LightStream is an American online lender that is a division of
Truist Bank. Truist was formed in December 2019, as the result of a “merger of equals" between
SunTrust Bank
SunTrust Banks, Inc. was an American bank holding company with SunTrust Bank as its largest subsidiary and assets of US$199 billion as of March 31, 2018. The bank's most direct corporate parent was established in 1891 in Atlanta, where it was h ...
(of which LightStream was a division) and
BB&T.
Debuting in March 2013, LightStream is a financial services technology company that provides
unsecured, personal loans to people with good
credit rating
A credit rating is an evaluation of the credit risk of a prospective debtor (an individual, a business, company or a government). It is the practice of predicting or forecasting the ability of a supposed debtor to pay back the debt or default. The ...
, through a digital process.
On April 20, Truist announced that it will fold LightStream into its broader consumer business, a move designed to reduce the costs of operating a separate brand.
Predecessor companies histories
PeopleFirst Finance LLC
PeopleFirst was established in 1995, by founders Gary Miller and Dave G. Zeller, who had backgrounds in the auto finance and banking industries. Based in San Diego, California, the company began offering direct-to-consumer auto loans through the internet in 1997. People applied online and when approved, quickly received a so-called "Blank Check" loan by mail. By 2003, PeopleFirst had grown to be the nation's largest online vehicle lender.
Capital One
Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company founded on July 21, 1994, and specializing in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts, headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, with operations primarily in the ...
purchased PeopleFirst in 2001. In 2003, the PeopleFirst brand name was changed to Capital One Auto Finance.
FirstAgain
FirstAgain was started by the founders of PeopleFirst along with W.R. (Randy) Ellspermann. Launching in 2005, FirstAgain expanded its online financing to include purposes beyond vehicle loans, giving unsecured loans for practically any purpose to consumers with excellent credit. This has since been adopted by others in the fintech industry.
SunTrust Bank
SunTrust Bank
SunTrust Banks, Inc. was an American bank holding company with SunTrust Bank as its largest subsidiary and assets of US$199 billion as of March 31, 2018. The bank's most direct corporate parent was established in 1891 in Atlanta, where it was h ...
purchased FirstAgain in 2012. It was rebranded and launched as LightStream in 2013.
References
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Financial technology companies