FinovateFall 2008 / SmartHippo

Presenter Profile:

How they describe themselves: SmartHippo.com is the first ever website that allows individuals to use the power of a community to save money when shopping for rates on financial products and services. Many borrowers currently end up with higher mortgage rates simply because they lack the necessary information or knowledge to negotiate the best possible deal. Higher rates can mean the difference between being able to send one’s kids to college or not.

SmartHippo.com champions a consumer-friendly approach to lending based on transparency and accountability. The company uses the power of online communities to level the playing field and put the balance of power back in the hands of consumers. Lenders can create a profile, engage in the conversation, and even post their rates for free.

What they think makes them better: The transparency and empowerment made possible by the SmartHippo platform is an important part of the solution to avoiding a repeat of the mortgage crisis that is currently dragging down the economy. Other web sites advertise bait and switch rates, or simply collect consumer’s personal data in order to sell it to the highest bidder. SmartHippo is the first truly transparent marketplace where consumers can rank and review lenders and even use our patent pending technology to compare their rates with rates that other consumers with a similar risk profile have obtained.

Contacts:

Bus. Dev. & Sales: Martin Hudon, (514) 667-1574, martin@smarthippo.com
Press: Kelly Rusk, Community Manager, (514) 907-1982, kelly@smarthippo.com


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