Questions
Private lending,
made clearer.
Answers about private lending, account access, and Friendly’s role. Search all questions or browse by audience.
About Friendly
Friendly is a financial technology company for loans between people and businesses that know one another. We bring the request, agreed terms, funding, and repayments together. The lender provides the money and decides whether to lend.
Friendly gives both sides a clear request and agreement, then manages scheduled payments, statements, and follow-up. You can see what was agreed, what has been paid, and what comes next, without keeping the records and tracking payments yourself.
The lender, called the Patron, provides their own money and decides whether to lend. The borrower and Patron agree on the terms together. Friendly manages the loan process and ongoing servicing.
No. A loan begins with an invitation from a lender the borrower already knows.
Your funding account is held at our banking partner. Friendly coordinates funding and repayments and keeps your loan records together. Friendly is a financial technology company, not a bank.
If you are lending, create a Patron account to complete setup and invite someone you may lend to. If you are borrowing, open the invitation from your lender to create your account and prepare a request.
Costs and repayment
The borrower pays a servicing charge based on the loan amount and structure, calculated on the outstanding balance with a $20 monthly minimum. Document preparation and verification fees are separate; the Patron chooses who pays them. Both sides see the fees and repayment schedule before agreeing to the loan.
Friendly coordinates follow-up and keeps payment history and proposed changes with the loan. Default procedures follow the applicable agreements. You retain the risk of nonpayment, including loss of capital; servicing does not guarantee repayment.
Your agreement sets the early-payoff terms. Friendly provides a payoff amount and records the final payment.
You choose the rate. Friendly checks your proposed rate against the Applicable Federal Rate (AFR), an IRS reference for private loans, and flags a below-reference rate for review. The applicable rate depends on the loan’s term and timing. A lower rate can have tax implications; your tax advisor can help you assess your circumstances.
No. Friendly provides loan records and documentation. Your CPA, attorney, or advisor advises on their legal and tax treatment.
Accounts and access
Yes. Your advisors can help you assess the lending decision and its legal or tax treatment. Friendly supplies the loan documentation and servicing records; sharing requires your authorization.
Yes. Manage your loans on the web or with the Friendly app for iPhone.
Contact
Before you join, or if you are advising someone considering a loan, email Partner@friendlybanc.com. For help with an existing loan, sign in and open the loan record so your question stays with its history.
Ready for the next step?
Create a lender account, or find your invitation to borrow.
Questions before you get started? Contact Friendly.