Affiliate Marketing For Lenders
This Podcast is for consumer lenders who want to grow their affiliate marketing programs. It’s hosted by Carlos Caro, a successful marketing agency founder and former fintech executive. Prior to founding New Market Growth, Carlos was a General Manager and Head Of Business Development at Credit Karma, Head of Customer Acquisition at Caribou, and a former leader in Capital One’s credit card business. NMG focuses on helping lenders build and optimize affiliate programs, and Carlos is here to share how to do it yourself. Subscribe to this Podcast to hear from Carlos and other industry leaders as they demystify what it takes to win the affiliate marketing game.
Listen on:
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 29, 2025
Wednesday Oct 29, 2025
I was recently a guest on another Podcast, and the host asked me a question about what will happen to publishers' organic traffic that disappeared with the recent Google / SEO changes.
That question led me into a bit of a tangent / rabbit hole (I'll republish that episode here when it goes live in December), and today I share some of my updated thoughts after having an evening to reflect on the conversation.
PS: If you want to sponsor our Podcast in 2026, now's the time to get in touch. Email me at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
*****
A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:
Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!
https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=oct
A word from our sponsor, Fintel Connect
Drive thousands of new accounts and billions in deposits with the only partner marketing solution built for fintech and banking – your all-in-one affiliate platform, partner network, agency, and marketing compliance engine.
https://partner.fintelconnect.com/get-to-know-fintel-connect?utm_campaign=13897733-2025%20Partners&utm_source=The%20Free%20Toaster&utm_medium=podcast
A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:
New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others.Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators.If you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter:www.thefreetoaster.com/
Thursday Oct 16, 2025
Thursday Oct 16, 2025
Alana Levine, Chief Revenue Officer at Fintel Connect, returns to break down the compliance challenges that affiliate marketers face. As AI reshapes the affiliate landscape, financial institutions face mounting pressure to get compliance right—or face serious consequences.
In this episode, Alana shares her framework for managing affiliate compliance at scale, the real-world costs of getting it wrong, and how the rise of influencer marketing and LLMs is creating additional complexity for the next 12-24 months.
We discuss...
The Six Compliance Blind Spots
Partner vetting: Creating systematic rules for who represents your brand
Content accuracy: Managing product changes across dozens of live campaigns
Compensation models: Understanding regulatory limitations on affiliate payments
Disclosures: FTC requirements and commercial relationship transparency
Data capture: Navigating GDPR, CCPA, and FCC lead buying rules
Audit readiness: Maintaining documentation for regulator reviews
Managing Compliance at Scale
Manual workflows vs. automated solutions: When to invest
Key players: PerformLine, BrandVerity, Fides, Red Marker, Fintel Check
Cost reality: ~$100K for dedicated compliance support at $1M affiliate spend
Real examples of tools catching violations before regulators notice
Publisher Adaptation and the Future
SEO traffic down 30% for content-heavy publishers
Why paid replacement traffic is more expensive and lower converting
Alana's prediction: Affiliate spend will increase, quality will improve
*****
About Alana Levine
Alana is the Chief Revenue Officer at Fintel Connect, an award-winning performance marketing technology company dedicated to driving growth in the fintech, banking and insurance space.They're on a mission to create greater transparency and become the place to be for innovative fintechs and banks to connect with targeted influencers and publishers in the space. As a leading banking and fintech affiliate network in North America, Fintel is proud to power the affiliate programs for partners like Scotiabank, Tangerine Bank, Ramp, Rho, BMO, and others.
*****
A word from our sponsor, Fintel Connect
Drive thousands of new accounts and billions in deposits with the only partner marketing solution built for fintech and banking – your all-in-one affiliate platform, partner network, agency, and marketing compliance engine.
https://partner.fintelconnect.com/get-to-know-fintel-connect?utm_campaign=13897733-2025%20Partners&utm_source=The%20Free%20Toaster&utm_medium=podcast
A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:
Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!
https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=oct
A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:
New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others.Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators.If you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter:www.thefreetoaster.com/
Friday Sep 26, 2025
Friday Sep 26, 2025
We've all heard the rumors around SEO traffic drying up for publishers. Today I riff on what's going on, why it's happening, and what lenders should be doing about it.This is a supplement to something I recently published on The Free Toaster Newsletter.https://www.thefreetoaster.com/p/the-seo-apocalypse-has-arrived-9812*****
A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:
Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!
https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sep
A word from our sponsor, Fintel Connect
Drive thousands of new accounts and billions in deposits with the only partner marketing solution built for fintech and banking – your all-in-one affiliate platform, partner network, agency, and marketing compliance engine.
https://partner.fintelconnect.com/get-to-know-fintel-connect?utm_campaign=13897733-2025%20Partners&utm_source=The%20Free%20Toaster&utm_medium=podcast
A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:
New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others.Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators.
www.newmarketgrowth.comIf you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter:www.thefreetoaster.com/
Monday Aug 25, 2025
Monday Aug 25, 2025
We explore how fintech lenders could revolutionize customer acquisition by partnering with AI-powered finfluencers, alleviating current concentration in affiliate marketplaces.
Key Topics
The Current Problem: 30-70% of fintech lender volume comes from affiliate marketplaces, creating concentration risk. Lenders spend $4B-$6B annually on affiliate marketing but lack control over rankings and algorithms.
The Finfluencer Opportunity: Top creators are severely under-monetizing. Vivian Tu (Your Rich BFF) made $3MM from 5MM followers—just $0.60 per audience member. Credit Karma generates $12.31 per member. At Credit Karma rates, Vivian could earn $61.5MM annually.
The AI Revolution: Digital twins will allow Finfluencers to scale 1:1 advice 24/7. These AI assistants will answer questions in the creator's voice, recommend products, and handle compliant application handoffs. The AI chatbot market is exploding from $14B (2025) to $47B (2029).
Why This Will Happen: Consumers already trust AI for 80% of customer service interactions. Lenders historically resist new channels (internet applications, mobile banking, social ads) before eventually adopting them.
Key Stats
$6.50 return for every $1 spent on influencer marketing
Only 13% of influencers earn over $100K annually
AI could save financial services $80B in customer service costs by 2026
The Bottom Line
A platform will emerge where Finfluencers launch always-on AI assistants with seamless affiliate integration. Early-mover lenders who master compliance will create an edge while more conservation competitors remain skeptical.
Action Items for Lenders
Monitor top finfluencers in your category
Start small influencer experiments now
Prep compliance teams for AI + social media
Identify potential platform partnerships
Read the article in our Newsletter:https://www.thefreetoaster.com/p/the-ai-finfluencers-are-coming-dc2a
*****
A word from our sponsor, Fintel Connect
Drive thousands of new accounts and billions in deposits with the only partner marketing solution built for fintech and banking – your all-in-one affiliate platform, partner network, agency, and marketing compliance engine.
https://partner.fintelconnect.com/get-to-know-fintel-connect?utm_campaign=13897733-2025%20Partners&utm_source=The%20Free%20Toaster&utm_medium=podcast
A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:
Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!
https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=aug
A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:
New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others.Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators.If you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter:www.thefreetoaster.com/
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
We sit down with Alana Levine, Chief Revenue Officer at Fintel Connect, to uncover what financial institutions get wrong when launching affiliate marketing programs—and more importantly, how to get it right from day one.
As someone who lives in the trenches and is often the first call when lenders want to activate the affiliate channel, Alana shares her unfiltered pre-launch checklist and the hard-won insights that can save months of frustration and wasted budget.
We discuss...
The Strategic Foundation
Why geographic reach can make or break your affiliate program
The "me too" product problem and how to overcome it
Application experience as everyone's shared challenge
Budget reality check: Why $50k is the healthy starting point
Setting realistic CPA expectations (especially for fintechs)
Operational Requirements
The critical role of existing digital marketing experience
Why your current application page won't work for affiliate traffic
Tracking and attribution: The technical foundation that publishers demand
Written publisher guidelines as legal and risk management tools
Performance reporting beyond basic conversion tracking
Common Pitfalls
The biggest stumbling block: Defining success metrics clearly
Why volume, quality, and channel contribution all matter
How to test your success criteria with external parties
Timeline and Commitment
The 6-month minimum commitment reality
Month-by-month breakdown of the typical program journey
Why 18-24 months is the real timeline for hitting potential
Understanding the "zero to one feels like an eternity" phase
Industry Context
The massive scale of affiliate marketing in financial services
How top fintech lenders achieve 45%+ acquisition through affiliates
The $4B-$6B annual spend opportunity in consumer lending
*****
About Alana Levine
Alana is the Chief Revenue Officer at Fintel Connect, an award-winning performance marketing technology company dedicated to driving growth in the fintech, banking and insurance space.They're on a mission to create greater transparency and become the place to be for innovative fintechs and banks to connect with targeted influencers and publishers in the space. As a leading banking and fintech affiliate network in North America, Fintel is proud to power the affiliate programs for partners like Scotiabank, Tangerine Bank, EQ Bank, Borrowell and others.
*****
A word from our sponsor, Fintel Connect
Drive thousands of new accounts and billions in deposits with the only partner marketing solution built for fintech and banking – your all-in-one affiliate platform, partner network, agency, and marketing compliance engine.
https://partner.fintelconnect.com/get-to-know-fintel-connect?utm_campaign=13897733-2025%20Partners&utm_source=The%20Free%20Toaster&utm_medium=podcast
A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:
Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!
https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=aug
A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:
New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others.Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators.If you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter:www.thefreetoaster.com/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction and Today's Topic
(06:20) Optimizing Landing Pages for Better Conversions
(11:59) Co-Branding and Its Impact
(18:20) Tracking and Reporting Standards
(26:44) Setting Up Publisher Terms and Conditions
(33:08) Client Spending Spectrum
(38:08) Publisher Performance and Success Metrics
(45:07) Setting Clear Expectations and Timeframes
(56:36) The Importance of Dedicated Staff
(01:04:50) Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Wednesday Jul 30, 2025
Wednesday Jul 30, 2025
We sit down with Kirill Klokov, CEO of Truv, to break down everything lenders need to know about income verification providers.
Vetting Income Verification Vendors
Why most providers use the same underlying data sources
The power of back-testing analysis on your own data
Smart questions sophisticated lenders ask during RFPs
The Consumer Experience
Why 35% of users drop off at bank login screens
How to build a smart "waterfall" approach (spoiler: start cheap, then hit instant databases)
The messaging that actually works with borrowers
Beyond Basic Income Verification
Why a "complete product" covers W2s, gig workers, benefits, and self-employed
How payroll data beats bank data for complex income situations
The complexity of underwriting sales reps vs. salaried workers
AI's Impact on Lending
How AI is eliminating manual QA and bug fixes
Why payroll data becomes more valuable as AI-generated fraud gets better
The future of mortgage loan officers (hint: they're not going anywhere)
Truv's New Business Model
Their shift from per-transaction pricing to "pay when the loan closes"
How this aligns incentives and removes upfront risk for lenders
Find Kirill Klokov on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirillklokov/
***
A word from our sponsor, Fintel Connect
Drive thousands of new accounts and billions in deposits with the only partner marketing solution built for fintech and banking – your all-in-one affiliate platform, partner network, agency, and marketing compliance engine.
https://partner.fintelconnect.com/get-to-know-fintel-connect?utm_campaign=13897733-2025%20Partners&utm_source=The%20Free%20Toaster&utm_medium=podcast
A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:
Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!
https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=july
A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:
New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others.Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators.If you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter:www.thefreetoaster.com/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction and Greetings
(01:46) Complete Solutions for Income Verification
(04:23) Consumer Friction in Lending Applications
(08:40) Vetting Potential Partners
(22:02) New Pricing Model: Pay Per Closed Loan
(26:05) Impact of AI on Lending
(32:29) Conclusion and Contact Information
Monday Jul 14, 2025
Monday Jul 14, 2025
Rich Walker is back! After our first direct mail episode became the most popular episode on the show, we're back for round 2.
The 10 DM Pitfalls We Discuss
1. Attribution Nightmares
People get your mail, then go to Credit Karma to respond. Your CFO freaks out about "paying twice" but that's just how the channels work together. Rich breaks down holdout testing and why you need to stop thinking about this as double-paying.
2. When Campaigns Go Off The Rails
Your mail program is humming along, then suddenly a campaign tanks for no reason. 80% of the time you'll figure out what happened, but 20% you just shrug and move on. Rich walks through the diagnostic checklist and why organizations sometimes kill entire programs over one bad campaign.
3. The Unit Cost Trap
Everyone obsesses over cost per piece, but Rich explains why lowering your mail costs often means you'll spend MORE money overall (and why that's actually good).
4. Complexity Overload
You start simple, then add segments, then more segments, then product variations... suddenly only one person understands how your program works. We talk about how to dig out of this hole.
5. Testing Problems
Direct mail is expensive to test, so you're always making decisions on samples that feel too small. Rich shares the "10 small tests, pick the 3 winners" approach.
6. Model Addiction
Your response models get biased because you only mail to people who passed your last model. Universe testing is the cure, but it's a hard sell to the CFO.
7. Overthinking Non-Response
99.5% of your mail gets thrown away without being read. Stop trying to psychoanalyze why people didn't respond - most of them never saw your offer.
8. Funnel Blindness
High click-through but low conversions? That's a signal, not a failure. Your audience is telling you something - listen to them.
9. No Testing Culture
Organizations that say "we're really good at testing" usually aren't. Real testing culture means constant experimentation with the right infrastructure to support it.
10. Death by Committee
Legal needs 5 days, then compliance needs 5 days, then brand wants changes... Rich explains how to get everyone aligned without killing your cycle time.
About Rich Walker:
Rich Walker is a 35-year industry vet who’s been responsible for over 10 billion pieces of Direct Mail.
Rich has led direct marketing teams at Capital One, the Winterberry Group, Deluxe Corporation, 2nd Order Solutions, and more recently, Aven.
He also ran his own consulting shop - Pilot Performance Marketing - focused on helping lenders solve Direct Mail.
***
A word from our sponsor, Fintel Connect
Drive thousands of new accounts and billions in deposits with the only partner marketing solution built for fintech and banking – your all-in-one affiliate platform, partner network, agency, and marketing compliance engine.
https://partner.fintelconnect.com/get-to-know-fintel-connect?utm_campaign=13897733-2025%20Partners&utm_source=The%20Free%20Toaster&utm_medium=podcast
A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:
Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!
https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=june
A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:
New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others.Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators.If you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter:www.thefreetoaster.com/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction and Podcast Success
(05:15) Consumer Behavior and Validation
(11:42) Holdout Analysis and Incremental Value
(16:42) Campaign Performance and Troubleshooting
(29:15) Optimizing Unit Costs and Growth
(35:31) Understanding Buffer and Discount Rates
(39:52) Signs of Overshooting in Complexity
(46:48) Making Decisions on Small Samples
(56:08) Model Addiction and Bias
(01:04:31) Reading Too Much into Non-Response
(01:12:19) The Importance of Gross and Net Response in Direct Mail
(01:29:05) The Role of Testing in Direct Mail Campaigns
(01:35:24) Challenges in Direct Mail Approval Processes
(01:44:22) Navigating Affiliate Marketing for Lenders
(01:49:14) Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Thursday Jun 26, 2025
Thursday Jun 26, 2025
I sat down with John Henson, a fintech-savvy lawyer who formerly worked at LendingTree (both as an attorney and a general manager). He unpacks the regulatory chaos swirling around lead generation in 2025 — what’s changed, what’s still risky, and how fintech marketers can navigate it without getting burned.
In today's discussion:
The CFPB Rolled Back Rules: Credit card and personal loan lead gen just got a little more breathing room. John explains what’s safe and what’s not.
Mortgage Lead Gen Isn’t Dead: Despite RESPA, there are ways to play without federal headaches.
State Privacy Laws Are Tightening: You might be a “data broker” without knowing it — and that’s a compliance minefield.
Banks Fear AI: Rumor has is that some big banks are banning generative AI in lead gen. John weighs in on the reality.
Some Lead Gen Is Still Garbage: Learn how to spot sketchy providers before you get sued.
...and much more.
Memorable Quotes
“Everything is UDAP.” “If you don’t understand how they’re generating the leads, you’re buying problems.”“Nobody ever got fired at a bank for saying no.”
About John Henson
John Henson is a rare breed: a lawyer who understands marketing. He spent 6 years at LendingTree running lead gen and compliance, so he knows the real-world challenges fintechs face. Now, he helps companies stay out of trouble while growing smart. Follow him on LinkedIn for sharp insights.
***
A word from our sponsor, Fintel Connect
Drive thousands of new accounts and billions in deposits with the only partner marketing solution built for fintech and banking – your all-in-one affiliate platform, partner network, agency, and marketing compliance engine.
https://partner.fintelconnect.com/get-to-know-fintel-connect?utm_campaign=13897733-2025%20Partners&utm_source=The%20Free%20Toaster&utm_medium=podcast
A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:
Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!
https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=june
A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:
New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others.Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators.If you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter:www.thefreetoaster.com/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction and Greetings
(04:22) Understanding RESPA and Non-Steering Regulations
(34:59) State Privacy Laws and Data Management
(45:43) State Privacy Laws and AI Regulations
(51:24) Starting a Solo Practice
(54:48) The Role of LinkedIn in Business Growth
(01:13:56) Challenges in Legal and Compliance Content
(01:21:18) Conclusion and Contact Information
Friday Jun 13, 2025
Friday Jun 13, 2025
I explain positive and adverse selection in lending using recruiting as an analogy. If you've ever hired someone, you'll instantly understand why your channels, pricing, and process determine your loan portfolio quality.
Key Takeaways
The Big Idea: Attracting great borrowers works exactly like hiring great people.
The parallels...
1. Channel Quality
Inbound (website traffic): People actively searching, often desperate
Outbound (direct mail): Higher-quality prospects who aren't hunting
Best candidates and borrowers usually aren't usually looking
2. Price Matters
Post a $100K vs $200K director role—which gets better candidates?
Same with loans: competitive rates attract quality borrowers
Even small rate differences (12% vs 14%) shift your entire applicant mix
3. Process Friction
Complex hiring processes drive away top talent with options
Heavy loan applications do the same to good credit risks
You're left with applicants who have time and fewer alternatives
Action Items for Fintech Marketers
Audit your inbound vs outbound channel mix
Price competitively—good borrowers shop around
Streamline your application process ruthlessly
Go find great borrowers instead of waiting for them
You can find a written version of today's content in our Newsletter:https://www.thefreetoaster.com/p/positive-negative-select-in-lending
***
A word from our sponsor, Fintel Connect
Drive thousands of new accounts and billions in deposits with the only partner marketing solution built for fintech and banking – your all-in-one affiliate platform, partner network, agency, and marketing compliance engine.
https://partner.fintelconnect.com/get-to-know-fintel-connect?utm_campaign=13897733-2025%20Partners&utm_source=The%20Free%20Toaster&utm_medium=podcast
A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:
Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!
https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=june
A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:
New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others.Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators.If you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter:www.thefreetoaster.com/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction to Positive and Adverse Selection
(02:19) Pricing Strategies in Lending
(04:01) Funnel Friction and Its Impact
(06:35) Personal Stories on Price Signals
(09:38) Recap and Final Thoughts
Friday May 16, 2025
Friday May 16, 2025
I talk about a surprising case study where a lending product thrived in one affiliate marketplace but completely flopped in another. We explore the key differences between marketplaces that can dramatically impact performance and provide actionable insights for fintech marketers.
Key Insights
Don't assume success transfers between marketplaces: A product that works well with one affiliate partner may struggle with another due to fundamental marketplace differences.
Three critical marketplace variables to consider:
Algorithm differences
Competitive landscape variations
Offer presentation layer discrepancies
Strategic takeaways:
Consider designing different product versions for different channels
Expect varying unit economics across partnerships
Recognize that market share will naturally differ between platforms
*****
A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel:
Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-time credit data and seamless payment processing. Want to see it in action? Connect with their Head of Growth for a demo!
https://spinwheel.io/partner/?utm_source=freetoaster&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may
A word from our sponsor, New Market Growth:
New Market Growth helps fintech consumer lenders generate explosive growth on affiliate marketing channels like Credit Karma, Experian Marketplace, LendingTree, and others.Affiliate marketing involves marketing & credit risk expertise, and NMG's founders bring this with 21+ years of lending experience and 8+ years experience as executive affiliate operators.If you'd like help planning or implementing your affiliate marketing strategy, email us at carlos@newmarketgrowth.com
Subscribe to the Free Toaster Newsletter:www.thefreetoaster.com/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction and Overview
(02:19) Challenges in the Second Marketplace
(05:35) Analyzing the Differences
(08:05) Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned
(11:17) Conclusion and Contact Information