We believe the ‘right thing to do’ works for our customers, our colleagues and for our company.
Introducing our brand new take on the ‘personal loan’.
Head of Operations
A lot has changed during my many (many!) years in different roles within financial services, more so in the last 2 or 3 years, with technology and the fintech space really coming alive. One thing however that has been slow to change and improve, is providing a product and a customer experience that truly does have the customer at its heart.
Like others, I have also regularly been on the receiving end of a poor, uncaring service, leaving me frustrated, confused and under-valued as a customer. I therefore promised myself that this will never be the norm for any service that I have responsibility for.
I am passionate about the service we provide at Custom Credit and the value and respect we offer to our customers. We are on a journey to provide flexible, value-add, innovative products and to serve our customers as best we can, each and every time.
Another thing that is clear at Custom Credit is that we all want to give something back – be it helping community groups and individuals to better understand Finance, supporting local charities, or just giving others that chance they may need to be part of what we do, irrespective of their background or qualifications.
Founder and CEO
I’ve been working in Financial Services since 1999 and have enjoyed it and the opportunities it has given me for the most part. However, throughout that time I experienced many examples of where the industry could have done better for the customer. I found this to be extremely frustrating; not just because it would have been the right thing to do for the customer, but also it was the most profitable thing to do in the long term, but unfortunately the industry is very short sighted.
I have had concerns that the industry is becoming more and more elitist, with very high barriers for entry and limited opportunities to progress from entry level positions. I myself didn’t come from a wealthy background, neither do I have a degree, but I have succeeded in this industry. I feel that the path into this industry is even more difficult now, not only is this unfair but it also creates a GroupThink attitude and distances the industry further from its customers and their needs.
My role and mission at Custom Credit is to change both these issues and hopefully influence the industry to do the same. The time is right for these changes and technology is available to make it easier to achieve.
Co-Founder and CRO
My passion is for technology and how technology can help people lead more fulfilling personal lives. Having spent all of my working life in financial institutions, I have always been excited about the opportunity technology has to truly help customers. I believe that as an industry there is still more to be learnt.
At Custom Credit we are using Open Banking data, advanced analytics, and the power of modern applications to help bring a customer’s financial information into one place, and to upgrade the traditional personal loan.
Our flexible personal loan helps take the stress out of already busy lives – it’s like a personal assistant for your Custom Credit loan – but I believe there is a real opportunity to take this even further. We have an opportunity to bring a customer’s personal finances to life. We can achieve this from our analytics, which then gives them a clear financial situation and helps them learn more about their personal finances.
We also take financial education very seriously at Custom Credit. I know the commitment of the leadership team within Custom Credit is the same as mine, and we specifically dedicate time and company resources into helping to educate anyone who wants to learn more about Finance.
Custom Credit was developed from every experience its founders have had in the Financial Services Industry over the last 23 years.
We are dedicated in our vision of developing a portfolio of products and a company that benefits OUR customers as well as our colleagues.
Our Mission is simple:
This involves using Open Banking and customer friendly tech, such as real time chat, smart apps, and self-service.
Provide custom loans that can accommodate irregular income and expenditure.
Make customer communication clear, concise, and on demand.
Develop apprenticeship schemes to ensure access to the industry for people from all backgrounds.
Work with charities and institutions to identify people who want to retrain and help them do it.
Provide quality graduate schemes, internships and industrial placements
We plan to apportion a percentage of profits to training and financial literacy schemes.
Offer customers a discount for using our online financial literacy training.
Provide feedback to customers on their spending and income along with comparisons to their peers.
We’re delighted to announce that we have a new charity partnership with Off the Fence, and we are committed to raising £5,000 for them over this next year. Our future ambition is to be able to commit a proportion of our company profits to Off the Fence and other charitable organisations. This is an important first step towards achieving this goal.
Off the Fence support 3 main groups of clients, primarily in Brighton and Hove, namely, homeless people (Antifreeze), women (Gateway) and schools and youth. Over the coming months, we will be working with them to develop programmes that can be delivered to these groups, supporting financial literacy and the opportunity to enter or re-enter the financial services industry.
This partnership will allow Custom Credit to work with institutions who help support our shared values and common goals which are:
to develop and strengthen financial literacy.
to provide opportunities to those who want to enter or re-enter the financial sector.
Off the Fence was established in 1997 and is a UK registered charity (1108777) set up to help resist poverty, empower people, and restore hope for the disadvantaged in Brighton & Hove.
For us, this cooperation is critical to our company ethos and very exciting. This is an opportunity to share our mission with even more people and offer our support, not just money but the skills and experience we have gained over the years.
The initial contact with Custom Credit and Damien came via his daughter Olivia, who asked if we would support her bid to become a member of the West Sussex Youth Cabinet with a special brief for the homeless. After further discussion we agreed to become Custom Credit’s charity partner and work together to improve the conditions and outlook for the least advantaged in Brighton & Hove. We look forward to developing this partnership in the coming months.
We’re delighted to announce that we have a new charity partnership with Off the Fence, and we are committed to raising £5,000 for them over this next year. Our future ambition is to be able to commit a proportion of our company profits to Off the Fence and other charitable organisations. This is an important first step towards achieving this goal.
Off the Fence support 3 main groups of clients, primarily in Brighton and Hove, namely, homeless people (Antifreeze), women (Gateway) and schools and youth. Over the coming months, we will be working with them to develop programmes that can be delivered to these groups, supporting financial literacy and the opportunity to enter or re-enter the financial services industry.
This partnership will allow Custom Credit to work with institutions who help support our shared values and common goals which are:
to develop and strengthen financial literacy.
to provide opportunities to those who want to enter or re-enter the financial sector.
Off the Fence was established in 1997 and is a UK registered charity (1108777) set up to help resist poverty, empower people, and restore hope for the disadvantaged in Brighton & Hove.
For us, this cooperation is critical to our company ethos and very exciting. This is an opportunity to share our mission with even more people and offer our support, not just money but the skills and experience we have gained over the years.
The initial contact with Custom Credit and Damien came via his daughter Olivia, who asked if we would support her bid to become a member of the West Sussex Youth Cabinet with a special brief for the homeless. After further discussion we agreed to become Custom Credit’s charity partner and work together to improve the conditions and outlook for the least advantaged in Brighton & Hove. We look forward to developing this partnership in the coming months.
Custom Credit is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
(Firm Reference Number: 961764) Company No: 13288592.
Registered office: Basepoint Centre, Little High Street, Shoreham-by-Sea, England, BN43 5EG
© 2023 All Rights Reserved, Custom Credit Ltd
