Founders often obsess about the economics of their credit facility: the advance rate, the spread, the eligibility triggers, the covenants. And they should. These terms determine the oxygen supply for the business. But there’s another variable that rarely shows up in a spreadsheet — yet often matters far more: The quality of the lender relationship. In the early stages, many fintechs underestimate the value of a lender who is reasonable, responsive, and collaborative. But ask

In today’s world of fintech, where innovation drives competition and everyone is building cool new features, customer service remains an overlooked cornerstone of success—especially in the credit card sector. Customers today can face several fears and concerns when it comes to their credit card management: fraudulent transactions, hidden fees, poor communication, and inadequate support can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction. The implications of these issues are signific

Same form factor. Very different infrastructure. They look identical in-hand, but credit and debit cards are very different on the back end. Prepaid cards are stored value products. (The customer is spending their money.) Credit cards are revolving loans. (The customer is spending your money.) From the infrastructure to the required day-to-day management, they're entirely different products. Some vendors blur the lines in their marketing, making it seem as if you can build a

We recently worked with a fintech trying to increase the profitability of their loan product. The obvious lever: price. Lower the interest rate, increase uptake. Raise the interest rate, increase the interest income, but volume takes a hit. Econ 101. So, this lender ran tests: increasing or decreasing the interest rate 100 bps for different groups. The results were underwhelming, with customers barely responding to the new interest rates. This puts the lender in a frustrating

Credit Compass is Ensemblex’s fast, focused consulting engagement built for fintech founders, credit leaders, and lending P&L owners. In just 1.5 days onsite, we unpack your entire credit operation—originations to collections—and deliver a clear, customized roadmap for unlocking performance. It’s a high-return, low-lift engagement designed to make an immediate impact. We know your team is busy. Our onsite deep dive covers the full lending cycle, but we keep the process effici