PRESS RELEASE (For immediate distribution)
MOTLEY FOOL ANNOUNCES NEW BNPL-STYLE OFFERING
Hopes to capitalise on huge and growing trend
And, of course, in keeping with the current trend, the two new products will charge no interest.
Motley Fool spokesperson Lira Fopol said:
"The trend of consumers adopting new payment methods, particularly Buy-Now-Pay-Later and pay advances, has ballooned in recent years. We think the time is ripe to launch two new products into this exciting market, in order to capitalise on the profit to be made from consumers who are unable or unwilling to wait for their new pair of jeans."
True, it's an abrupt about face from the criticism Motley Fool Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips has made of some of these new finance products, noting the lack of appropriate regulation, the move towards pushing people onto a debt treadmill, and the discouragement of sensible financial literacy and discipline, but he was deliberately kept out of the loop while we worked on these products.
Addressing the fact that the sector is currently regulated much more lightly than other credit products, Fopol added:
"While banks, credit card companies and traditional lenders are constrained by pesky rules that require them to make sure they understand the borrower and that they can repay the loan, this new category carries nowhere near the same annoying consumer protections, making it ripe for exploitation and serving the needs of new customers."
While some would suggest The Motley Fool has been too late to the party on the app-based 'get it now' segment, the company believes that the arrival of products to let you pay for your groceries in instalments, and get an advance on your pay (for a fee, of course), means the sector is just getting going.
"Imagine what the future could bring", said The Motley Fool's intern and head of new product ideation and whizbangery, Ralf Ofpio. "There's no limit to what consumers can have now, if they're prepared to commit money they might otherwise need later. And if they find themselves short, come repayment time, we'll be able to offer them a loan at hyper-profitable interest rates. Talk about upsell!"
While the company has yet to finalise its full product suite (that will, in all likelihood end up in credit cards, personal loans and mortgages like other BNPL providers), The Motley Fool today announces its first two products, helpfully described with cool acronyms, because that's what people expect these days.
motley fool bnpn(™)
(Editors, please note the deliberate lower-case in the product name if referring to this in print. All the cool kids are doing it)
Announcing motley fool bnpn(™); the payment choice for a new generation!
We think the abundance of BNPL players has left a yawning gap in the market. While 'buy now pay later' has been saturated with dozens of overlapping offerings, there is a huge opportunity in BNPN – buy now, pay now – which none of those players is currently offering.
Buy-now-pay-now, through motley fool bnpn(™), will revolutionise this market by giving consumers the opportunity to buy things with the money they already have.
Importantly, this payment method dispenses with future payment obligations (installments) by allowing the consumer to pay in full, up front, thus better managing their cash flows, and avoiding them accidentally overspending, meaning late fees or having an instalment deducted from their account the day before the rent is due.
"We think this is a huge step forward" said The Motley Fool's Ofpio. "Paying up front is simpler, easier, and interest-free. Plus, there's no risk of a late fee."
motley fool blpl (™)
To complement the new motley fool bnpn (™) offering, The Motley Fool also announces the launch of motley fool blpl (™), exploiting yet another gap in the new finance market.
blpl – 'buy later, pay later' is an innovative concept allowing consumers to delay their purchase of fashion clothing, computer games and/or new furniture until they actually have the money.
Acknowledging that the company will have a hard time combatting the FOMO encouraged by its competitors, Ofpio commented "We know people love BNPL, and the various providers are only too happy to encourage people to live it up now and let their future selves worry about making payments, but we are hopeful that motley fool blpl (™) will take off, even if only slowly at first."
In keeping with this new launch, The Motley Fool has also invented some new lexicon which it hopes will take off. We have created three new terms: 'living within your means', 'savings' and 'delayed gratification'.
While acknowledging that these new terms might struggle to catch on, General Manager Lira Fopol commented:
"There are some people who genuinely need credit products to deal with unexpected crises in their lives, and those people should be served by low-cost providers, whose aim isn't to get consumers hooked on rolling credit.
"For everyone else, the BNPL craze has become an addiction that too many companies are aiming to profit from. We hope to join them with motley fool bnpn (™) and motley fool blpl (™)!"
motley fool bnpn(™) and motley fool blpl(™) will start rolling out on April 1, 2023.
Until then, the finance industry will try to convince you that their debt solutions are better for you, convincing you (and maybe themselves) that they're doing you a favour.
Makes you feel warm and fuzzy, doesn't it?
Media contact:
Flora Pilo
[email protected]
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Returns as of 1 April 2022. And only 1 April 2022. For obvious reasons. We hope.
This article would usually contain general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). But not this time. Well, except for our commitment to great investing advice. That's legit. (There is some general financial advice, though, if you check the calendar, and read between the lines.)
Authorised by Scott Phillips.
(Also, written by Scott, acted by Scott and he did the lighting and costume design. Also, the hand-drawn signs out the front. But just today.)
Didn't find the article funny? That's okay. It's not supposed to have you rolling in the aisles. We're just using today to make a serious point, with a smile. And a little irreverence.
Regular programming will resume tomorrow.
Happy April Fool's Day, Fools!
