The New Bankers Playbook: Room to Grow

Implementing alternative lending strategies for underserved Canadians is at the heart of Fairstone Bank’s mission to provide credit to the one in four individuals often overlooked by the Big Five. In this session, CEO Scott Wood reveals a critical insight: the path to sustainable growth lies in transitioning from a traditional finance company to a Schedule I bank with over 20 billion dollars in stable deposits. This shift has allowed the institution to move beyond mere competition, instead focusing on “invisible primes”—borrowers with strong repayment intent who lack a traditional credit footprint. By leveraging a century of community-based relationship lending, Fairstone is proving that human-centric service remains a powerful differentiator in a digital-first world.

The technical backbone of alternative lending strategies for underserved Canadians involves a sophisticated blend of AI-driven underwriting and alternative data scoring. Wood discusses how the bank navigates recent regulatory shifts, such as the 35% APR cap, by doubling down on operational efficiency and precision-targeted credit products. Through its digital-native subsidiary FIG, Fairstone experiments with high-velocity lending models that feed back into the core bank’s infrastructure. This dual-track approach ensures that the bank can serve thin-file and new-to-Canada borrowers without compromising the risk standards required of a major national lender.

Executing successful alternative lending strategies for underserved Canadians also hinges on strategic M&A and product diversification. The discussion highlights the recent merger with Home Trust, which combined consumer credit expertise with alternative mortgage solutions to create a comprehensive financial ecosystem. By maintaining a fortress balance sheet and diversifying into retail and automotive finance, Fairstone is effectively rewriting the playbook for how mid-market banks can scale. This session serves as a masterclass for any financial leader looking to deploy alternative lending strategies for underserved Canadians while maintaining institutional resilience and mission-alignment.

Key takeaways from the Bankers Playbook session include:

• The strategic transition from a non-bank lender to a Schedule I bank with diversified funding.
• Utilizing alternative data and AI to responsibly expand credit access to thin-file borrowers.
• How the Fairstone-Home Trust merger creates a unique omnichannel model for alternative finance.

Watch the full session to learn how your organization can apply these alternative lending strategies for underserved Canadians to capture untapped market growth.