Leadpile’s Blog

FDIC has rolled out some new programs for consumers. Some selected banks feel that low to moderate income consumers don’t have enough options. Therefore, some banks that are participating in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp programs are offering some “special” types of loans to consumers. These loans are for those that don’t necessarily have good credit (because their credit is not pulled) and are not able to get a standard type of short term loan. Wallstreet Journal Online is reporting this great news for some consumers that are not able to get quick cash and are considered “under-banked”.
Some statements that some might question are comments such as, “Fees and interest paid to payday lenders and banks for overdraft protection contribute to a larger problem for low-income individuals–those types of loans don’t help build credit scores.” Are even some banks now trying to come up with programs that compete with the payday loan, and are they really trying to find some alternative options for consumers? I guess we will never know, but the one great thing is we are seeing some alternatives being offered to our nation’s consumers that need short term cash. This is exciting for Leadpile to see, and hopes all other banks will follow.

The federal reserve has officially implemented new rules that governs the overdraft fees our nation’s banks can charge. Thursday, a ruling was imposed to make it harder for banks to add overdraft fees to customer’s accounts. Banks will now be required to have a consumer opt in for overdraft protection programs, therefore if you do not opt in for this service you will not have a transaction processed if the funds are not available. Many consumers depend on the fact that their bank will let a charge be processed on their debit card, with the assumption that they will just get charged a fee for that. Well starting in July 2010, that will not be happening. Banks will have to say bye bye to the 25 billion dollars a year in fees they collect on these sorts of transactions. No more spending money you don’t have people…. Let’s see where the banks try and make up for this cash cow loss.

Canada is no longer an out of the way market that U.S companies do not want to do business with. Many of the hot Canadian companies are all coming together to try to sell themselves. These agencies are going to be traveling around the United States to show marketers that cities like Montreal and Quebec are the ideal new hot spot for market testing. Why is this? According to adage.com, “its language barrier prevents much outside media from seeping in, and vice versa — makes it an ideal place for U.S.-based marketers to experiment with new ideas and approaches before rolling them out to wider audiences.”
Several larger companies such as MasterCard and Mazda are way ahead of the game and have been utilizing Canada as a test market for several years now, both with great success. By testing in a smaller market with a smaller budget, marketers are able to see what works and what does not with out throwing their whole budget out the door. This also allows companies to try a more “out of the box” method.
LeadPile is a head of the game when it comes to working in Canada. Currently we are generating Canadian payday leads in Ontario. We are finding great success generating leads in Ontario and have plans to expand to some of the other Canadian markets.

September was the eight month in a row that the number of home sales rose. It is common knowledge that if you are planning to buy a home, now is the time. The rock bottom house prices and low finance rates are not the only reason that there have been a month over month increase in the market. The first time home buyer tax credit programs had a large influence in the matter. This program gives up to an $8,000 tax refund to the new buyers. Originally the tax break was supposed to end the first of December, but has been extended through the end of June 2010. The plan will also now help current home owners who have lived in a home for at least five years and want to move into a larger home. These individuals will receive up to a $6,500 tax refund. In addition, the income level has also increased. In order to be eligible, a single individual now can make up to $125, 000 and a couple up to $225, 000 per year.
So will this continue to keep the housing market on the rise and help the economy? Personally, I think it could both help and hurt. If the new home owners are smart and are buying houses that are well within their budget, then the increase in sales/increase in house value will be great for the economy. However, there could be a down side. If people are rushing into buying the houses and bite off more than they can chew, they might end up realizing they can not fully afford their house purchase and the foreclosures could start happening again.
For all you eager beavers out there, just remember that prices are still expected to decrease. With the home owner tax break now extended, you can wait for prices to drop a little more and save some money. Want to know if the housing market is supposed to increase or decrease in value where you live? Check out this link from CNNMoney.com

We all know that there are great deals to be had in automotive market right now. Many car dealers are willing to cut their prices and haggle much more than in the past. So buying a new car as a steal should be simple, right? Car dealers may be willing to work with you on price, but when it comes to giving you a loan, not so much.
Unless you are very money savvy or have a great job, buying a car with cash is not always possible. This day in age it is very common for the majority of people to take out a car loan and finance their car. With the market how it is, getting a car loan can be easier said than done. Its not that lenders do not want to give out loans, they are just being much more picky on who they will approve. Also, interest rates are very high at the moment and your credit can make a difference on if you are approved and what interest rate you receive. According to U.S.News, when trying to finance or get a loan for your new car there are a few key facts you should know.
1. Basics of Car Loans – know that you will have to pay an interest rate which includes principal and interest.
2. Car Loan Term – This is the amount of time that you have agreed on to pay the lender back. The car is not yours until you pay back the WHOLE loan and interest.
3. Credit Score – As stated above, interest rate is normally based on an individuals credit score. Usually, the lower the credit score the higher the interest rate.
4. Apply Several Times – Consumers normally apply to several different companies to get their loans. This will give you a better chance to get a loan that suits your exact needs.
At the end of the day it is by no means impossible to get a auto finance loans. LeadPile is also here to help. We match up consumers and lenders who meet each others needs. Hopefully, this helped you realize that with the right knowledge and steps, buying a new car with great financing is not as far out of reach as you may think.

In recent news, there are new payday lending laws in British Coumbia Canada. With these new regulations there are caps on interest rates and rules prohibiting predatory lending.

B.C.’s Business Practices and Consumer Protection (Payday Loans) Amendment Act and the Payday Loans regulation prohibit lenders, including phone and Internet lenders, from:

· Practices that unreasonably increase the borrower’s debt load, including rollovers that require borrowers to pay significant extra fees for extending the time to pay a loan.

· Requesting an assignment of wages, or collecting from a borrower’s employer.

· Operating unless licensed by Consumer Protection B.C.

Leadpile Lead Exchange has recently started generating payday loan leads in Canada, and is very much concerned with any legislation that is going on there. Just like US payday loans, we know that payday loans can be a much needed loan for many consumers. We will continue to try and match these consumers that need these short term loans, with those that can provide it to the consumer.

OLA (Online Lenders Alliance) is an organization that has been around since 2005 representing the online lending industry. Leadpile is a proud sponsor at this year’s fall conference in Colorado Springs, CO. Attending and sponsoring such an event, allows us to be amongst others that are working on initiatives to help build the payday loan industry in a positive manner. This upcoming conference will be a great opportunity for Leadpile to meet with those that we are working with now, and those that we can potentially team up with in the near future. We look forward to meeting everyone at the conference!

Many banks are following in the footsteps of Bank of America, by offering free services that will not only help consumers save money, but learn to manage and understand their finances. When Bank of America first rolled out their “Keep The Change” program, it was a huge hit. It not only helped consumers save money effortlessly, but it also brought new customers into the bank. Banks such as Citi Bank offered incentive programs such as a referral bonus, and TD Bank now lets consumers deposit checks from home just by scanning it.
It is great that banks are offering several incentives to their customers, but is that enough? Customers do not just want incentives, they want to know their finances. Banks are well aware that many customers are much more involved in their finances now then a few years ago. With interests rates and fees skyrocketing, it makes sense the people want to micro manage their accounts to avoid penalties. Many banks are also offering better customer services and are making sure the customer knows exactly what they are signing (for example, Bank of America came out with the one pager “Clarity Commitment” form). It is great that banks are doing everything that they can to keep their customers and not hide any information from them. Banks know that their customers are much more knowledgeable about their finance today and instead of trying to make more hidden terms, they are embracing it and accommodating to their needs. This is great news for the future of the customers and the trust they have with where their money is being help. Hopefully other financial institutions begin to follow this trend!

Till the season to be jolly….. Payday loan season has arrived. Networks, lenders and all those that are in the payday loan industry are fast approaching the busiest period of the year. The need for a payday loan becomes more and more in demand during the holidays, because people need to take out a quick short term loan to get things such as Christmas gifts.


Leadpile is proactively trying to keep up with the demand of the payday loan lead buyers/lenders, and the publishers that are requesting more resources to generate these leads. We are happy to introduce some pre pop sites (www.1500check.com AND www.uscashapproval.com) which makes the user experience much better when it comes to filling out the required information, and some new Microclick iForms for publishers to place on their websites. These are a great addition to the Microclick forms, ads, banners and landing sites we have available for our publishers.
Till the season to be jolly! Let’s talk payday loans!!!!

Going a day or two without hearing something on the news about our unemployment rate or consumers buried in credit, has not really happened lately. So it really was not a surprise for me to see MSNBC.com reporting that, in the month of September, there were almost 125,000 bankruptcy filings. This is one of the highest months ever, since the bankruptcy laws had changed back in 2005. We are all waiting to see if the housing market is really starting to become more stable, and this then could help us to see this bankruptcy filing statistic go down, not up. It’s like a domino effect, once the housing market truly becomes stable, more people will hopefully be keeping their jobs because our nation’s consumers will begin to feel okay to spend money to keep our businesses open.
Leadpile will continue to monitor the legal industry, and will continue to try and connect some of these consumers needing legal help. Sometimes it is not a matter of filing bankruptcy, but just a case where someone needs to be connected with someone that can give them some much needed advice. Leadpile is generating bankruptcy leads, and will continue to do this as long as there is a need for these consumers to get help online.

We all know there has been legislation going on with the payday loan industry, however it still does not take away the fact that consumers still need short term loans. If consumers still need a short term loan, like a payday loan or installment loan, then what are they supposed to do if these types of loans are banned in their states? WTAM.com is reporting that in the state of OH they are still struggling with consumers needing loans, but the loans are facing tough scrutiny.
Leadpile Lead Exchange recognizes that there are some state restrictions going on with this industry, but if there is going to be tough regulations, then shouldn’t there be some other type of short term loan that the consumers can look at taking out? If there is one door closing on the consumers, then there needs to be some other options available. What should be the available option to them? Ohio sounds like it might have a challenge on it’s hand to try and figure that out.

Many conversations recently have involved payday loans and how they are just not right for consumers, yet articles like this one today make you think that maybe a payday loan is not really a “bad” option for a consumer. With this recent news that banks are under fire for the insane overdraft fees they charge consumers, payday loans are looking pretty good right now. Banks are projected to be generating up to $38.5 billion dollars in fees being charged to our nation’s bank customers. Congress is not liking this, and is looking at cracking down on all the banks that are charging these fees. What appears to be happening is consumers are using their debit cards and not having enough funds to make the purchase, yet the banks allow the transaction to take place and then charge the large overdraft fee. Maybe banks should not allow these sorts of transaction to take place, which in turn are getting the consumers more and more in debt?