplace lending business in a market the size of New Zealand, which has fewer people than Colorado. But Harmoney, the first peer to peer lender to be licensed in New Zealand, has originated more than NZ$1 billion in loans since launching five years ago.

For an industry to be taken seriously in Washington it needs a strong and vibrant trade association. The Marketplace Lending Association (MLA) was formed back in 2016 with LendingClub, Prosper and Funding Circle as its founding members.

Roughly half the US population lives paycheck to paycheck and throughout the year they often run out of money between these paychecks. So, they resort to payday loans or overdrafts and often pay late fees as well. This costs this population hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year. There is a better solution that is starting to gain traction, it is called earned wage access.