Funding Circle joins CFSI

At Funding Circle, we’re on a mission to build a better financial world. That’s why we’re proud to announce we’ve become a Financial Health Network Member of the Center for Financial Services Innovation.

Since 2004, CFSI has worked to improve the financial health of Americans, especially the underserved, by shaping a robust and innovative financial services marketplace with increased access to higher quality products and practices. They’ve done this through research, advocacy, investment, and partnerships with a network of likeminded providers across the financial services industry.

Across the country, many still fall through the cracks of the financial system and as a result their financial health suffers. They face obstacles related to income volatility, financial planning, budgeting, access to affordable credit, and more — and while this is acute for individuals, small business owners are just as affected. According to CFSI research, half of all small businesses hold a cash buffer of less than one month, and 44 percent struggle with access to credit or capital to expand.

At Funding Circle, we share CFSI’s vision for leveraging innovation to help to alleviate these systemic issues. That’s part of why we’ve created a platform powered by cutting-edge technology to do a very old thing — connect businesses looking to grow with investors who want to lend — in a totally new way. This gives small businesses the same opportunities as big businesses to invest in their own growth, resulting in a better deal for everyone.

We think the traditional financial system is plagued by opaque practices, so we’ve made a commitment to transparency as a cornerstone of our business. This includes making a quick, honest decision in as few as 24 hours when you apply for a business loan. It also includes ensuring business owners understand the real cost of their loans, and only charging a one-time, upfront origination fee if you choose to accept our loan offer.

In fact, we partnered with other industry leaders to author the first-ever gold standard for transparent and responsible business lending in America: the Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights. Outlining six key rights the Responsible Business Lending Coalition believes all small business borrowers deserve, it was designed to foster greater transparency and accountability across the small business lending sector.

We look forward to continuing our efforts in collaboration with CFSI. Learn more about their work at http://cfsinnovation.org.

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