According to research from responsible lender, Creditspring, only three per cent of people are able to accurately calculate interest payments due on loans. With the overwhelming majority hurting their financial stability due to not understanding the cost of borrowing, the lender has announced a new partnership with financial educational platform, Doshi, to remedy this issue and improve financial confidence and knowledge.
The partnership will provide Creditspring members with access to financial education courses via its Learning Academy, powered by Doshi, to set goals and build their understanding of finance and money topics including budgeting, credit, mortgages, pensions and savings.
The Learning Academy launched for both Creditspring Go and loan members in March. Within the first five days of launch 11,000 product-related lessons had been completed. The platform has since seen around 10,000 members interact with it, with over 16,000 lessons now having been completed.
Members who complete the financial education courses are more engaged than the average member with enhanced financial literacy skills that empower them to make improved financial decisions. Members who interact with the Doshi platform are more likely not to cancel their membership and are twice as likely to graduate from Creditspring Go to the full membership.
Understanding the cost of borrowing
In its research, Creditspring also found that only four in 10 people know that the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) on a loan is determined by a borrower’s financial position and credit history. Similarly, just half (51 per cent) of people in the UK know that APRs can change during the repayment period or that interest can be charged on late fees.
The situation is unlikely to improve. While a third (33 per cent) say that finances are too complicated for them to understand, this rises to 43 per cent of younger people (aged 18-34).
Many borrowers blame lenders for their lack of understanding – almost six in 10 (56 per cent) people believe lenders make terms and conditions deliberately difficult to understand.
Meanwhile, seven in 10 (68 per cent) people believe school did not equip them with the necessary financial knowledge. Three in 10 (30 per cent) say they turn to family and friends to fill this knowledge gap – rising to over half (52 per cent) of young people (18-34 year olds).
Creditspring’s model offers no-interest loans with clear repayment terms, capped total costs and no hidden charges, late fees, confusing interest rates or risk of debt spirals. Members pay a fixed membership fee every month to allow them to access two no-interest loans per year with clear repayment terms, capped total costs and no hidden charges, late fees, confusing interest rates or risk of debt spirals.
Removing jargon and providing clarity
Neil Kadagathur, CEO and co-founder of Creditspring, comments: “The UK’s financial literacy black hole is punishing borrowers who don’t understand the true cost of credit and find themselves in financial difficulty. This is exactly why Creditspring’s transparent solution was created.
“Creditspring’s approach works in the same way as Netflix, offering an easy-to-understand subscription model that highlights exactly how much borrowers need to repay. The onus needs to be on lenders to bridge the financial knowledge gap by enhancing understanding. Our partnership with Doshi is another example of how we’re supporting our members to improve their financial knowledge, providing skills to manage their money and protect their future financial stability.”
“Given almost no borrowers can calculate interest payments, APRs are not fit for purpose as they add an unnecessary layer of complexity to short-term borrowing – lenders need to ensure they are offering transparent and affordable credit options which don’t push borrowers into punishing debt spirals.”
Daniel Rose, founder and CEO of Doshi, comments: “We see the partnership with Creditspring as a strategic evolution—from building financial confidence to enabling better access to credit for more people, which is especially vital in the current economic climate.
“Moreover, Creditspring’s innovative approach allows us to deliver more forward-thinking propositions. By analysing user engagement, we can better understand behaviour patterns, which in turn enables us to personalise the learning experience further and improve the pool of potential lenders.”
