Opinion

April 21, 2016 @ 12:00 pm By Therese Torris  |  

Lendix, the lending marketplace that recently become number 1 in SME marketplace lending in France, announced that it has acquired crowdlending platform Finsquare. This first instance of consolidation in the French market certainly is not the last. This acquisition illustrates four trends and issues in… Read More

April 19, 2016 @ 9:03 am By JD Alois  |  

    The marketplace lending industry has gone from 0 to 100 in just a few short years. While it seems like only yesterday when Zopa launched in the UK capturing the title of the first P2P lender, platforms now number in the thousands and… Read More

April 18, 2016 @ 11:12 pm By Robin Sosnow  |  

Exploring the dynamics of equity crowdfunding and provoking thought about what crowdfunding means to you.  Crowdfunding has always existed, and will continue to exist, as long as there are people and scarcity of resources. People have pooled and transferred resources for the benefit of another,… Read More

April 17, 2016 @ 6:43 pm By JD Alois  |  

  LenditUSA 2016 was bigger than ever. If you look back just three years the venue and the organizers have scaled what was once a relatively small gathering of 375 industry participants in 2013 to one that is truly a global event with over 3,500… Read More

April 16, 2016 @ 11:07 am By JD Alois  |  

This past week during a hearing at the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Raymond Keating of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) delivered prepared remarks to the Representatives in attendance. The title of the hearing was the JOBS Act at Four: Examining Its… Read More

April 15, 2016 @ 10:50 am By JD Alois  |  

This is important.  In the United States, the wealth disparity is growing – not closing. While there are multiple reasons why this wealth gap has occurred, the growing dominance of big money over smaller investors has clearly exacerbated this societal challenge.  Unfortunately, policy officials have… Read More

April 15, 2016 @ 12:32 am By JD Alois  |  

  The Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises, part of the House Financial Services Committee, reviewed several proposed acts of legislation crafted to help smaller business and grow the economy today (April 14).  Chaired by Congressman Scott Garrett, the hearing was labeled “The… Read More

April 13, 2016 @ 9:00 am By Samuel Guzik  |  

  In my last article on Crowdfund Insider, entitled: “JOBS Act Crowdfunding Begins on May 16, 2016: Don’t Get Busted for Solicitation!,” I warned of one of the hidden dangers for companies embarking on a Title III equity crowdfunding campaign – which goes live on… Read More

April 12, 2016 @ 10:37 am By David Snitkof  |  

  If you walk into any Whole Foods Market, you’ll see a stunning variety of produce — fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, bread and cheese — meticulously arranged, designed to inspire your appetite with their bounty. Look closely, and you’ll notice that some of… Read More

April 11, 2016 @ 9:04 am By JD Alois  |  

Equity crowdfunding platform Growthdeck is highlighting the importance of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, two tax benefits to encourage individuals to invest in small companies.  In a company statement, Growthdeck said that the success of the UK’s crowdfunding industry has… Read More

April 10, 2016 @ 6:51 am By JD Alois  |  

  As lending and other banking services migrate to online services rather than brick and mortar locations, startups and established financial service companies alike are seeking help in making the transition to internet finance.  Cloud Lending is one of the companies aiding in this transition… Read More

April 9, 2016 @ 12:16 pm By Oscar Jofre  |  

  I’ve spent a lot of time in the UK lately, and it’s been on my mind even more.  I was just there for the AltFi Europe Summit, and for the launch of The World’s First Fintech Book, and while I learned plenty, what sticks… Read More

April 8, 2016 @ 1:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House Financial Services Committee, chaired by Representative Hensarling, has scheduled a hearing for Thursday, April 14, at 10AM, for a Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee gathering to examine four different legislative proposals designed to improve and promote capital formation.  The Committee has… Read More

April 7, 2016 @ 10:05 pm By Frederick D. Lipman  |  

It would be an exaggeration to say that the SEC purposely sabotaged the Jobs Act, a rare bipartisan law adopted by Congress in 2012 in light of an almost 10% unemployment rate.  It would be more accurate to say that the SEC, purportedly in the… Read More

April 7, 2016 @ 2:50 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Crowdfunder now provides unprecedented access — for both experienced institutional investors and everyday investors — to early-stage deals from many of Silicon Valley’s leading VC firms.  Crowdfunder has launched a VC Index Fund which co-invests with a select list of leading VCs (the Index), investing $100,000 per deal… Read More

April 6, 2016 @ 3:01 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

As many of you know there is a heated ongoing debate as to whether the current definition of “accredited investor” should be revised and, if so, how it should be revised. The overwhelming majority of recent articles, and even proposed legislation, surrounding this topic focus… Read More

April 6, 2016 @ 11:28 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK peer-to-peer (P2P) lending industry has been waiting for this day for quite some time. The Innovative Finance ISA (IF ISA) is now available to savers across the country representing a new investment option promoted as driving superior risk adjusted returns for investors.  With… Read More

April 5, 2016 @ 2:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

  Four years ago today the JOBS Act of 2012 was signed into law by President Obama. The event was attended by a bipartisan group of both elected officials and industry advocates as Democrats and Republicans agreed on the noble legislative mission.  The much-heralded law… Read More

April 5, 2016 @ 11:35 am By Jodi Avergun and Colleen Kukowski  |  

  “Silicon Valley is coming.  There are hundreds of startups with a lot of brains and money working on various alternatives to traditional banking.” This warning came not from a pundit or Silicon Valley lobbyist, but from Jamie Dimon, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer… Read More

April 4, 2016 @ 10:33 am By Anthony Zeoli  |  

A new Bill (H.R. 4831) was recently introduced by Representative J. French Hill which looks to amend the rules of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”) concerning  “subchapter S” qualified corporations (“S Corps”), and the limited number of permitted S Corp shareholders, to… Read More