Helping to Build A Better Future For Oportun Borrowers

May, 10, 2018

SpringFour and Oportun began working together in August of 2016 after realizing we shared a mutual goal and mission. Each of our companies believes that those struggling financially should not be left on the sidelines and deserve access to fair credit and direction to local resources that can help.

Oportun was founded in 2005 with the mission of providing affordable loans that help people with little or no credit history establish credit and build a better future. Today, they have helped over one million customers and have originated over $5 billion dollars through more than two million loans.

Those who need access to affordable credit to meet needs frequently require additional financial health resources to get back on track. Nearly 90 percent of Oportun customers live in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. Many of them struggle to cover basic expenses such as housing, utilities or medical bills. These are just the types of situations where SpringFour referrals can also be extremely helpful and result in the greatest impact. Oportun partnered with SpringFour to help their borrowers connect with local nonprofit and government agencies that address these types of financial challenges and can help put borrowers on the path to financial wellness.

As Oportun continues to offer SpringFour referrals they see more opportunities to assist their borrowers. As Ezra Garrett, SVP of Public Affairs & Impact at Oportun, recently stated to employees, “With the SpringFour partnership, Oportun helps more of our customers who are facing difficult life decisions find the appropriate assistance they need to get back on track. I feel more confident than ever that we are on the right path in our mission to help more of the 45 million people in the United States with little to no credit history build a better future.”

Initially, Oportun added S4direct to their website, where borrowers can self-serve to find local resources. They also deployed S4desktop in their contact centers, where Oportun agents are able to provide referrals to connect borrowers who have fallen behind on their payments to local resources. Because SpringFour provides its referrals in both English and Spanish, referrals can be easily made and understood by Oportun borrowers, many of whom are more comfortable speaking Spanish.

Oportun has since decided to expand the partnership and offer SpringFour referrals to borrowers through their retail locations as well, where they provide referrals to hundreds of borrowers each month. As Raul Vazquez, CEO of Oportun stated, “Partnering with SpringFour allows us to directly address our customers’ needs in a way that we could not do alone.”

SpringFour is proud to be a part of the path to help Oportun customers achieve financial wellness.