Marketplace lending

The pricing of student loans, and higher-ed degrees themselves, should have more to do with the proven earning power of a university's graduates in the eyes of some innovators. Big data could play a huge role.

The idea that restricted access to loans for poor-credit borrowers is unequivocally a bad thing is based on industry talking points that don't stand up to real-world scrutiny.

LendingClub, the online loan platform looking to restore investor confidence, is in talks with Citigroup to arrange more funding for the debts it arranges, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

The Obama administration and an independent federal banking agency are advising the Supreme Court not to review a lower-court ruling that has roiled the marketplace lending sector and caused consternation throughout much of the consumer finance industry.

During the ascension of marketplace lending, banks responded to the competitive threat in several different ways. Now some banks are better positioned than others to take advantage of the online sector's recent woes.

The nascent industry's early success will mean very little if these new companies don't take necessary steps to position themselves for the long term.

Banks and nonbanks should accept that more fintech regulation is inevitable, but how far regulators go will depend in part on how well companies demonstrate they are managing risk.

One of the country's largest online lenders is cutting jobs and shelving expansion plans in response to investors' rapid retreat from the beleaguered sector.

New York's bank regulator is investigating LendingClub Corp. over loans issued to consumers and its relationships with financial institutions, saddling the embattled company with another probe after its chief executive was forced to resign earlier this month.

Following the scandal-tinged departure of CEO Renaud Laplanche, the company is contemplating drastic steps to restore the confidence of loan buyers. Scenarios that would have been far-fetched a short time ago — such as diluting shareholders and funding loans off its own balance sheet — are now under consideration.

Prosper Marketplace Inc. has met with investors including Fortress Investment Group about potential capital injections, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

LendingClub Corp., which plunged 51 percent last week after the surprise departure of its leader and disclosure of faulty internal controls, said the scandal is prompting investors to suspend debt purchases and spurring government probes.

Too many fintech companies are selling superficial products. Entrepreneurs need to start solving hard problems and offering real value.

BancAlliance, a network of community banks that has been snapping up loans from LendingClub, is weighing whether to suspend purchases on the online platform after the company said it's overhauling internal controls.

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Digital upstarts that seemed on top of the world a few months ago have suffered a series of setbacks of late that raise questions about their long-term survival. Here's a look at the developments that have brought some once-high-flying online lenders back to earth.

Say what you will about these companies' longevity, were it not for the likes of Lending Club you wouldn't see banks like Wells Fargo introducing expedited loan products.

Questions swirling around LendingClub's leadership shakeup this week are threatening to compound a concern already weighing on its stock: Will investors keep snapping up its loans?

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said marketplace lenders might find that sources of funding evaporate during a downturn.

Key factors point to marketplace lenders rebounding from their recent setbacks and continuing their growth.