Tagged: perspective

December 22, 2016 @ 2:04 pm By Thomas LeTrent and Aaron Schwartz  |  

Market credibility and an emphasis on better transparency will be two key factors for marketplace lending in 2017. 2017 will be a pivotal year for the marketplace lending (MPL) space as the market will seek stabilization in both confidence and venture funding, following a challenging… Read More

December 19, 2016 @ 7:00 am By David Burton  |  

Capital formation and entrepreneurship improve economic growth, productivity and real wages. Existing securities laws impede entrepreneurial capital formation. To promote prosperity, Congress and a reconstituted Securities and Exchange Commission need to systematically reduce or eliminate state and federal regulatory barriers hindering entrepreneurs’ access to capital…. Read More

December 18, 2016 @ 6:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

During the past 15 years, the number of emerging growth companies entering the capital markets through IPOs has plummeted relative to historical norms. This trend has transcended economic cycles during that period and has hobbled U.S. job creation. In fact, by one estimate, the decline… Read More

December 17, 2016 @ 5:02 pm By Jason Best & Sherwood Neiss  |  

  Brazil has a number of similarities to the rest of the world when it comes to funding startups, small or medium enterprises (SMEs). These business owners either have to fund their businesses themselves, seek capital from close friends or family, Angels, VCs, or for… Read More

December 14, 2016 @ 4:30 pm By Barry James  |  

The time has come for crowdfunding to mature – or die, and be reabsorbed by the body politic (or should that be that body corporate). You don’t hear people talk about “the democratisation of finance” much any more. Why is that? We’ve seen growing pains… Read More

December 12, 2016 @ 4:30 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

2016 brought with it many developments in the crowdfunding industry, most notably the introduction of the long-awaited Title III crowdfunding. While admittedly not all crowdfunding legislation passed  was as influential, there have been significant strides made to improve existing securities regulations and to continue prying… Read More

December 9, 2016 @ 12:13 pm By JD Alois  |  

Gillian Roche-Saunders, a partner at the law firm of  Bates, Wells & Braithwaite in London, works with many of the largest UK alternative finance platforms in operation. She has been highly engaged with the FCA and crowdfunding / P2P platforms regarding compliance and regulatory approval. Crowdfund… Read More

December 7, 2016 @ 1:01 pm By Andreas Barthelmess  |  

Whether Amazon, Airbnb or price comparison websites: In many industries, digitalisation has shifted power to customers in the last ten years. The banking industry, however, has remained resilient against radical changes for a long time. In fact, things like digital transparency and the power of… Read More

December 6, 2016 @ 12:12 pm By Candace Klein  |  

Having just returned to the United States after six months of travel abroad, I feel generally disillusioned.  At first, I couldn’t tell if my discontent arose from the heartbreaking presidential election results; or the fact that I ended up in a new city with a… Read More

December 2, 2016 @ 3:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

Thomas Curry, Comptroller of the Currency, Officially Announces Bank Charters for Fintech In a speech delivered at Georgetown University today, Thomas Curry, Comptroller of the Currency, announced the creation of special purpose national bank charters for Fintech companies. The announcement was driven by an ongoing discussion… Read More

December 1, 2016 @ 8:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

One of the frequently touted benefits of peer to peer/marketplace lending is the heightened transparency associated with loan originations processed online.  The financial crisis of the last decade was in part fueled by the disconnect between lender and borrower. As mortgages were securitized, sliced and… Read More

November 27, 2016 @ 12:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) published a document this fall that reviewed the growing usage of Bitcoin and other digital currencies in the private sector. While acknowledging there are benefits to “virtual currencies” including lower transaction fees and faster transfer of funds… Read More

November 26, 2016 @ 11:47 am By JD Alois  |  

The Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA) was created to advocate on behalf of the small companies that greatly benefit from the progressive tax benefits given to investors in UK SMEs.  EISA works closely with HM Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs, Government Ministers, MPs and the… Read More

November 25, 2016 @ 10:25 am By JD Alois  |  

The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement contained various boosts to business including acknowledgment of the importance of early stage companies for the UK economy. Chancellor Philip Hammond stated; “By injecting an additional £400m into venture capital funds through the British Business Bank, unlocking £1… Read More

November 23, 2016 @ 11:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Lawrence Wintermeyer, CEO of Innovate Finance, welcomed Chancellor of the Exchequer,  Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement delivered to Parliament today. Wintermeyer said he was “pleased to see a focus on investment, productivity, and digital innovation”. Innovate Finance had called for the UK government to advance on… Read More

November 20, 2016 @ 5:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

As a growing number of nations around the globe embrace the potential of Fintech to provide superior services to consumers, businesses and the under-banked, one country stands out as lacking in leadership in the evolution of finance. The US has been the epicenter of financial… Read More

November 20, 2016 @ 12:07 pm By Jihoon Yeon  |  

The Amendments to the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act (the Capital Markets Act) passed the South Korean Parliament in July 2015 and went into effect on January 25th, 2016, laying the framework for investment crowdfunding in South Korea. The adoption of investment crowdfunding… Read More

November 16, 2016 @ 12:00 pm By Samuel Guzik  |  

With a new administration set to take the reins of power in the White House in January 2017, not to mention a new, Republican appointed Chair of the SEC in the offing, when it comes to the interests of small business’s access to capital, many… Read More

November 13, 2016 @ 6:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

It has been widely reported that Paul Atkins, a former SEC Commissioner and current CEO of Patomak Partners, is the point person in Donald Trump’s transition team for financial regulatory appointments. This is an encouraging sign. Atkins, a Vanderbilt Law School Grad, was an SEC… Read More

November 12, 2016 @ 3:00 pm By Kathleen Minogue  |  

If crowdfunding as a means to improve access to capital for entrepreneurs, small business owners and creatives turns out only to be an ideology, it will be the result of a lack of effective education. By my definition, crowdfunding is human beings connected and empowered… Read More