CreditHub: Financial Services

Specialty Finance

Specialty finance, including equipment leasing, factoring, and supply-chain finance, is experiencing robust growth driven by post-pandemic recovery and increased demand for operational agility. Non-bank lenders are expanding market share, and digital platforms are accelerating origination and servicing efficiency.

Commercial Real Estate Lending

CRE lenders are navigating higher interest rates, shifting asset values, and evolving borrower profiles. Non-bank lenders and alternative capital providers are playing a larger role, while special servicing and workouts are on the rise for underperforming assets.

Payments & Transaction Processing

Payments and transaction processing are being transformed by fintech innovation, digital adoption, and expansion of real-time/alternative networks. PSPs and merchant acquirers are scaling up, but face rising fraud and compliance complexity.

Regional Outlook

Growth opportunities abound in ESG-linked finance, fintech lending, and emerging markets. Lenders and investors who prioritize strong collateral, regulatory compliance, and innovation are best positioned to capture value and manage risk in a dynamic environment.

Strategic Recommendations

Focus on sector-specific scorecards, dynamic fraud pricing, early liquidity dialogue, regulatory readiness, and transition-risk intelligence. These priorities, distilled from market leaders, are essential for navigating volatility and building resilient credit portfolios.

Invest in advanced analytics and automation for credit decisioning.
Enhance collaboration between risk, finance, and operations teams.
Stay ahead of regulatory and market trends through continuous learning.

Exec Summary

Welcome to the Baker Ing Finance Credit Hub — your dedicated source for strategic insights across the sectors where credit risk, receivables performance and debt recovery are critical to commercial success. This Hub focuses on three core pillars where we see the highest demand for intelligent, outcome-driven credit management: Specialty Finance (equipment leasing, factoring, supply-chain finance, asset-based lending); Commercial Real Estate Lending (commercial mortgage finance, bridge, mezzanine and construction loans, special servicing); and Payments & Transaction Processing (PSPs, merchant acquirers, cross-border payments, digital wallets). Each of these sectors is undergoing rapid change in 2025–2026. In Specialty Finance, demand for liquidity and operational flexibility has fuelled a strong resurgence, with equipment leasing and factoring markets rebounding sharply from pandemic-era disruption. Commercial real estate lenders are adapting to higher interest rates, shifting asset values, and evolving borrower profiles — while non-bank players continue to gain ground in origination and servicing. Meanwhile, payments and transaction processing volumes have reached new highs, driven by fintech innovation, digital adoption, and the expansion of real-time and alternative payment networks. The UK and Europe remain anchor markets — Europe alone accounts for approximately two-thirds of global factoring volume (Global Factoring Statistics 2020 – Business Money) — but growth opportunities are accelerating across the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific (APAC), North America, and Latin America (LATAM). Today’s environment is dynamic and increasingly complex. Heightened competition, regulatory shifts, evolving liquidity conditions, and technology-driven disruption are reshaping commercial realities. Financial institutions and service providers must navigate these forces carefully to protect receivables, manage risk, and preserve commercial momentum. Baker Ing brings our perspective to this work, grounded in real-world experience supporting internationally active businesses with receivables management and cross-border recoveries. The insight is designed to equip credit professionals and commercial stakeholders with the intelligence needed to strengthen cashflow resilience, optimise recoveries, and protect enterprise value in complex, volatile markets. The opportunity is clear: specialised finance and payments markets are positioned for sustained growth — but success will favour those who combine strategic innovation, proactive credit management, and early, informed action.