Stewardship, a Christian charity that supports donors, churches, charities and Christian workers, in the United Kingdom, has adopted Fintech Market's core lending software to manage and improve its loan operations. After over six months of using the platform, the team shared insights into why they made the switch, how the onboarding process went, and how the system is supporting their unique lending needs.
Why Change Was Needed
Stewardship began looking for a new lending platform after encountering several limitations with their previous system. It was not cloud-based, had issues with loan calculation accuracy, and lacked a customer portal. These gaps created operational inefficiencies and restricted their ability to provide a better experience for clients.
Finding the Right Lending Software
The search for a replacement led them to Fintech Market via a software comparison site. What stood out was the platform's combination of functionality, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability. Stewardship operates with a unique lending model---not a traditional retail bank, but also not a short-term lender. They required a solution that could handle custom workflows while remaining easy to manage.
Fintech Market's Flow-based system structure allowed them to configure the platform to suit their operations, while still offering the flexibility needed for more complex requirements. According to Stewardship, early conversations with the Fintech Market team gave them confidence in the level of responsiveness and support they would receive.
Onboarding and Data Migration
The onboarding process was described as structured and responsive. Fintech Market supported Stewardship through the configuration of key workflows, data migration, and systems integration. Collaborative sessions were used to design Flows aligned with their loan products and operational rules.
Custom development needs were addressed efficiently, and the migration of data from the previous platform was handled with care. The team noted that support was always available when needed, even outside of standard business hours, and that questions were answered with a high level of accuracy and speed.
The onboarding phase also involved planning for long-term use, with attention given to how Stewardship would manage its base interest rate, update loan terms, and deliver digital access to clients via an online portal.
Results After Six Months of Use
Stewardship reports several improvements since adopting the new loan management system. The monthly loan collection process is now both faster and more reliable. Interest rate changes---previously complex and time-consuming---can now be applied across all loans in a few steps.
The loan rescheduling functionality has become an important part of client interactions. Staff can now model "what-if" scenarios with borrowers, showing different repayment options and timelines before any changes are confirmed. This has improved client communication and decision-making.
One of the most significant developments is the upcoming launch of a customer portal. Previously, clients had no direct digital access to their accounts. The new portal, built using Fintech Market's APIs, will give clients visibility into their loans and reduce administrative work for staff.
Customisation Without Vendor Lock-In
One of the key advantages Stewardship highlighted is access to the underlying analytics database. Unlike some SaaS providers who limit reporting to proprietary tools, Fintech Market gave them the flexibility to connect their own reporting solutions.
Other features such as the ability to create pixel-specific client portals and custom workflows have enabled them to work within their existing operational model while gaining the benefits of automation.
Interest rate changes, loan account creation, and other core actions are now performed more efficiently through custom Flows configured in the platform.
Conclusion
After more than six months on the platform, Stewardship is confident in its decision to move to Fintech Market.
"We would strongly encourage organisations in the lending or non-profit finance space to seriously consider Fintech Market. Considering the data migration and onboarding process, and with six months' use, we are glad we made the choice."
Grant Owens, Stewardship's Head of Enterprise Applications and Architecture
For organisations that need a flexible, modern loan management system that can support both operational efficiency and complex requirements, Fintech Market offers a platform worth evaluating.
