Matt Lopez

Travel debit card Currensea has raised over £1.7m from 760 investors in just four hours on crowdfunding platform Seedrs. Currensea initially targeted a raise of £1m at a valuation of £28.5m. The successful campaign comes after the #fintech hit 100k cardholders in March, with its money-saving app now used globally every nine seconds. Currensea says the funds raised will support future customer acquisition and continued development of its co-brand offering. James Lynn, co-founder of Currensea, comments: “Consumer appetite for travel has almost fully recovered from the pandemic and the unprecedented investor demand for Currensea demonstrates the need for a simple solution that eliminates FX fees and maximises the value of our savings." In 2022, Currensea raised over £4.5m through a Seedrs crowdfunding raise as well as VC investment from venture capitalist Blackfinch Ventures and 1818 Venture Capital. Since launch, Currensea has raised a total of £11m. #yoursuccessourbusiness

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2 tips to increase how often you get approached for relevant roles on LinkedIn ⬇: ✅ Add as many keywords to your profile as possible, you would be surprised how many Payments sales professionals don't have Payments on their LinkedIn profile and it can be causing you to lose out on loads of amazing opportunities. Recruiters use specific keywords to search for the most relevant candidates for a role, some jobs will be industry specific or will require someone who has sold in to a specific vertical so get them on your profile!! ✅ Know what role you want to be approached for and mirror your LinkedIn to be similar. I'm not saying lie about your experience but you can highlight key points which are more relevant to your desired role. These things not only make my life easier when head-hunting but will make sure you are getting approached for more desirable positions. Salt

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29 April: Market Adjusts To Negative Bank Rate Sentiment - Nationwide Building Society, the UK’s second largest lender, is increasing selected fixed rates for new borrowers by up to 0.25 percentage points from tomorrow (30 April). - Santander for Intermediaries has said it will increase its rates, available direct and through brokers, by up to 0.2 percentage points for new borrowers (purchase and remortgage), as well as for existing customers looking for a product switch fixed rate. - NatWest is increasing the cost of its two and five-year fixed-rate purchase and remortgage deals, available direct and through brokers, by up to 0.22 percentage points. - Halifax Intermediaries for Intermediaries is increasing its maximum loan to value ratio on part-repayment/ part-interest-only mortgages from 75% to 85% from tomorrow (30 April). The maximum LTV on pure interest-only loans remains at 75%. Further product and criteria updates in Forbes Advisor. Nick Mendes at broker John Charcol - Independent Mortgage Expertise said: “These latest rate rises were inevitable, following market movements and competitor repricing last week in which most high street lenders increased fixed rates.”  #johncharcol #mortgagebroker #reaction #marketcommentary #mortgagebrokers #mortgagebrokerage #mortgageindustry #mortgagerates #mortgageadvice #mortgageadvisor #fixedrate #fixedrates #mortgage #mortgagelending #mortgagebrokeruk #criteria https://lnkd.in/eJ75msYT

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🌟 Exciting News from Fintech-rec! 🌟 We just wrapped up a highly successful recruitment day for one of our top clients, seeking new Business Development Executives. We’re thrilled to announce that multiple placements were made from the event! 🎉 At Fintech-rec, we do all the leg work – from managing candidate expectations and shortlisting the best talent, to giving our clients the opportunity to see them in action for a day before making a decision. Our client couldn't be happier, expressing immense gratitude as we took all the stress out of the recruitment process. Are you on the lookout for young, ambitious future FX stars? Let's connect and discuss how Fintech-rec can deliver on your junior hiring needs. Let Fintech-Rec do the leg work for you. #RecruitmentSuccess #FintechRec #FXStars #BusinessDevelopment #FutureLeaders #JoinTheTeam

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Thanks for the incredible feedback Steve 😊 Available on the Loan Market and LMG Partner service plans, My Lead Generator is your personalised lead machine. It provides an easy-to-follow customer experience that flows into the online fact find, building the loan scenario before you pick up the phone. Integrated with the MyCRM platform, it validates and creates detailed customer profiles so you can start the conversation sooner and convert more leads. Still getting ice-cold leads with no information that you have to enter into your CRM manually? Send us a DM, and we'll show you the magic of My Lead Generator. #betterbeginshere

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Iress Completes Sale of its UK Mortgages Business Iress’ Group CEO, Marcus Price, said: “This is the fourth and largest divestment we have successfully executed under our transformation program. The net proceeds of all divestments have been used to retire debt, with our debt to leverage ratio seeing considerable improvement – paving the way for a return to maintainable dividends. As we enter the final months of our transformation program, we can already see a stronger Iress with an improved earnings profile, balance sheet strength and execution discipline priming Iress for future growth.” Harry Mitchell Andrew Dunn Matthew Holland https://lnkd.in/ehujpRMd #fintech #finance #banking #paytech #payments #fintechnews #paymentsnews

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Why does everyone want to be a Fintech Advisor? This week alone over 50 people have approached me looking for PAID Fintech Advisory roles. It has become such a common thing that I've begun to automatically assume anyone reaching out to me is looking for a paid advisory gig! 🤣 I've been questioning myself all week asking .... "Is there a hidden market where startups with no money are paying people with slightly more (and often times less) experience than the founders in exchange for advice on how to grow their startup?" I say hidden because I've never once had a client ask me to find a paid advisor unless they were about to list or had an independent board seat or Chair role to fill. Pretty much all board seats are taken by investors. So where is this message coming from that there is a market for paid advisors in Fintech startups? There are only two areas of expertise where I see any type of paid advice on a regular basis legal/compliance/regulatory or raising capital. When it comes to advice, most startups/founders have investors, mentors and peers who can and do give all the advice they need. So if your plan is to make a career getting PAID by startups to offer advice, you may want to rethink it!

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"What benefits are there to using an external recruiter?" 🤔 Below are some stats from one of our 🇩🇰 Copenhagen 🇩🇰 Clients based within the FinTech sector: 👏 2 placements since our relationship began. 👏 1.16 : 1 CV sent to 1st interview 100% offer acceptance 👏 3 : 1 1st interviews to placement 👏 With our last placement, there was a total of 23 days between the candidate’s CV being sent to an offer acceptance. Most stakeholders I work alongside mention how long it takes to recruit and finding it difficult to find the right quality of locally based profiles which can be frustrating, time and money consuming 😑 How many interviews on average do you conduct before signing the right candidate? 🤔 If you're struggling and are wondering what the bottlenecks are in your recruitment process, feel free to reach out 🤝 📩 [email protected] 📞 +45 88 74 20 85 📱 LinkedIn DMs are open

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What’s the difference? PRINCIPAL & INTEREST P&I means your payments cover both the loan amount and the interest. And this means you can gradually reduce the balance of your loan over time. INTEREST ONLY IO allows you to only pay the interest on your loan for a set period of time. This normally means your repayments are lower in the beginning, but they will increase after the set period to cover principal too, and unless you house increases in value you won’t build up any equity. If you have any questions on what’s best for you, then we recommend you reach out to a finance broker.

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✨ Update on the Interim CTO/CPTO opportunity for a FinTech Client I posted about last week ✨ I simply wanted to update the network and apologise if I've not replied or come back to you yet. For context I received over 250 applications to the advert, circa 30-40 direct LinkedIn messages/emails and countless calls. Just for this position. We all know the market is particularly challenging at the moment and it can be annoying / frustrating when you don't hear back from an application or message, etc. Especially for a top quality position, that you feel you're suitable for. Feel free to nudge me if I've not, in fact, its advice for anyone job searching at the moment. If you don't hear back from a recruiter / internal talent team. Drop them a follow up message on LinkedIn, send an email and then send a polite nudge and chase, if you still don't hear back. Don't always rely on an application as there will be other people doing what I've said, who will put them selves at the forefront of the recruiting persons mind / activities. It's also worth considering, the recruiting person may have other opportunities they're working on or in the pipeline, that you could be great for.

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You spend the whole of Sept telling the mortgage industry to simplify how they position #SecondCharge… Then witness October turn into one hell of a record month for Loan.co.uk 👌📈 Coincidence 🤷🏻‍♂️ I think not 😀 Well… maybe just a little 😉 Either way - simplify your terminology and position. Do this, and your customers will understand and thank you for it. Do this, and everyone will win. Specialist Mortgages / Second Charge etc… all sounds niche, complex, longwinded, expensive and generally not words your customers will ever want to hear. Client First 👍🏻 A big thank you to all the #MortgageBrokers switching over to our B2B case referral service. You’re on quite a journey with us! Welcome. A huge thanks to all our lender partners over the past month, especially those on the “specialist” side of lending 🫢 and an even bigger thanks to those on the #SecuredLoan side. The team here couldn’t have done it without you. There’s a lot of a BDMs out there at so many lenders that go the extra mile to support us. I won’t name you, but you know who you are 😜👌👏 Team Loan.co.uk doing what they do best. Absolutely nailed it, and remember - if you are not including Secured Loans (Second Charge Mortgages) in your advice offering, you and your clients are missing out. Advise yourself, or refer to someone that can. Pepper Money UK United Trust Bank Limited Tandem Bank Equifinance West One Loans Selina Finance Together - loans, mortgages & finance Step One Finance Limited Spring Finance Limited Evolution Money Interbridge Mortgages #SecuredLoans #debtcon #lending #mortgages #broker #advice Christopher Steele Mike Peet Samantha Cowburn Olivia Taylor Ronan McCaughley Anna Rapley Stacey Thompson Tom Garrod

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Buy now Pay Later! What's the drill? We've all seen the news this week. As regulations tighten and competition increases, what effect is this going to have on BNPL. Obviously, being able to break up payments and take the pressure off everyday living sounds great! Where is the real cost though, if you struggle to pay it back? What are your thoughts on the future of the BNPL sector in Australia? Do you think stricter regulations will ultimately benefit the consumers?

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Myth vs. Reality ⚖️ At DSL, as proud members of the Credit Services Association (CSA), we take a personal and proactive approach to debt collection. We understand that every debtor has a unique story, and we are committed to working closely with both practices and debtors to resolve issues and find practical, professional solutions for recovering owed amounts. Find out more about how we handle debt collection here 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eFcE_9mQ #veterinarypractice #veterinarydebtmanagement

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Looking to refresh your Specialist Mortgage & Loan referrals? Loan.co.uk are your answer 🤖 💪 #SecuredLoans #SecondCharge #DebtCon 𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 - [email protected] 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 - 0800 011 9562 As one of the largest specialist mortgage & loan brokers in the UK - with over 150 staff, market-leading technology and a fair fee policy that really does put your clients first. The team here at Loan.co.uk are taking everything we do so well in the direct space, and applying it to the B2B broker referral side of the market. If you're a Network, Club or Brokerage that wants to find out how we differ from other 'specialist' mortgage and loan referral partners - get in touch below and let one of our expert team show you why we're the UK's No.1 AI-Powered Loan & Mortgage Service. ✅ Secured Loans (Second Charge) ✅ Complex Mortgages ✅ Bridging / Development Finance ✅ Adverse / Debt Con / ExPats If you can't advise on it, then let us pick up the case for you. ✅ No Upfront Costs ✅ Transparency & Trust ✅ YOUR Client / No Cross-Sell ✅ Low Client Fees / Great Commission Come and see why 1000's of mortgage intermediaries already use Loan.co.uk as their preferred referral partner 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 - https://lnkd.in/eM83m6Th 𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 - [email protected] 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 - 0800 011 9562 Ronan McCaughley Stacey Thompson Tom Garrod Christopher Steele Mike Peet Anna Rapley Samantha Gore - CeMAP Loan.co.uk Limited is a credit broker and not a lender. Lender fees may apply. THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE SECURING OTHER DEBTS AGAINST YOUR HOME. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENT ON A MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER DEBT SECURED ON IT. IF YOU ARE THINKING OF CONSOLIDATING EXISTING BORROWING YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT YOU MAY BE EXTENDING THE TERMS OF THE DEBT AND INCREASING THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU REPAY.

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📣 We want to hear about companies in the mortgage intermediary industry that are making a tangible difference to social mobility in any way, shape or form 📣 Nominations are still open for our DE&I Awards – we have 6 categories recognising those making a positive impact in the mortgage intermediary industry 🏆 👉 It only takes a few minutes to submit a nomination:- https://lnkd.in/eAeE6j5i This includes the Best Social Mobility Initiative Award for companies. Does your company or company you know have an initiative promoting social mobility? 🤝 📌 What is social mobility? The UK’s Social Mobility Commission defines social mobility as when a person experiences “different life outcomes from their parents. This could mean a different income level, a different occupational class, or other differences, such as housing or education”. To be a truly inclusive, equitable and diverse industry, we must look at the disadvantage faced by individuals from certain socio-economic backgrounds and address this difference. 📌 What is a social mobility initiative? A social mobility initiative could range from an open-minded recruitment process, innovative development and progression initiatives, broader community activities, through to the overall advocacy of social mobility issues.

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Yesterday we released our H1 2024 Mortgage Lender Benchmark report. Our latest results found that overall broker satisfaction with UK mortgage lenders for the first half of the year has increased since H2 2023. 👉 Read more and download the free summary version: https://lnkd.in/eEXjkfgT #MLBH124 #SmartMoneyPeople

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A really interesting read in Mortgage Strategy about what makes a good BDM, albeit dated December. Ok, so I'm not a lender BDM, I represent a Mortgage and Protection Tech firm, but I absolutely get the frustration shared by brokers when they need a point of contact from my past life as a Mortgage intermediary. I'm always available to help you solve a problem or frustration when sourcing products for your clients, all within one sourcing system without multiple re-keying - just give me a shout! 😊 #businessdevelopment #bdm #Mortgagesourcing #xplanmortgage #XPM #mortgageadviser Mortgage Strategy

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