A special-purpose acquisition company is merging with a bank as its affiliated startup still lacks its own national bank charter.

The consumer lending fintech held about one-third of its loan originations on its balance sheet and fortified its deposit base this quarter.

The Delaware bank, which is also seeking to move its headquarters to South Dakota, says a national charter will allow it to more easily expand across the country as it builds on its banking-as-a-service business model.

The Consumer Bankers Association and the Center for Responsible Lending said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should renew its efforts to level the regulatory playing field between larger bank and nonbank companies that make installment and other kinds of personal loans.

The offering touts closings in as few as 10 days and allows homebuyers to compete with deep-pocketed investors and iBuyers.

GradFin offers advisory services to Americans who want assistance with their student loans. The acquisition is part of the Cleveland bank’s strategy of adding niche digital businesses.

Consumer advocates and fintechs say the traditional credit score and lending systems that use it are murky and perpetuate bias. FICO’s leader points out that new FICO scores use expanded data sets, just as fintechs do.

The Silicon Valley fintech expects to make $1.5 billion in auto loans this year after implementing key elements needed to achieve scale, said CEO David Girouard. The expansion comes as the automotive market continues to boom.

Pagaya AI Debt Trust, 2022-1, or PAID 2022-1, will be Pagaya Structure’s first publicly rated securitization.

The new offering’s loan structure is designed to hedge against digital currency's price volatility.