TSL Feature Articles
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SFNet Chapter Events Roundup
Dec 11, 2025SFNet has 18 local Chapters, offering the opportunity to connect you to the pulse of SFNet’s active communities across the country. While SFNet’s national conferences drive industry-wide dialogue, Chapter events let you dive into regional interests and challenges, providing opportunities to engage with peers who understand your market and build relationships that fuel growth. Many of SFNet’s Chapters have YoPro and NextGen groups with events throughout the year.
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Looking Back at SFNet's 81st Annual Convention in Los Angeles
Dec 11, 2025One Convention, Infinite Potential
SFNet’s Annual Convention provides unique opportunities for young professionals
The Secured Finance Network’s 81st Annual Convention, held November 11-13 in Los Angeles, provided the perfect opportunity for young professionals to accelerate their career growth. From community service events to networking opportunities to career-defining sessions, the conference boasted multiple chances for young professionals to network and learn. Here, Katherine Seghers, VP, senior accountant, Republic Business Credit, provides an event recap. -
Winter Is Coming: What We Learned About Preparing for a Cooling Economy
Dec 10, 2025A South Florida SFNet chapter event on September 17, “Winter is Coming: How to Prepare for a Cooling Economy,” was an in-depth panel presentation moderated by Chris Gouskos from Gibraltar Business Capital. The panelists shared practical ways lenders can protect their institutions and their clients as economic uncertainty builds. Together, they examined how deals are originated, managed, and, when necessary, restructured.
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The Cost of Uncertainty
Nov 24, 2025The secured lending industry has had to adjust to a series of exogenous shocks over the last two decades: the Great Financial Crisis (GFC), the COVID-19 pandemic and now fast-changing policies around tariffs and trade. The current environment presents a distinct set of challenges and risks— but many lenders appear to be fighting the last war, applying lessons learned during COVID that may prove ill-suited to this new era of uncertainty.
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The State of Lender Finance
Nov 19, 2025In a rapidly evolving financial landscape, lender finance has emerged as a dynamic and competitive sector. To gain a deeper understanding of the current trends, challenges, and priorities shaping this space, we spoke with five industry veterans: Russell Turley, first vice president, commercial banking team leader, Valley National Bank; Gen Merritt-Parikh, co-CEO, Haversine Funding; Patrick Green, SVP, head of Lender Finance, Flagstar Bank Stewart Hayes, managing director/SVP, Wells Fargo Capital Finance; and JD Gettmann, managing director, head of lender finance, MidCap Financial Services, LLC.
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AI Fraud in Lending: The Cannon at Your Gates
Nov 4, 2025Novel AI systems can circumvent existing fraud defenses at scale. New defenses are necessary to protect the safe operation of financial institutions. Lenders must act fast and adapt to new technology to avoid potentially catastrophic losses.
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Navigating Skilled Nursing Finance in 2025: A Test of Expertise
Oct 20, 2025Discover why 2025 marks a turning point for skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. This article reveals how shifting demographics, new reimbursement challenges, and operational pressures are transforming the industry’s financial landscape. -
Emerging Industries: Why Sponsor-Backed CPG Brands Are Turning To Alternative Debt More Than Ever Before
Oct 8, 2025In today’s uncertain economic climate, traditional lenders are tightening their standards, leaving high-growth consumer brands searching for flexible capital solutions. This article explores how alternative debt— asset-based lending, factoring, and purchase order financing—is emerging as a powerful complement to equity. From funding major retail orders to supporting vertical integration, discover why private credit is becoming a go-to strategy for consumer packaged goods companies seeking stability, growth, and smarter capital structures. -
The New Collateral Frontier: How Secured Finance Is Winning Over Unlikely Industries
Oct 7, 2025This article explores the transformative shift in secured finance, highlighting how industries like technology, healthcare, and media are leveraging innovative collateral and data-driven monitoring to secure funding. With rising interest rates and liquidity pressures, discover why these sectors are turning to secured finance and how lenders are adapting to meet their needs. -
Private Credit and ABL Partnerships Meet Middle-Market Challenges
Oct 1, 2025In this roundtable, executives share distinct perspectives on how asset-based lending and private credit intersect — revealing strategies that help strong businesses access capital, adapt to challenges, and continue moving forward.
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Bankruptcy Preference Risks to Secured Lenders Using Blocked Accounts: Why You Shouldn’t Sleep Comfortably at Night
Sep 29, 2025Outgoing lenders involved in payoff letters must navigate the hidden risks of preference liability, where payments may be clawed back by bankruptcy trustees. Nicolette Cohen of Buchalter explores how such risks can transform secured claims into unsecured ones and outlines key mitigation strategies to safeguard lender interests. -
Security Interests: They’re Only Half The Story
Sep 15, 2025In today’s competitive lending market, weakened loan structures and relaxed covenants have become the norm—leaving lenders with fewer safeguards when trouble arises. This article explores practical, asset-specific strategies to preserve collateral value and strengthen exit options, from inventory and receivables to real property and equity interests.
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Deep in the Heart of Texas
Sep 3, 2025Texas is quickly putting itself on the commercial finance map with recent new firms starting and a region that is clearly growing.
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Non-Loan Party Restricted Subsidiaries: A Key Pitfall
Aug 25, 2025Explore how Non-Loan Party Restricted Subsidiaries are reshaping the risk landscape for lenders. This article reveals how their EBITDA is often included in loan covenant calculations— despite not backing the debt—creating hidden vulnerabilities. Using real-world scenarios and the recent At Home transaction, it exposes the subtle, but serious, threats these subsidiaries pose, and why lenders must rethink their protections in today’s evolving market.
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Further Reflections on the Year of Elections – Where Are We Now?
Aug 20, 2025In a world where global politics and security seem to shift with every headline, understanding the forces behind today’s volatility is more crucial than ever. This article takes you inside the aftermath of 2024’s “Year of Elections,” exploring how voter pessimism, rising populism, and unpredictable leaders are redrawing the map of international risk. Discover why businesses and analysts alike must stay agile in this era of relentless change. -
Asset-based lending, or asset-backed lending? What is the difference, and why does it matter?
Jun 25, 2025The secured finance industry already knows the distinction between these two lending strategies. But these terms are often used interchangeably in public commentary, pitch materials, and industry conferences. If you are a capital allocator trying to capture the strengths of asset-based lending, or a regulator trying to understand what should be considered an asset-backed strategy, you have your work cut out for you.
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The Transformative Power of Servant Leadership in Modern Business
Discover how servant leadership is reshaping today’s business world. This article explores the core principles behind this transformative approach, shares real-world examples from top companies, and reveals why prioritizing the growth and well-being of your team can unlock extraordinary results. -
Where Are They Now? Catching up with Previous SFNet 40 Under 40 Award Winners
SFNet 40 Under 40 Award recipients share how the Award affected their careers and advice for the Class of 2025.
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5 YEARS LATER: Remote Work’s Enduring Impact on the Secured Finance Industry
Jun 9, 2025Five years after the COVID-19 lockdowns sparked a widespread shift to remote work, the secured finance industry is still exploring what “normal” looks like. In this in-depth article, leaders from across the sector share candid insights on productivity, culture, hiring, training, and communication in a post-pandemic world. From hybrid skeptics to fully remote advocates, their stories reveal the complexity—and opportunity—of evolving workplace models. -
SFNet Chapter Events Roundup
May 29, 2025SFNet has 18 local Chapters, offering the opportunity to connect you to the pulse of SFNet’s active communities across the country. While SFNet’s national conferences drive industry-wide dialogue, Chapter events let you dive into regional interests and challenges, providing opportunities to engage with peers who understand your market and build relationships that fuel growth.
Click on the link below to meet some of the “difference makers” in the secured finance community. This issue of The Secured Lender celebrates those who are having a profound impact on both their communities and their organizations.
Previous TSL Articles
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Reimagining Secured Finance: How AI and Automation Are Redefining the Industry
Mar 31, 2026
SFNet’s Reimagined: AI & Automation in Secured Finance is a new, one-day conference designed to explore how technologies are transforming asset-based lending and factoring today—and what comes next. Keynote Speaker, Nick Pericle, a technology expert and the founder of Tenexity, will have a hands-on demonstration using tools and AI prompts to help business leaders grasp and come away with real world solutions that can immediately be implemented to improve their company workflow.
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Don’t Open the Box: Takeaways from SFNet’s Supply Chain Conference
Mar 23, 2026Lessons from Fraud, Growth, and Even a Little “Green Eyeshade”
After a full and fast-paced day of sessions discussing fraud, lender diligence, and the now well-known First Brands situation, at SFNet’s Supply Chain Finance Convergence on March 3 in New York City, I couldn’t help but think about an unexpected cinematic analogy: Raiders of the Lost Ark. I do love movies, and I find it hard to believe that Raiders is now 45 years old. Goodness.
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The Power of Mentorship: A Conversation with Frank Grimaldi
Mar 2, 2026Prior to joining Gordon Brothers, Grimaldi was a vice president at Brevet Capital responsible for managing assets and originating investment opportunities. He was previously a vice president at CIT Group where he managed the commercial services workout group. At Gordon Brothers, he is responsible for developing and maintaining client relationships throughout North America.
Grimaldi will be honored with the National Jewish Health Humanitarian Award for his leadership in the community and financial industry at the National Jewish Health Financial Industries Dinner on March 3, at Cipriani in New York City. -
The Growing Impact of Supply Chain Finance: Insights from SFNet's 2025 Market Sizing Study
(Editor’s Note: As the supply chain finance landscape continues to evolve, the conversation doesn’t stop here. Continue it in person at Supply Chain Finance Convergence ’26, an SFNet event on March 3, 2026, at the Westin New York Grand Central. The authors of this article will be presenting on a panel exploring the convergence of ABL, factoring, and supply chain finance, along with the legal and risk considerations shaping the market.)
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What the Rescission of the 2013 Leveraged Lending Guidance Means
Feb 2, 2026
In December 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the FDIC withdrew the Leveraged Lending Guidance dating back to 2013. This withdrawal is a potentially significant event for banks, borrowers, and the broader credit markets. In this article, Elliot Ganz, LSTA’s head of advocacy, and Tess Virmani, LSTA’s EVP, deputy general counsel and head of Policy, discuss the background on the original guidance and the rationale for the withdrawal. They also discuss how the new principles-based supervision may reshape leveraged lending going forward.
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Immigration, Labor Markets, and Interest Rate Policy
Jan 22, 2026Talk of recession is growing, but the data tell a more complicated story. In this article, Jerry Nickelsburg—economist and adjunct professor at UCLA Anderson School of Management—examines labor market statistics, immigration policy, and history to unpack what policymakers are seeing, and whether today’s “weakness” truly warrants aggressive interest rate cuts.
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Receivables Purchase and Asset-Based Lending: Insights from First Brands: Part 2
Jan 14, 2026A lot has been written (and continues to be—proof positive right here) about the First Brands bankruptcy and its various elements. The complex debt structure of First Brands, mixed with the allegations of fraud, has led to a range of issues for lenders to consider. (EDITOR’s NOTE: SFNet’s Supply Chain Finance Convergence, which will be held in New York on March 3, will also cover recent prominent frauds as well as SFNet’s Fraud Task Force recommendations.)
Please click here to read the first part of this article, which was published in TSL Express on January 12-13, 2026. -
SFNet’s 81st Annual Conference: Innovations and Trends Shaping the Future
Dec 15, 2025SFNet’s 81st Annual Convention at the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE provided an opportunity for SFNet members to share insights on the shifting economy, swap playbooks, and begin charting what the next eighteen to twenty-four months may look like in secured finance. For lenders, advisors, attorneys, appraisers and service providers across the ecosystem, the Convention delivered what SFNet does best – networking, market intelligence and practical tools for navigating an increasingly complex environment. -
Opening Doors: How SFNet’s Guest Lecture Program Connects Students to Careers in Secured Finance
Dec 3, 2025Launched in 2019, SFNet’s Guest Lecture Program aims to educate and inspire young, diverse talent in the secured finance industry by introducing students to asset-based lending (ABL), factoring, and other secured lending disciplines.In support of this lecture series, the Secured Finance Foundation ("SFFound" or "Foundation") connects industry leaders to undergraduate and graduate finance students. Here, we sat with Jennifer Palmer, CEO, JPalmer Collective, and Sarah Walsh, credit analyst, JPalmer Collective, to discuss how SFNet’s Guest Lecture Program brought them together.
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Building the Future of Asset-Based Lending at SLR Capital Partners: An Interview with Mac Fowle and Cedric Henley
Dec 1, 2025
In October, SLR Capital Partners appointed Mac Fowle as president of Asset-Based Lending. In this newly created role, Fowle leads the expansion of SLR's ABL platform by leveraging his more than 20 years of experience in the ABL industry for U.S. middle market borrowers. Fowle reports to Michael Gross and Bruce Spohler, co-founders of SLR, and Cedric Henley, chief risk officer of Specialty Finance. Prior to joining SLR, Fowle served as global head of Asset-Based Lending for J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking, responsible for leading the ABL group and supporting client financing needs for Commercial & Investment Banking clients.
Here TSL Express sat down with Mac Fowle and Cedric Henley to discuss the new role and first priorities.
The Secured Lender
SFNet's 40 Under 40 Awards Issue
