Why You Should Care About Marketplace Lending

“Technology allows David to compete with Goliath on a far more even footing.” - Jens Munch

This past December, American Banker named Marketplace Lending their innovation of the year. While the number of companies entering this market certainly influenced their decision, the real catalyst for their choice is the massive disruption that marketplace lending is creating throughout the financial sector. In the past, companies wishing to enter into, and compete in, the personal loan industry faced numerous barriers: large capital requirements, regulation, and security concerns, among others. Technology is changing all of that. As recently as the 1990’s, your local bank was the only outlet available for all of your personal finance needs. Times have certainly changed. In today’s world, I can open a bank account on Simple, do my taxes on Turbotax, manage my credit card rewards through Wallaby, create budgets and track my spending on Mint, invest my hard-earned cash through Betterment, and receive personal financial advice through LearnVest. Finally, the same seamless experience and ease-of-use provided by these technologies has arrived in the world of personal loans. Traditionally, if you were in need of a loan to pay for a big expense (wedding, adoption, pre-school, moving costs…), you had two options: go to your local bank or get a cash advance on your credit card. The first is too formidable and exhausting -- nobody wants to squirm in a chair across the desk from a loan manager as he dissects the minutia of your financial history; and the second is so prohibitively expensive that it might as well not even be an option. Going to your local bank isn't just a matter of time and effort. Banks fail to provide their customers with advanced account-management products, remain opaque in regard to prices and fees, and choose not to serve  the full credit spectrum. On top of that, they reject entire contingents of people, and aren't transparent about their reasoning for doing so. On the other hand, credit card companies charge exorbitant rates on cash advances, which average around 15%, but can go as high as 35%. This is where marketplace lending comes in. By addressing these issues and creating a more efficient and consumer-friendly process, the lender and borrower can interact through a simple, easy-to-use online channel, which results in much lower interest rates for borrowers. Marketplace lending platforms take a few key pieces of information - like credit history and behavioral tendencies - and analyze them utilizing machine learning algorithms to expedite the process and minimize costs by removing the middlemen. This is why you should care about the disruption that’s occurring. Marketplace lending will serve many of those who were previously unable to secure a loan, while providing an experience that is simpler, clearer, and cheaper for all. Best of all: it can all be accomplished from the comfort of your home. Welcome to the 21st Century!