“Can a fintech consumer lending platform scale to $40B+ in originations on a bank-partnership model and achieve a premium exit to an incumbent bank seeking a direct-to-consumer lending capability?”
Founded in 2013 as Marlette Holdings, Best Egg launched in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer personal loan platform using a bank-partnership (rent-a-charter) model with Cross River Bank. Over the following decade, it expanded from unsecured personal loans into secured home-equity loans and a credit card, growing to $40B+ in facilitated originations. In October 2025 Barclays agreed to acquire Best Egg for $800M, signaling a convergence of the fintech origination model with a regulated bank's balance sheet and charter.
Best Egg (marlette) discloses Cross River Bank as its banking provider, with Cross River Bank, N.A. / Column N.A. / Blue Ridge Bank / First Bank & Trust as its sponsor bank, according to the Embedded Finance Index 2026.
Best Egg (marlette) does not disclose a bank charter of its own; its banking services are provided through Cross River Bank, N.A. / Column N.A. / Blue Ridge Bank / First Bank & Trust.
Best Egg (marlette)'s cards are issued through First Bank & Trust.
Best Egg (marlette)'s lending and capital products are provided by Cross River Bank.
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 4 layers in Best Egg (marlette)'s stack: Banking / BaaS (Cross River Bank); Card issuing (First Bank & Trust); Lending (Cross River Bank, Best Egg Personal Loan (unsecured), Best Egg Secured Loan (home-secured) and Best Egg Credit Card); Sponsor bank (Cross River Bank, N.A. / Column N.A. / Blue Ridge Bank / First Bank & Trust).
Best Egg (marlette) is founded in 2013 and headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Best Egg (marlette) and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.