deBanked’s Top Five Stories of 2021

deBanked’s most read stories of 2021 were similar but different to those read in 2020. We broke them down into categories by popularity.

1. Scandal

A South Florida business apparently masquerading as a small business finance company, was by far and away the most read story of 2021. Authorities now believe that it was a $200M+ ponzi scheme with more than 5,500 investors. Unlike other alleged schemes that have rocked the finance world, thousands of people believe the allegations are not true and have rallied around the CEO.

2. Domain Life after Death

The Death of a Thousand Financial Companies, the leading story of deBanked’s March/April 2021 magazine issue, was the 2nd most popular across 2021. In it, deBanked went undercover to find out what happened to the domain names of financial companies that went out of business. The findings were terrifying. (See: Video discussion about the story)

3. Real Estate Investing

Think what you want about crypto as the future because when it came down to it, deBanked readers were vastly more interested in real estate investing. Why Funders Are Investing in Real Estate As Their Side Hustle of Choice was the 3rd most read story of 2021. “[Real estate is] just a way that people who have been successful and spin off a lot of cash for their businesses see as a safe way to diversify their income,” said a lawyer that was interviewed for the story.

4. Regulation

It was a close call between several stories pertaining to regulation. While interest in CFPB-related activity ranked high, so too did a court decision in Florida that ruled on the legality of merchant cash advances. The New York commercial financing disclosure law was also top of mind for many readers as was interest in proposed legislation in Maryland.

5. An Exit

The fall of LendUp, an online consumer lending company, was apparently of great interest in 2021. After some difficult encounters with regulators, the company ceased lending operations. “Although we are no longer lending, we also offer a series of free online education courses designed to boost your financial savvy fast,” the company’s website now says.

Sean Murray is the President and Chief Editor of deBanked and the founder of the Broker Fair Conference. Connect with me on LinkedIn or follow me on twitter. You can view all future deBanked events here.