Once a big player in the mortgage market, Goldman Sachs’ footprint in housing finance has significantly decreased since the financial crisis.
These days, the megabank’s mortgage presence is largely limited to lending to its own clients, and buying up delinquent mortgages from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as part of its company’s $5 billion settlement with the government reached in April 2016 over toxic mortgage bonds.
Now, the bank is getting back into home lending – sort of.
Goldman Sachs announced Tuesday that it is now offering home improvement loans through Marcus, the company’s personal lending venture.
Goldman Sachs launched Marcus in 2016, expanding its lending beyond its traditional business model to include smaller, personal loans.
Through Marcus, Goldman Sachs offers no-fee, fixed-rate unsecured personal loans, high-yield online savings accounts and certificates of deposit.
And now, Goldman Sachs is adding home improvement loans to Marcus’ stable of offerings.
According to information from Goldman Sachs, Marcus home improvement loans range from $3,500 to $40,000 for periods of three to six years. The loans do not require a home appraisal or borrowing against the borrower’s home.
The loans also offer “no fees ever.” According to the bank, there are no sign-up fees, no late fees (customers only pay interest for the additional days) and no prepayment fees.
Goldman Sachs also calls the application process “easy,” and said that “creditworthy” customers can receive funds within five days. The loans also offer “complete control over how they use their funds without being committed to pre-approved projects or a single contractor,” the company said.
“We are excited to offer a new way for consumers to use our personal loans, as they look to invest in one of their most valuable assets, their own homes,” Abhinav Anand, Head of Lending for Marcus by Goldman Sachs, said. “By expanding the ways our customers can use our products to fit their needs, we look to continue to help them make smart financial management decisions.”
