Stance Asset Finance launches to all brokers

Stance Asset Finance, the new asset finance brand from United Trust Bank, has officially launched to the wider UK broker market following a successful pilot.

The launch gives asset finance brokers across England, Scotland and Wales another option for business falling outside mainstream credit criteria at a time when market consolidation and changing lender appetites are putting pressure on choice in the asset finance market.

Stance was created to complement UTB's established asset finance business by supporting viable SMEs whose funding requirements fall outside mainstream lending criteria.

The new brand offers hire purchase, leasing and refinancing solutions across a wide variety of assets, including vehicles, machinery, plant and equipment. 

Its proposition combines tier-three terms with experienced underwriters, direct broker access to credit decision makers and a willingness to consider transactions requiring a more individual approach.

UTB registered brokers can access Stance via their existing UTB trading agreement but will need a quick light touch onboarding call with a Stance BDM to discuss alignment of credit appetite with proposals. Brokers can contact the team using the stance@utbank.co.uk email address.

Stance began accepting business earlier this year through a selected group of Founders Club brokers, enabling the team to test and refine its proposition before opening to the wider market.

The business has also invested in dedicated sales and underwriting teams, including the appointments of broker development managers Alex Fowler, Rebecca Walton and Cherrice Baffana.

Astrid Michael, sales and marketing director for asset finance at United Trust Bank, said: "When we first announced Stance, we said we wanted to give brokers something different. Not another lender chasing the same straightforward deals, but a business with the appetite, expertise and financial backing to support good SMEs that don't necessarily fit the usual lending criteria.

"Our Founders Club brokers have certainly put that ambition to the test! They've brought us some excellent transactions, challenged our thinking and helped us build a proposition that works in the real world. What's particularly encouraging is that we're launching into a market where demand for asset finance remains strong, but brokers tell us that finding the right home for more challenging cases is becoming more difficult. As lenders consolidate or change their appetites, brokers need more options, not fewer.

"Stance gives them a genuine alternative. We have the financial strength and competitive funding you'd expect from a bank, but with dedicated underwriters who understand that a business isn't necessarily a bad credit just because its circumstances are more unusual. We're not trying to make every deal fit a box. We'd rather have a conversation, understand the business and the assets, and find a sensible way forward where we can. Our doors are wide open and we’re inviting all brokers to unfollow the crowd so we can show them what we do.”