InfoBytes Blog
California DBO Seeks Information Regarding Marketplace Lending Industry
On December 11, the California Department of Business Oversight (DBO) announced an inquiry into the marketplace lending industry, requesting that 14 lenders complete an online survey to provide five-year trend data on their loan and investor funding programs. In addition, the survey requests that participating firms provide information on their business models and online platforms. Marketplace lenders market themselves as a faster, more accessible source of financing for consumers and small businesses. Due March 9, 2016, the survey responses are intended to assist the DBO assess the state’s licensing and regulatory regime of the industry by: (i) assessing the industry’s size in California and the number of consumers and businesses it affects; and (ii) understanding the various loan and investor funding programs used by marketplace lenders. In four years, the national online lending market reportedly grew from $1 billion in loans to $12 billion; analysts anticipate that by 2020, the total volume will be $122 billion.