OppFi Announces Agreement with Brightside to Leverage Payroll Deduction for Non-Prime Borrowers

Rhea-AI Summary

OppFi has partnered with Brightside to launch SalaryTap, a small dollar installment loan product aimed at non-prime borrowers, offering amounts from $2,000 to $6,000 with prime rates. The loans are repaid through payroll deductions with no hidden fees, demonstrating a commitment to transparency. This partnership marks the first public step in SalaryTap's rollout, targeting various industries and aiming to assist consumers previously excluded from traditional credit options. A national launch is anticipated in Q2 2021, following successful pilot programs.

Positive

• Launch of SalaryTap, aiming to support non-prime borrowers.
• Partnership with Brightside allows access to thousands of consumers.
• Loans designed for affordability based on borrowers' income.

Negative

• Risks associated with the proposed business combination with FGNA.
• Uncertainty around regulatory approvals could hinder the business combination.
• Potential delays due to COVID-19 impact.

CHICAGO, March 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --  Opportunity Financial, LLC ("OppFi"), a leading financial technology platform that powers banks to help the everyday consumer gain access to credit, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with financial care platform Brightside to provide small dollar loans to non-prime borrowers at prime rates via OppFi's new loan product, SalaryTap.

SalaryTap is a multiyear small dollar installment loan product offered through employers that ranges from $2,000 to $6,000, extending prime pricing to non-prime consumers, and is repaid via payroll deduction. The product is fully transparent with no additional fees or charges levied on borrowers, and loan amounts are based on each borrower's income as a means of assessing loan affordability.

The agreement with Brightside is the first publicly announced arrangement for SalaryTap as OppFi expands this offering to a growing number of employers and distribution channels. Through this arrangement, OppFi believes SalaryTap will directly reach thousands of consumers working in industries ranging from healthcare and telecom to retail and manufacturing.

"We are excited to work with Brightside to expand access to credit for the everyday consumer with products that support our mission to build financial inclusion," said Jared Kaplan, chief executive officer of OppFi. "As we expand our offering for the 60 million consumers locked out of traditional options, we believe working with companies like Brightside will create a win-win proposition with more credit options for more consumers who need them."

"We focus on improving outcomes for working families and their employers by reducing financial stress, using a holistic and innovative Financial Care approach and a suite of partners that provide real solutions for working families." said Tom Spann, CEO of Brightside. "OppFi is creatively solving the credit access issue for those who need it most and we are proud to deliver its innovative and transparent solutions to employees via our platform."

Other early-stage SalaryTap pilots performed directly with employers have been underway since November 2020. The most common uses of funds for SalaryTap have been car repair, family needs, housing costs, and medical bills. A national roll-out for SalaryTap is planned for the second quarter of 2021.

On February 9, 2021, OppFi and FG New America Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: FGNA), a special purpose acquisition corporation, entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination that would result in OppFi becoming a public company.

About OppFi

OppFi a leading financial technology platform that powers banks to help the everyday consumer gain access to credit. Through its unwavering commitment to customer service, OppFi helps consumers who are turned away by traditional providers build a better financial path. OppFi has facilitated the issuance of more than 1.5 million loans. The company has been ranked as an Inc. 5000 company for five straight years and was named the eighth fastest-growing Chicagoland company in 2020 by Crain's Chicago Business. The company was also named on Forbes America 2021 list of America's Best Startup Employers and Built In's 2021 Best Places to Work in Chicago. The company maintains an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and maintains a 4.9/5 star rating with more than 14,000 online customer reviews, making it one of the top customer-rated financial platforms online. For more information, please visit www.oppfi.com.

About FGNA

FG New America Acquisition Corp., (NYSE: FGNA), is a NYSE-listed blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. For more information, please visit www.fgnewamerica.com.

About Brightside

Founded in 2017, Brightside is the first employer-based financial care platform to drive meaningful ROI for employers by making paychecks go farther for the 72% of Americans who are not financially healthy.¹ With a combination of expert Financial Assistants, a proprietary rules engine, and innovative financial products, Brightside delivers an average of $1,200 savings annually to each of the thousands of families it serves. In addition, employers experience improved productivity, retention, diversity, and lower healthcare costs. Brightside is backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Trinity Ventures, and Comcast Ventures.  For more information, please visit: https://www.gobrightside.com.

Contact:

media@oppfi.com

¹ https://finhealthnetwork.org/research/u-s-financial-health-pulse-2018-baseline-survey-results/

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. OppFi's actual results may differ from its beliefs, expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, OppFi's beliefs regarding SalaryTap and SalaryTap's market and performance. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside OppFi's control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the definitive business combination agreement (the "Agreement") relating to the proposed business combination between FG New America Acquisition Corp. ("FGNA") and OppFi; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against FGNA and OppFi following the announcement of the Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; (3) the inability to complete the proposed business combination, including due to failure to obtain approval of the stockholders of FGNA, certain regulatory approvals or satisfy other conditions to closing in the Agreement, including with respect to the levels of FGNA stockholder redemptions; (4) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Agreement or could otherwise cause the transaction to fail to close; (5) the impact of COVID-19 on OppFi's business or Brightside's business and/or the ability of FGNA and OppFi to complete the proposed business combination; (6) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the combined company's shares of common stock on the New York Stock Exchange following the proposed business combination; (7) the risk that the proposed business combination disrupts OppFi's current plans and operations, including with respect to SalaryTap, as a result of the announcement and consummation of the proposed business combination; (8) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of OppFi to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; (9) costs related to the proposed business combination; (10) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (11) the possibility that OppFi, Brightside or FGNA may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (12) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the proxy statement filed by FGNA, including those under "Risk Factors" included therein, and in FGNA's other filings with the SEC. The foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. OppFi cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. None of OppFi, Brightside or FGNA undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Important Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed business combination, FGNA filed a preliminary proxy statement and will file a definitive proxy statement with the SEC. FGNA's stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read the preliminary proxy statement and the amendments thereto and, when available, the definitive proxy statement and documents incorporated by reference therein filed in connection with the proposed business combination, as these materials contain important information about OppFi, FGNA and the proposed business combination. When available, the definitive proxy statement and other relevant materials for the proposed business combination will be mailed to stockholders of FGNA as of the record date established for voting on the proposed business combination. Stockholders will also be able to obtain copies of the preliminary proxy statement, the definitive proxy statement and other documents filed with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein, without charge, once available, at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: FG New America Acquisition Corp., Attention: Hassan Baqar, Chief Financial Officer, 105 S. Maple Street, Itasca, Illinois 60143.

Participants in the Solicitation

FGNA and its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from FGNA's stockholders with respect to the business combination. A list of the names of those directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in FGNA was filed in the preliminary proxy statement for the proposed business combination and is available at www.sec.gov. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants will be contained in the definitive proxy statement for the proposed business combination when available.

OppFi and its directors and executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of FGNA in connection with the business combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the proposed business combination was included in the preliminary proxy statement for the proposed business combination. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants will be contained in the definitive proxy statement for the proposed business combination when available.

Non-Solicitation

This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed business combination. This press release shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. 

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SOURCE OppFi

FAQ

What is SalaryTap and how does it work with FGNA?

SalaryTap is a new loan product by OppFi offering small dollar loans from $2,000 to $6,000 for non-prime borrowers, repaid via payroll deductions.

What does the partnership with Brightside entail?

OppFi's agreement with Brightside allows them to distribute SalaryTap loans to non-prime borrowers through employers, improving access to credit.

When is the national rollout of SalaryTap expected?

The national rollout of SalaryTap is planned for the second quarter of 2021.

What are the key features of SalaryTap loans?

SalaryTap loans offer prime rates to non-prime borrowers, are based on income for affordability, and have no additional fees.

What are the potential risks associated with OppFi's business combination with FGNA?

Risks include regulatory approval challenges, completion uncertainty, and operational disruptions from the merger.