Exclusive Interview

Monevo CEO Shares How To Get Better Leads from Publishers

It should be no surprise to the Toaster community that TransUnion is making moves in the direct-to-consumer credit space. Especially with their planned acquisition of Monevo, a fintech platform that connects lenders with publishers to distribute pre-qualified credit offers, and then their announcement of a strategic partnership with Credit Sesame.

On The Free Toaster Podcast, Carlos Caro spoke with Monevo's CEO, Greg Cox. They discussed how the platform helps lenders efficiently target customers using data from multiple credit bureaus, including TransUnion.

With the planned acquisition, TransUnion aims to expand into new verticals like auto loans and deepen its presence in the U.S. credit card market, partnering with major banks like U.S. Bank and other Fortune 500 lenders.

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Taktile Secures $54M to Enable AI Adoption for Decision Making in Financial Services

Taktile, an AI-powered decision automation platform, raised $54 million in a Series B round, bringing its total funding to $79 million. The company helps financial institutions and fintech firms like Mercury, Kueski, and Allianz optimize risk management with AI-driven workflows. In 2024, Taktile quadrupled its customer base and grew ARR by over 3.5x, proving its role in high-stakes decision-making. The fresh funding will fuel further expansion as Taktile continues to streamline credit underwriting, fraud detection, and compliance processes. [Index Ventures]

Additional reading: Index’s writeup on their $20M series A in 2022

MoneyLion Reports 2024 Results, $9.1M in Net Income (from $45M loss in 2023)

MoneyLion, a digital finance platform, closed out 2024 with record revenue of $546 million, up 29% year-over-year, and a net income of $9.1 million, marking a sharp turnaround from a $45.2 million loss in 2023. Adjusted EBITDA nearly doubled to $92 million, with strong customer and product growth—20.4 million customers and 34.1 million products, both up over 45%. Loan originations also jumped 38% to $3.1 billion for the year. Meanwhile, Gen Digital is set to acquire MoneyLion in a deal expected to close between April and September 2025. [MoneyLion]

Neobank Dave outperforms expectations in Q4 earnings

Dave beat expectations in Q4, reporting $33 million in adjusted EBITDA—well above the $19.1 million analysts expected and more than tripling last year’s $10 million. The neobank, founded in 2017, grew by offering interest-free cash advances through its ExtraCash product, using an AI-based underwriting model called CashAI to assess eligibility based on income, bank balances, and spending habits instead of traditional credit scores. Revenue jumped 38% to $101 million, fueled by a 16% membership increase to 12.1 million users. ExtraCash originations were up 44% year-over-year, and the company revamped its fee structure to drive further growth. Despite strong results, Dave’s stock fell 4.1% as broader market concerns weighed on fintech stocks. [American Banker]

PayPal lays out strategy for Venmo to reach $2 billion in revenue in 2027

PayPal is betting big on Venmo, aiming to push its revenue past $2 billion by 2027 by making it the “go-to money movement app.” The payments giant plans to drive in-store and online spending, boost merchant adoption, and keep more funds circulating within Venmo to compete with Cash App, Zelle, and Apple Pay. With monetized monthly active users up 24% in 2024, PayPal is focusing on expanding Venmo’s debit card and “Pay With Venmo” features, which are expected to grow at over 20% and 40% annual rates, respectively. CEO Alex Chriss sees this as a key part of PayPal’s turnaround, despite stock struggles in early 2025. [CNBC]

Predicting Credit Card Delinquency Rates

The Federal Reserve analyzed rising credit card delinquency rates and found that they’ve climbed 125 basis points since early 2023, largely due to increased lending to riskier borrowers and higher debt levels. Using a model based on interest rates, unemployment, credit card debt, and bank lending standards, researchers predicted a 120-basis-point rise—closely matching actual data. However, the model underestimated delinquency levels, possibly due to pandemic-era "credit score migration," which temporarily boosted consumer credit scores without improving underlying financial health. The report also notes that delinquency rates could continue to climb if borrowers accumulate more debt or the broader economy weakens—through rising unemployment or tighter credit conditions. [The Federal Reserve]

Union Credit to Deliver Credit Union Offers in the Experian App

Union Credit is bringing credit unions into the Experian app, allowing its 70 million users to browse and accept pre-approved financing offers from credit unions for the first time. The marketplace, which connects credit unions with creditworthy consumers at the point of purchase, now integrates with Experian’s financial tools, giving credit unions a way to compete with traditional banks and fintech lenders. This partnership aims to expand access to affordable financing while strengthening consumer-credit union relationships. Union Credit’s CEO, Dave Buerger, called it a “milestone” for credit unions looking to attract new borrowers. [Business Wire]

MoneyLion Case Stands while CFPB Dismises Many Others. Union Fights to Keep CFPB.

Russell Vought, acting director of the CFPB, chose to continue a 2022 enforcement action against fintech lender MoneyLion, accused of charging military service members illegally high interest rates and trapping borrowers in costly memberships. However, he has abruptly dismissed eight other cases against financial institutions, including TransUnion, Capital One, Rocket Homes, and Zelle, reversing previous allegations of deceptive consumer practices. These dismissals follow the controversial firing of former Director Rohit Chopra and align with the broader Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency efforts to weaken or dismantle the CFPB. The National Treasury Employees Union and several states are challenging these actions in court, arguing they constitute an illegal attempt to terminate an agency established by Congress.

[US CFPB drops enforcement action against TransUnion, Case against MoneyLion stands]
[CFPB's union says the bureau is being illegally dismantled]
[CFPB dismisses Rocket, Vanderbilt Mortgage lawsuits]
[Capital One Says CFPB Dropped Enforcement Action]
[CFPB dismisses lawsuit against Zelle and three big banks]