2026 Canadian Lenders Summit

Why the best lenders are winning through risk infrastructure, not just better UX

For years, fintech lending was sold as a better borrower experience. The next phase may be won by firms with better risk controls, cleaner data, faster decisioning, stronger servicing and more resilient capital structures.

Can mortgage lending become faster, smarter and less painful?

Mortgage is still one of the largest credit categories and one of the most frustrating borrower experiences. This panel looks at digital origination, broker/lender workflow, affordability stress, alternative mortgage finance and where AI can actually reduce friction.

Why identity, onboarding and fraud now define lender economics

Customer acquisition does not matter if the borrower is fake, manipulated or unprofitable. This panel explores synthetic identity, income fraud, device intelligence, document verification and the tradeoff between low-friction onboarding and real risk control.

How real-time data is changing small business credit

SMB lending is still too slow, manual and document-heavy. This panel looks at accounting data, payments data, tax data, bank feeds, e-commerce signals and automated spreading — and asks whether banks and fintechs can finally make small business credit feel modern.

AI is moving from credit scoring to credit operations

AI in lending is no longer just about better scores. This session looks at how AI agents can review documents, check policies, handle exceptions, monitor portfolios and support servicing — while still staying explainable, auditable and compliant.

The next wave of auto finance: digital retail, vehicle data and risk-based approvals

Auto lending is being reshaped by digital dealerships, affordability pressure, vehicle values, fraud and faster point-of-sale decisioning. This session focuses on where lenders should invest: dealer experience, instant approvals, residual-value risk, EV financing, fraud prevention or servicing.

Who funds lenders when money is no longer cheap?

The last few years forced lenders to care more about warehouse lines, forward-flow agreements, securitization, whole-loan buyers and private credit. This session unpacks what capital providers want now, how originators should structure funding, and what separates scalable lenders from balance-sheet traps.

Building lending products for regulators before regulators come calling

Regulation should not be a legal review at the end of product development. This session looks at explainable AI, fair lending, rate caps, open banking, AML, disclosure, complaint handling and how lenders can build compliant workflows directly into product and credit systems.

The future of underwriting using bank data, payroll, accounting and real-time signals

Alternative data has moved from “nice to have” to core credit infrastructure. This session covers cash-flow underwriting for consumers and SMBs, where it actually improves approvals, and where lenders still need traditional bureau data.

How lenders are adjusting products, pricing and approvals after the rate shock

Rate volatility changed borrower affordability, funding costs and portfolio behaviour. This session explores how lenders are repricing risk, tightening or expanding credit boxes, and preparing for the next phase of the cycle.

How platforms, merchants and vertical software are becoming the new front door for credit

Borrowers increasingly discover credit inside workflows: checkout, accounting software, payroll platforms, dealer portals and marketplaces. This panel looks at who owns the customer, who owns the risk, and whether embedded credit is a distribution strategy or an entirely new lending model.

What the modern lender tech stack actually looks like

Loan origination, decisioning, fraud, bureau data, open banking, payments, servicing, collections, capital markets and compliance are all becoming modular. This session helps executives understand what to build, what to buy, what to replace and how to avoid stitching together a Frankenstein lending stack.

What rising consumer stress is teaching lenders about risk, collections and borrower engagement

The best lenders are not just better at approving borrowers — they are better at managing them after origination. This panel covers early-warning signals, hardship programs, digital collections, behavioural nudges and how to protect both borrowers and portfolio performance.

How to build profitable, responsible credit for borrowers outside the bank box

Non-prime lending is often discussed either as a growth market or a regulatory risk. This session gets practical: pricing, graduation, loss management, product design, borrower outcomes and what responsible innovation actually looks like in high-cost credit.