TSL Feature Articles
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Lending on Government Receivables and Contracts
Nov 2, 2023Government contractors’ performance and lending requirements can change with the slightest turn due to financial regulations, acts of nature and geopolitical occurrences. Knowing you are secure in lending to, or financing, government contractors starts here.
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Transportation Factoring in a Freight Recession
Oct 30, 2023Factoring for trucking companies and brokerages has skyrocketed in the last 10 years. An estimate on factoring company purchases is $90 billion annually. There are about 250,000 active for-hire carriers with 96 percent having six trucks or less. Factoring remains a necessary and viable tool for smaller carriers who have limited access to bank lines of credit or asset-based lenders. The transportation factoring company fills this void through the built-in elasticity of its offering – helping companies expand when the transportation industry is booming and sustain business when the industry is down. -
The State of Retail: How Did We Get Here and What’s on the Horizon?
Oct 25, 2023While retail data reported at the mid-summer mark pointed to a strong labor market, steady consumer spending in certain categories and retail sales up from last year for several straight months, the data only tells one side of the story. The numbers are merely inching forward, as growth across many sectors has been sluggish, if not altogether fl at. This year has unexpectedly been a mixed bag for the retail and credit market, and with continued volatility and an overall lackluster economic forecast, businesses and lenders must be prepared for any scenario.
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Staffing: An Industry with Many Facets
Oct 23, 2023In May of 2022, when the author became CEO of Access Capital, the Company already had a long history of being a leading non-bank lender to the staffing industry. In this article, written with the help of Raphael Torres, head of business development, and Jessica Sanchez, director of marketing, Terry Keating will share some thoughts about the industry that he has learned through his journey over the past 18 months. -
Navigating the Future: Exploring Opportunities in Healthcare Asset-Based Lending
Oct 17, 2023Healthcare is an industry that is constantly changing. Lenders wishing to lend into the space need to develop expertise pertaining to the unique financial needs and challenges of the sector. This article explores the opportunities to lend into this space. -
A Framework For Championing Securitization in Africa to Mobilize Capital and Drive Economic Development
Oct 12, 2023The potential of securitization to meet a range of financing needs in African markets is yet to be fully realized. -
Anatomy of a Deal: Entrepreneurial
Oct 10, 2023Joseph Heim and Jamie Franz of Culain Capital illustrate a recent deal and how being creative is critical to victory.
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Anatomy of a Deal: Participations
At Haversine Funding, we take pride in offering unique and flexible alternatives to our clients. The adaptability built into our DNA allows us to provide senior and junior lines of credit - exclusively to factors and lenders - ensuring we don’t compete with our clients.
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Anatomy of a Deal: Non-Bank ABL Solutions - Maximizing Availability and Flexibility
White Oak executives detail a complex deal that unlocked substantial liquidity for an asset-heavy borrower in a non-traditional ABL industry.
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Anatomy of a Deal: Distilling the Right Financial Solution for a Whiskey Business
Sep 26, 2023In 2020, companies across the globe experienced challenges that had previously only been hypothetical scenarios posed by business school professors. Fast forward to 2023: taking their learnings from the unprecedented events of 2020, businesses are exploring capital preservation and unique, flexible financial solutions that will support their company through the next economic challenge. Throughout this article, we will walk through how Wells Fargo completed a transaction for a new customer, working to find a solution suited to fit their needs in a unique and dynamic industry.
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Interview with eCapital’s CEO Marius Silvasan
Sep 25, 2023Marius Silvasan has built eCapital into a fast-growing financial technology firm through an ambitious and impactful M&A strategy. With the successful development of a proprietary technology-driven platform, eCapital is transforming financing for small-to mid-size companies. Under Silvasan’s leadership, eCapital has grown into a multi-disciplinary team of over 700 employees which, to date, has helped 30,000+ businesses garner more than $36 billion in financing to fuel their growth. -
Factoring for Success in 2023 and Beyond
Aug 23, 2023Access to ready working capital is critical to the success of a business, whether it is for maintaining ongoing operations or investing in future growth. Yet, short-term liquidity constraints are common, particularly during uncertain economic times. Factoring can offer a critical lifeline – providing reliable cashflow, credit protection and trusted guidance to help companies navigate the current market challenges.
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Asset-Based Lending: A Primer for Borrowers and New Hires
Aug 17, 2023
Asset-based lending offers many benefits to borrowers in need of capital, not the least of which is the partnership built between client and lender.
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Putting Capital to Work - Patrick Ta Beauty: SG Credit Partners’ Consumer Products Division Helps Company Flourish
Aug 14, 2023Patrick Ta was always an entrepreneur. He opened his first tanning and beauty salon at 17 years old, learning key lessons, as well as the art of the pivot that would inform his future beauty career. After closing the doors to his first venture in Scottsdale, AZ, Ta moved to Los Angeles, CA, and further explored his passion for makeup. -
Mitigating Borrowers’ Cybersecurity Risk
Financial and collateral review? Check. Appropriate lender agreements, carveouts and lien perfection? Check. Review of borrower’s cybersecurity policies and procedures? Can you repeat that? When it comes to lender due diligence and documentation, organizations are well versed with modeling, credit procedures and deal structures; however, there is a continually growing blind spot that lenders cannot afford to ignore: Cybersecurity. -
Unleashing the Power of AI in the Secured Finance Industry: A Journey into Change and Evolution
Aug 2, 2023Change is the great shapeshifter of existence. It is the unseen artist who paints the landscape of our lives with broad strokes of innovation and evolution. In the world of secured finance, change is manifesting through a potent and promising medium—Artificial Intelligence (AI). One particular AI innovation, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, is at the frontier of this change, offering a path filled with opportunities and potential challenges. -
Where Are They Now? Catching up with prior SFNet 40 Under 40 Award winners
Jun 13, 2023From promotions to new jobs, award winners share their career advice for the class of 2023 winners and what they have learned.
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The Use of Covenants in a Discretionary Factoring Facility
May 30, 2023SFNet’s Crucial Conversations webinar, “The Value and Effective Use of Covenants in a Factoring Transaction,”
focused on why covenants are needed in a discretionary factoring facility; covenant types and reporting frequency; the art of picking the right covenant(s) and more. Here, panelist Hugh Larratt-Smith provides a recap of the webinar.
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ABLs, Bitcoin Miners and Monetizing Stranded Energy
Apr 24, 2023This article discusses the bitcoin mining industry’s role in providing demand support to energy producers by monetizing otherwise stranded energy produced from oil drilling and solar and wind facilities. Consumption of stranded energy by bitcoin miners should help secured lenders underwrite loans, because it can reduce air pollution resulting from natural gas flaring and improve life cycle economics of renewable energy sources. -
Interview with Ian Fredericks, President - Hilco Merchant Resources – The Retail And Consumer Operating Company Within Hilco Global
Ian Fredericks joined Hilco Global in 2011 after working successfully as a distressed merger and acquisition and corporate restructuring attorney. Over the course of his career, Fredericks has negotiated and closed hundreds of transactions involving tens of billions of dollars. In 2017, he was a recipient of M&A Advisor’s Emerging Leaders award and in 2022 was named to the executive committee of the Secured Finance Network board of directors.
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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Middle Market Lending in 2025: Adjustment Amid Uncertainty
May 6, 2025According to LSEG LPC’s Middle Market Syndicated Stats, 2024 closed strong:
- Total syndicated middle market loan volume reached $159.6 billion, a 32% YoY increase.
- New money issuance totaled $78.8 billion, with refinancings at $80.8 billion.
- Institutional middle market volume hit $24 billion, more than doubling YoY.
- Covenant-lite issuance rose by 117%, reaching $3.5 billion. -
Navigating Change: A Preview of SFNet’s 2025 International Lending Conference with Alister Bazaz
Apr 29, 2025SFNet's International Lending Conference, held in London on May 12-13, 2025, is attended by a dynamic community of global lenders, innovators, and dealmakers in the heart of London. We sat down with the chair of the International Lending Conference Planning Committee, Alister Bazaz, head of International Asset Based Lending & Asset Based Digital Innovation at Bank of America, to discuss the planning process and the event. -
Austin Financial Services and Stearns Bank Enter New Strategic Joint Venture
Apr 22, 2025Austin Financial Services, Inc. (AFS), a leading nationwide provider of asset-based lending (ABL) solutions, announced it has entered into a new strategic joint venture with Stearns Bank, a well-capitalized, employee-owned financial services institution committed to helping small businesses, entrepreneurs and communities reach their full economic potential.
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ABL Navigates New Economic Crosswinds
Apr 16, 2025The Secured Finance Network (SFNet) has released its Q4 2024 Asset-Based Lending Index and Lender Confidence Index, offering a snapshot of a resilient ABL market. SFNet’s Data Committee has also published an overview of the market drawing from SFNet’s 2024 Annual ABL Survey, syndicated market data from LSEG LPC, and new macroeconomic insights from KeyBridge Research. This article examines where ABL stands—and where it’s heading—as the lending landscape adapts to a higher-stakes economy.
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Interview with SFNet’s Emerging Leaders Summit Keynote Speaker Dave Spandorfer, CEO & Co-Founder of Janji
Apr 15, 2025Now in its 8th year, the Emerging Leaders Summit is a dynamic conference designed to unite professionals with 6-15 years of experience in secured finance. This year’s keynote speaker is Dave Spandorfer, CEO & Co-Founder of Janji, a start-up apparel organization that links runners with exploring and giving back. We sat down to speak with Spandorfer to discuss the history of the brand, the role funding from Assembled Brands played in its growth, and its commitment to social impact.
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Empowering or Overshadowing? Balancing Technology and Expertise in ABL
When asked, “Is technology empowering or overshadowing expertise in asset-based lending?” the answer is simple: Yes.
We’re in an era where technology’s efficiency and human expertise should work together, and if balanced thoughtfully, we can absolutely have both. But this requires intention. As we lean into technology, we must preserve the critical thinking that defines the art of ABL.
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Empathy from the C-Suite: Michael Haddad’s Lessons Learned From His Self-Run Job Process
Apr 7, 2025In this installment of our executive interview series, Charlie Perer sits down with past SFNet president Michael Haddad to discuss the current commercial finance hiring market and his unique, self-directed approach to securing his next leadership role, among other topics.
For those who haven't been following, Michael has been sharing insightful weekly updates on LinkedIn about his personal journey in finding his next opportunity.
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PKF O’Connor Davies Expands Advisory Service Offerings with PKF Clear Thinking Integration
Apr 1, 2025PKF O'Connor Davies announced that its subsidiary, PKF Clear Thinking, integrated under the PKF O'Connor Davies name, effective January 29, 2025. TSL Express’ senior editor sat down with Stuart Kessler, senior advisor at PKF O’Connor Davies and Jonathan Moore, partner-in-charge of Advisory Services at PKF O'Connor Davies, to discuss the integration and how combining the expertise of both firms creates added value.
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Mastering the Art of Communication: Strategies for Building Stronger Business Relationships
Mar 24, 2025In an era when technology and business move faster than ever, mastering communication is key to professional success. SFNet’s webinar, “The Art of Communication,” held March 4, brought together secured finance industry professionals at various career stages to discuss the evolving communication landscape in 2025. Panelists explored best practices for balancing technology with human connection, choosing the right mode of communication for different scenarios, and improving overall efficiency and productivity.
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Recognizing Excellence: Women in Secured Finance Profiles
Mar 19, 2025In our annual Women in Secured Finance issue of The Secured Lender we recognize and celebrate more than 40 remarkable women in the secured finance industry.
The Secured Lender
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