Self Lender, Inc., a financial technology start-up that helps consumers establish credit history and gain access to mainstream financial products, has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Austin Capital Bank.
Austin Capital Bank, a Texas community bank formed in 2006, was ranked the sixth best performing bank in the nation last year for c-corp banks under $75 million in assets according to the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA).
In May, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report indicating that 45 million American adults neither have a credit history nor a credit score due to a lack of furnished data available to the credit bureaus.
The partnership between Self Lender and Austin Capital Bank will allow Self Lender to market credit builder loans, originated by Austin Capital Bank, to financially underserved and credit-thin American adults nationwide. Credit builder loans are typically used as an alternative, but effective way for consumers to establish credit history for the first time. “We are very excited about the opportunity to work with one of the best performing community banks in the country, and be able to market credit builder loans to consumers nationwide,” said James Garvey of San Francisco, CEO and co-founder of Self Lender.
Garvey made the partnership announcement June 17 at Techstars Austin Demo Day at the Austin Music Theatre. Self Lender, based in Texas, was selected among 900 applicants to join Techstars, an early stage startup accelerator that empowers entrepreneurs to bring new technologies to market. “Austin Capital Bank is excited to be able to offer credit builder loans to help financially underserved, and underbanked consumers establish credit history,” said Erik Beguin, CEO and President of Austin Capital Bank. “The marketing partnership with Self Lender has the potential to help many people establish credit history for the first time.”