April 1, 2016 @ 2:38 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Treasury, via the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), has published a proposed rule change that impacts the definition of a funding portal under Title III of the JOBS Act. This new rule-making would amend some definitions to include funding portals. Specifically,… Read More

April 1, 2016 @ 1:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

NewsBeat Social is a social news platform that has many unique users (around 59 million) but little in the way of revenue – yet. The company is now working with WR Hambrecht to raise growth capital by using updated rules under Title IV of the… Read More

April 1, 2016 @ 10:14 am By JD Alois  |  

Like much of the rest of the world, Singapore is embracing Fintech and looking to give financial innovation a boost by launching the SG-Innovate Fintech hub.  Fintech in Singapore received a small but important mention in the most recent governmental budget stating; “To give these… Read More

April 1, 2016 @ 7:34 am By JD Alois  |  

On the eve of the launch of the IF ISA, RateSetter has announced the appointment of two senior executives; Jim Gunner has joined the RateSetter board ad Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Risk Committee and Nigel Wilkinson is now Head of Commercial Credit. Both… Read More

March 31, 2016 @ 11:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

During the keynote address at Stanford’s Rock Center for Corporate Governance at the event entitled “The Silicon Valley Initiative: Protecting Investments in Pre-IPO Issuers”, SEC Chair Mary Jo White delivered a wide ranging speech on the challenges of operating in the internet fueled age of finance…. Read More

March 31, 2016 @ 9:49 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Bank of England has released the monthly statistics regarding lending and according to the BOE lending to non-financial SMEs grew by £0.7 billion compared to an average monthly increase of £0.2 billion over the previous 6 months. Certainly an improvement.  Louise Beaumont, an executive… Read More

March 31, 2016 @ 2:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

Leading equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube has announced surpassing £150 million (about $216 million) since launching in 2011.  According to a company report £83 million took place in 2015 alone representing a solid growth trajectory. The milestone was passed with the crowdfunding campaign of Vivobarefoot that… Read More

March 31, 2016 @ 11:13 am By JD Alois  |  

The SmartTracker crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo is emblematic about what is bad (and needs to be fixed) regarding rewards-based crowdfunding. The alleged creator of the SmartTracker product, a Mr. Julian Buschor, is a repeat offender when it comes to failing to deliver a product after… Read More

March 31, 2016 @ 10:04 am By JD Alois  |  

Millennium Trust Company is a custody solution for IRAs, private funds and alternative assets with over 432,000 individual accounts and $17.4  billion in assets under custody. Lending Club is the largest marketplace lender in the US that offers individual investors the opportunity to generate respectable… Read More

March 31, 2016 @ 9:11 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled charges with infamous VC – G. Steven Burrill regarding a case where Burrill allegedly stole investor money to pay for private jets and trips to Paris and St. Barts. Burrill was sued last year in the Superior Court of… Read More

March 31, 2016 @ 7:57 am By JD Alois  |  

Crowdstacker is one of the elite few peer to peer lending platforms that has received the stamp of approval by the FCA as a fully regulated platform.  While other P2P platforms will follow, Crowdstacker will be ready to go next week as the Innovative Finance… Read More

March 30, 2016 @ 2:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Innovative Finance ISA (IF ISA) becomes actionable for all UK savers next month and the peer to peer industry is moving rapidly to embrace the new investment vehicle. Assetz Capital, has announced its plans for the IF ISA. According to Assetz Capital management, both… Read More

March 30, 2016 @ 10:49 am By JD Alois  |  

Goji, a platform that aggregates peer to peer lending investment opportunities including the forthcoming Innovative Finance ISA, has announced its “official” launch as the new IF ISA is set to hit hit the marketplace. Goji states that P2P lenders Landbay, ArchOver and Assetz Capital are… Read More

March 30, 2016 @ 10:06 am By JD Alois  |  

Peer to peer lender Mintos and Polish platform Aforti Finance have formed a cooperative agreement that will help Aforti lend to more small to medium sized businesses in Poland. Mintos currently offers loans from 9 non-bank lenders from Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia and… Read More

March 30, 2016 @ 8:44 am By JD Alois  |  

While many of the larger peer to peer lending platforms remain in limbo as to whether or not they will make the April 6th launch date for the Innovative Finance ISA (IF ISA), Abundance will be one of the first to offer the newly minted… Read More

March 30, 2016 @ 8:23 am By JD Alois  |  

Crowdfunding software provider Katipult has partnered with Mangopay in its push to enter the UK crowdfunding market. Based in Canada, Katipult clearly wants to be the dominant global, white label software provider and is already compliant in more than 20 different countries. An expansion into… Read More

March 30, 2016 @ 7:52 am By JD Alois  |  

Leading mortgage peer to peer lender LendInvest has published a statement of caution and concern regarding the recently increased stamp duty tax on buy-to-let properties.  Christian Faes, CEO of LendInvest, called the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) increase “bad news” as landlords will be facing… Read More

March 29, 2016 @ 7:13 pm By JD Alois  |  

Former Fox Business Network contributor Tobin Smith has settled fraud charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Smith was terminated by Fox in 2013 for “sponsored investment research”.  Basically Smith was pumping penny stocks that he, along with NBT   Group (ironically as in the… Read More

March 29, 2016 @ 9:19 am By JD Alois  |  

Finstar Financial Group wants to build its Fintech portfolio and has hired Paul Muhr, an experienced investment banker to boost M&A and capital markets projects. Until recently Muhr was a Vice President at Citi and before that at Goldman Sachs. Muhr’s hiring is said to… Read More

March 29, 2016 @ 8:55 am By JD Alois  |  

Late last month the National Internet Finance Association of China (NIFA) was launched during a ceremony in Shanghai. CreditEase, the first (and largest) peer to peer lender in the country, was elected as an Executive Director to the new entity. Former People’s Bank of China Deputy… Read More